Are your guests ruining your wedding photos?

 This has been a topic that I have started to discuss several times. Typed out the whole post and hit backspace until it was all deleted. I never want to hurt any ones feelings or be discussing a touchy topic. But I am taking the plunge, I am discussing it.

Why?

Because I feel like it is important. Not only to me, but to my brides, other photographers, and anyone attending a wedding.

Are your guests ruining your wedding photos?

Remember the days where all of the guests would be crying because the ceremony was just simply beautiful? This rarely happens anymore. I have shot a ton of weddings in the past 3 years and I have seen how much this has changed. It went from full attendance and participation to everyone being hidden behind their point and shoots, dslr’s, and even worse, their I pads.

People just aren’t present anymore.

Now how does this mean they are ruining your photos?

This is how.

Instead of the beautiful photos where everyone is looking at the bride and groom, everyone is looking down at their cameras. There are getting in the way of theses memorable moments, or even worse, guests are standing/leaning in the middle of the aisle to get “their” shot, and are stealing the photographers shot.

Yes, I am biased, being a photographer, but I have left several weddings this year feeling so sad because I missed moments because someone jumped in front of me, or someone was in the background of the much anticipated first kiss, taking “their” shot.

Now, I get it. Photos are my entire life. I live and breathe for them and I want to have those moments as well, if I were a guest at a wedding. I understand that you too just want to have those memories and moments to look at later. Guess what? Chances are this lovely couple has hired a great photographer who will either be giving the couple a disc with ALL of these fabulous moments or they will be putting up a gallery where you can see all of these photos as well. Either way, there will be a great opportunity for you to see those photos still…but in the great quality the couple has paid for.

This brings me to my next point. Couples pay. Couples save and save and make hiring a great photographer a huge priority for their wedding day. Couples pay anywhere from $1000-$10,000+ for a wedding photographer for their day. They hire a person they trust and know will be there for every single moment that happens that day. Never have I felt, like I did this year, about missing moments. So many times someone jumped in front of me to get their shot, or was sticking out in the aisle while the bride was walking down, or wanted their own version of family photos so no one in the photo is actually looking at me, the photographer. For some reason 2012 was the worst year for this. Thankfully my brides have made great decisions and have hired 2 photographers for their day. I cannot stress this enough as well, a second shooter should not be optional.

Okay, now it sounds like I am whining, that is absolutely not the case. At the end of the day, this isn’t about me, or us photographers. It is about these amazing couples who are losing important timeless things.

So here are two pieces of advice I have.

Brides.

Have an unplugged wedding. What is that you might ask? Check out this blog

(http://offbeatbride.com/2011/06/unplugged-wedding-templates)

I cannot say it better than they do here. They also have great templates and ideas on how to do this in a friendly, compassionate way. Your guests WILL understand and I promise it will be worth it.

Guests.

Be conscious of this whenever you are attending a wedding. Know that they have hired someone to get the job done, and respect that.

With that being said a reason why you need to hire a second shooter

Think about it!

Please hit SHARE at the bottom of this post and share it with all of your family and friends and all of those brides out there still planning their day.

Thanks!

~N~