how to get out of doing a wedding

Trying to inject just a hint of reality (sorry everybody) If your really not comfortable doing it NOW is the time to say so rather than risking making a mess of it on the day. If you do muck it up YOU'LL feel really bad and you risk losing a mate or worse lots of mates.
I suspect you'll do alright, but it's better to bail out if you don't feel happy about it, the stress is going to make it harder and increase the risk of mistakes.
I'm sure theres a few here who would help you out if you cant get anybody you know or trust locally.
 
KIPAX said:
hehe ... wont work but luverly thought... they always ask mates with cameras for cheap.. being a mate and me being in a "happy" mood i even said its my wedding prezzie.... oh my god what have i done :(
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It's easy, you get them to invite Arkady as second shooter and let nature take it's course. ;)
 
so the sit down with B&G went OK .. talked about whats wanted/expected ect and they where well happy.. they already told everyone not to take pics when I am tkaing them... they have throwaways on the tables for the actual reception.. i will do more candids there..

been to church for rehersal.. wow its small.. but the vicar well.. his words where something like "its the B&G day of course they want a momento.. I cant understand how some vicars get so precious about photogrpahy" or words to that effect... he said so long as i dont use flash while ceremony on I can click away.. i can use flash from signing setup onwards.. so walking out the church etc.. He showed me up to the balcony where he said most other togs say is best place..and said i can also stand at last set of benches...if last benches not in use then i can move forward but no further than used benches..

at back the 85mm fills the frame with B&G.. lighting was terrible but it was night time and he assured me lighter during day.. all in all a top vicar :) oh yes... the whole ceremony the B&G are facing each other so i get side on pics allway through


my day starts 8.30am when brides hairdresser arrives.. will do get ready.. dress hung up stuff like that.. bridesmaids arrive 10.30 .. some shots then home for a quick change and to church for 11.30 all the males.. groom best man etc will be there and will do shots of them leading up to bride arrive just before 12

distance between brides house and church is short.. poor parking at church means i didnt want to shoot bride leaving and risk not being setup and in position for bride arriving so bride leave house is only bit not doing that i thought prob should??

all in all more confident... B&G say i am doing far more than they expected i would so there happy so far..

theres a couple of hrs inbetween reception and night do.. my plan is to choose best B&G pic...print A3 and frame (already got)... take to night do... i think good idea.. waddaya fink?
 
daaam thats small, I usually fill the frame at 200mm, also lol my first solo wedding the church was thatched - new meaning to the word dark


I like it, are you thinking signing frame.

It needs to be gooood straight out of camera as you should be doing minimal PP on it, and where/how are you printing as the organisational side could scupper you muchly - also that gap is for eating and gin to relax
 
Sounds like you're pretty organised!

Don't think I've ever been in a church where 85mm would frame the couple from the back - there have been plenty when 200mm is a struggle.

(Usually, though, ministers are happy for photos from the side-aisle if there is one, but I suspect this is too small a church to have one)
 
Can you arrange for a parking space to be reserved for you, so you can get shots both end of the brides trip?
 
Good luck Tony, don`t worry, you`ll pi** it..............:thumbs:
 
KIPAX said:
distance between brides house and church is short.. poor parking at church means i didnt want to shoot bride leaving and risk not being setup and in position for bride arriving so bride leave house is only bit not doing that i thought prob should??
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I never shoot the bride leaving home (unless they want to mock it up) and tell them this is because I want to leave at least 20 mins before she does to get a few pics of the groom with his parents and possibly siblings at the church (as well as official bestman & ushers etc).

Afterall, I have usually got these shots that include the bride & parents, bride and siblings, bride and bridesmaids at home, and if I don't do the same for the groom, his parents are less likely to buy an album ;)

Chris.
 
All of the best shots (IMHO) are directed, with the exception of the odd nice candid. You MUST direct the subjects (esp. for groups) and don't be affraid to chimp and retake if needs be. Smile, look at the camera, don't stand with that tree sticking out of your head, move in a bit, don't pick your nose..... Hard work but makes a big difference to the end result. If ness get the Mrs to do the shouting/directing! And, keep calm as though you know what your doing!!
 
Yuch, I don't envy you at all..... I think I'd rather dip into my own pocket and get someone else to do it rather than the stress of trying to do it myself!

As an alternative option, have you considered killing one of them before the wedding day? :D
 
KIPAX said:
Despite everyhting I have done.. even a notice on my website about not doing wedding... I have been roped into doing one for a mate in late october..

