“A photographer went to a socialite party in New York.
As he entered the front door,the host said ‘I love your pictures
– they’re wonderful; you must have a fantastic camera.’
He said nothing until dinner was finished, then:
‘That was a wonderful dinner; you must have a a terrific stove.’”
One of the most common regrets I hear all to much,
is “I wish I hired a professional”.
Too many couples think that they’re getting a “great deal”
when a family friend or relative with a really nice camera
offers to shoot their wedding and give them the digital images.
Sad to say, it’s not always the “great deal” they were hoping for.
Take my first wedding for example. Even though I was just
starting out, I did some research and thought I was ready.
However, nothing could prepare me for the car accident
the night before, which left me battered and bruised for
the wedding day and the hurricane that hit just prior
to the nuptials of a beautifully planned outdoor wedding.
And if that wasn’t enough, while the bride and I were inside
photographing her pre-wedding portraits, her family members
were busy trying to protect them from the pouring rain.
In their haste, they put a blue tarp, held up by a long white pole,
directly where the bride and groom were to stand during
the ceremony. You can imagine the look of pure panic on my face
as the ceremony began and there was no place to photograph
to escape the blue tarp.
You can’t just yell: STOP!
It doesn’t go over well with that beautifully planned entrance.
A week later, the bride told me that friends and family
gave her “tons” of pictures, but she cried that
every photograph taken by family and friends
had a big white pole cutting either her or her new husband in half.
I also remember the look on her face
when I presented her with her nuptials free of the big white pole.
Thank you Lord for the gift of editing,
although the editing here is not nearly as good
as experience has made me today, it saved the day
and made this bride very happy
Does the photographer who will photograph your wedding
know how to edit or are they just giving you a disc of un-edited images?
Do you have the knowledge, expertise and hours of time
it takes to edit your photographs?
Does your photographer have the right equipment
for lighting churches with low light or outdoor weddings
with unexpected blue tarps?
Are they willing to work your wedding,
covering all the once in a lifetime moments?
Are they prepared for the unexpected?
All of this can make a big difference on your special day…
even if there isn’t a big white pole in the way.
This is your special day.
You spend thousands of dollars for your
reception, your dress, the flowers, tux, and the music.
Yet when the day is over;
the food will be eaten, the flowers wilt, the tux returned,
the dress packed away and the music moved onto the next party.
What remains to tell your story?
Your photographs…. They are the only record ,
besides your wedding license, left to tell your love story.
Still think having a good camera is enough?
Are you willing to risk it on your special day?
There’s still a few openings for 2014 weddings,
Contact me today to discuss the possibilities.
photography@little-mountain.com
2 Responses
Jennifer M, Erie, PA
Our wedding was over 7 years ago and reading your post, Ann , brought tears to my eyes. I remember how upset I was about that pole. I was crushed that not only did the weather make the day more difficult but that it had ruined the photos that were to help hold all of the wonderful memories so that the bad ones could be forgotten. I had a warning about the pole because of the photos taken by my family, so I was prepared for more disappointment when you called to show me the prints. When I saw the edited photos, my breath was taken away. It definitely felt like magic. I show people those photos, even today with editing being more popular, and they are amazed. I could not have been more happy with the photographs and the fact that you came after a horrible car accident shows your dedication. You are wonderful at what you do and I would never hesitate to put my most precious moments and memories into your hands.
Little Mountain Photography
Thank you so much Jennifer, it means more than I can say. I am just so grateful that I was able to help give you these special memories. I know when you were looking at your wonderful husband to be, you never saw that pole, only him… and thats the way I wanted you to remember it.