This topic has been something that I’ve been tip-toeing around for the last few weeks.
While I sat back debating if it were too abrupt or harsh for people who are not in the wedding industry to read, there have been countless articles released that have given brides the absolute wrong impression. Last night, I was distraught over an article that specifically pointed the finger towards the wedding photographer community, and I immediately bolted to my laptop to clear up the misconceptions by talking about the two most common mistakes I see at wedding receptions.
1 — Not feeding your vendors
The article in question from yesterday was called “Which Vendors Do You Have To Feed At Your Wedding,” and setting a few incredibly offensive points (and tweets to photographers) from the author aside, it essentially stated that “anyone who has it in their contract should be fed.” Although, yes, this is totally true, legally you only have to feed these people — the performance of your vendors who are working for long periods of time will be significantly better if they have a small break to recharge.
From the perspective of a photographer
The hangries are very real, my friends, just ask my saint of a boyfriend. In the middle of working an 8-10 hour day at any job there is a natural point where you hit a wall and feel completely drained both physically and mentally. For every job that I have worked before this (even waitressing) there has been a point in the day where you naturally slow down, whether it is a formal break, lunch hour, or even just a bit of off-time in the rush where you get to sit down and re-energize. Wedding days almost never have that natural point — other than when everyone is sitting down and eating dinner. I’m not entirely disagreeing that wedding photographers should have a clause in their contract about meals being required; I am, however, saying that if you want the best performance possible from your photographer (or any vendor working a full day) you should allow them the time to have their own “lunch hour” and think of it from the perspective of you working your own job. I would cringe hearing about you having to scarf down a granola bar in a back room over a sink at your office job, and I really think it should be just as shocking when photographers are forced to do the same.
Won’t they miss all of the most important moments, though?
No, absolutely not. If you work with your caterer to deliver your photographers meal immediately after the wedding party is served, they will be eating at the exact same time as you. This means that the only thing that they will be missing are the moments when you have a mouth full of food, and I really doubt that you’d want your future grandchildren to have those moments framed in their homes 50 years from now. This does, however, bring me to the next big mistake I see way more than I would like to.
2 — Having your photographer in a separate room
Every time I think of this issue, I think back to one of the first weddings I ever shot. It was a twelve hour day and by the time we finally got to the reception I was panicked while looking around to see where my second shooter and I were supposed to be seated. I tracked down the wedding coordinator and she informed me that we were getting a meal after all of the guests had finished eating and that we were supposed to eat in the basement.
There are still times that I look back on that wedding completely heartbroken and think “I must have missed something.”
By the time we got our meal, the food service was over and they were well into speeches and dances. I could hear laughing and music above me, but there was no time for me to run up two flights of stairs to capture whatever was happening in time. I ate the fastest I ever have in my life, and felt sick the rest of the night because of it. The thing that is most heartbreaking about this is that it could have been avoided if we were at a small vendor table in the corner of the massive reception venue, or even thrown at one of the tables of guests who had extra space. Being in the same room during the meal service means that your photographer is able to see what is happening around them and react quickly to capture those impromptu toasts, emotional hugs, and unforgettable surprises.
Tablescape image photographed at the Erich McVey Workshop in Elk, California at Cuffey’s Cove Ranch | Creative Direction & Styling: Ginny Au assisted by Charlene Tea | Art Direction: Kaela Rawson for Ginny Au | Floral Design: Soil & Stem assisted by Tess Comrie | Plates: The Commons | Tablecloth: Alder & Co | Napkins & Table Runner: Silk & Willow | Reception candid photographed at School in Liberty Village during Cait and Laurent’s August wedding