So.. How do I get out of it... I am thinking break em up somehow? no wedding = no photographer :)


Any other suggestions...
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Bloody Hell Kip :eek::eek::eek: I would NEVER have thought you'd stoop so low as to shoot a Wedding :D

And all from hundreds of feet away too I guess, preferably with a long telephoto under poor lighting and in rain - just like a normal shoot of yours then :lol:

Take the Groom out, get him well drunk and stage some porn pics of him shagging lots of others (men, women, dogs it doesn't matter what) and job done the Wedding will be off :thumbs:

HTH

DD
 
david1701 said:
It needs to be gooood straight out of camera as you should be doing minimal PP on it, and where/how are you printing as the organisational side could scupper you muchly - also that gap is for eating and gin to relax
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nagh I have a 2.5 hr window after reception and before night do.... might even have a kip :)

been round to the place where receptioon is earlier... took pics of tables all laid out and empty room and bits...table place names and stuff setout on tables..


that was 4.30...then i get a phone call from local paper to go cover a fire in next village only to find after struggling through traffice and locating this farm down one track lanes.. that the fire was earlier in the day :( now gotta start geting stuff ready for in the morning:)
 
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lawrie29 said:
Can you arrange for a parking space to be reserved for you, so you can get shots both end of the brides trip?
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parking is on pub nr church so thats a no go.. but would seem alls well for me not to do bride leaving..
 
No matter what happens tommorow... I still aint doing weddings... ..no really :(
 
KIPAX said:
nagh I have a 2.5 hr window after reception and before night do.... might even have a kip :)

been round to the place where receptioon is earlier... took pics of tables all laid out and empty room and bits...table place names and stuff setout on tables..


that was 4.30...then i get a phone call from local paper to go cover a fire in next village only to find after struggling through traffice and locating this farm down one track lanes.. that the fire was earlier in the day :( now gotta start geting stuff ready for in the morning:)
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epic :D
 
Surely doing a wedding beats trawling around wet football grounds on Saturday afternoons?

Just don't worry about your gear packing up and spoiling your mate's big day or your car breaking down on the way. You'll probably be fine :D

That was just my idea of trying to be funny.
 
It looks like it's a done deal, but you should have told him you're his mate and you want to get hammered like everyone else - not lumbered with taking pics which is going to spoil the day for you, and it really does!

Stay off the sauce till the toggin' is all done and the camera is back in the bag. ;)
 
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Took my first pic at 8.30am and my last pic at 11.15pm .. I darn't tell you how many but am guessing any newbie wedding togs will know :)

Had a skim through and I am happy that its not a disaster (under no illusions i cant compare to reall wedding togs).... Only one real problem all day was timing in the morning... bride was 2 hrs in hair dressers chair as problems getting tiara right... I wanted wedding dress shots in the house wiht bridesmaids etc and bride only got wedding dress on 15 minutes before leaving.. I ended up missing ring bearers shots pre wedding through getting to church minutes before bride....

Lighting was perfect outside church.. it stopped raining just long enough for pics and was bright enough not to ahve any blown out worries on the whites etc..

However the big plus of the day was my idea to take a mounted and framed A3 shot of bride and groom outside church to the evening-do... made bride cry in a nice way and she made best man take it around a packed room and show everyone... B&G where well suprised and pleased and rest of family kept thanking me and people where asking me how I got it done so quick.. when in reality its so simple.. pick best shot.. bit of PP and stick it in my A3 printer... then in pre bought mount/frame... simple idea easy to impliment and had a massive impact...

I could have got everyone in the room to sign me up for there wedding by the end of the night because of that one pic hahaha not because it was a great pic or owt.. simply becasue it was there..(anyone else going to take the idea up??) shame i dont want to ever do another wedding... no seriously this time!!! :)



There away for the week and hopefully I will ahve all the pics ready for there return and I aint publishing any until they ahve seen them first.. that was my promise...
 
Well done!
 
Thanks for the update. Glad it went well.

Now surely a tiara takes 2 minutes flat to put on. Honestly.

Did you have your A3 printer in a room somewhere at the reception?
 
Sorted like a pro!
 
bigrob said:
Now surely a tiara takes 2 minutes flat to put on. Honestly.

Did you have your A3 printer in a room somewhere at the reception?
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you need to waych a bride having hair done.. its all up and tiara has to sit in this big bunch of hair and it just wasnt going in perfect and it was a mega job each change...

as mentioned earlier.. there was a gap between reception and night do.. plenty of time to do the pic...
 
Fantastic :thumbs:; glad to see this went well for everyone.

Clever bit of creativity & marketing with the A3 print.

So then, when is the next one booked for ;)
 
so you screwed a working wedding photographer out of money because you couldnt say no?


(headaches make me grouchy so take no offence)
 
rgrebby said:
so you screwed a working wedding photographer out of money because you couldnt say no?
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Yup.... Litrally took food out of there kiddies mouths... someone could have had a nice little earner if it wasn't for me...

Now try finding a thread on TP where someone posted how they got published for free and my replies.. Always gongrats and never complained.. because thats life :)
 
well done on you......

I like the touch of the A3 print for the evening do.........
 
Nice one tony! Loving the A3 idea, shame I haven't got a A3 printer!! :)
 
Was just looking through my old subscribed threads and spotted this one - did you ever you post any of your photos from the wedding?
 
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