Wedding Altercations

Chris Perry

Chris Perry

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Hi Everyone,

I have a question for wedding photographers out there, have any of you been in a situation where you have been confronted by a drunk guest? or have you actually been assaulted by a Drunk/Sober guest? if so how do you react to a situation like that, it's not really the clients fault and you cant really get into a full on punch up with the guest, i'm sure that this sort of thing very rarely happens but i'm sure it must of happened to someone. how did the client react to it and were they supportive?

As i'm just getting started in wedding photography, I thought it was an interesting question.
 
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From what I understand, some photographers have a clause in their contracts saying if they or anyone acting on their behalf feel threatened or are verbally/physically assulted during the "event" they reserve the right to leave the venue (it could also include words to cover threat/damage to equipment too)

Now that's not to say you're going to pack up your gear and do the off if someone shoots you a dirty look but ultimately if offers you protection when you have no option but to stop shooting and leave.
 
I have had a few drunk guests over the years, most are harmless enough, only once did I actually feel it was going to go further (many years back) so I put my camera away and had a quiet word with the groom and it was sorted by the ushers/best man, failing that your best bet is calling in the police or venue staff if you think they will deal with it.
As tempting as it might be to just sort it yourself it's not a great idea, most lightly you'll be the one arrested, they guests will close ranks and you as the outsider will probably end up in a cell for the night, obviously if you've no choice and it kicks off get stuck in, sort it quick and go to the police yourself, it'll look better that way.
 
Sure.

Just like most of the staff at hotels and restaurants have had to deal with drunks.

I've only been physically threatened by one person who meant it. I walked away. My assistant kept an eye on him. She's ex-Israeli military. Between us I reckon we'd have been fine.

Mysteriously he didn't look great in any of the pictures.
 
I think most people end up drunk later on in the wedding, evening function. And by law there should be security employed to cover the event, i think its one to every 50.
Don't try and deal with this yourself, that's what security are hired for
 
Simon photo said:
I think most people end up drunk later on in the wedding, evening function. And by law there should be security employed to cover the event, i think its one to every 50.
Don't try and deal with this yourself, that's what security are hired for
Click to expand...

Been to a few weddings and never have come across security as such is meant here.

Surely it is not a legal requirement?>
 
I don't know for sure but i believe it is a legal requirement for gatherings over 50 at any venue serving alcohol.
I may be wrong but where i work that is standard practice.
Its not just for throwing out the idiots they are there in case of an emergency, crowd control and what not
 
Well as a someone that works in the Entertainments industry with another member of the forum and we are both former bar managers also I can say that we have both been subject to troublesome revellers, and have both had cause to defend ourselves :shake: I don't think that anyone would look down on a wedding photographer or any employee of the wedding from defending themselves :thumbs:

That said anyone that works in such an environment should be able to defuse most situations before they ever descend into physical violence

Matt
MWHCVT
 
Simon photo said:
I don't know for sure but i believe it is a legal requirement for gatherings over 50 at any venue serving alcohol.
I may be wrong but where i work that is standard practice.
Its not just for throwing out the idiots they are there in case of an emergency, crowd control and what not
Click to expand...

Not a requirement that I've ever come across :shrug:
 
I've not had any altercations to speak of... Plenty of heckling at the group stages and being taken aside by Uncle Bobs to be talked at drunkenly about f/ stops and ISO.

Recently, I had a stand up dressing down, mid-ceremony from a Church Elder at a famous, Grade I listed Church as I'd contravened her rules (which were: Stand at the back, 25 rows to the rear and shoot from there!)
 
Oh yeah, that reminds me. I had crazy gift shop lady shout at me (really quite a lot) during an orthodox ceremony for basically doing what I'd agreed with the priest. (I literally asked for his blessing to take pictures. I believe some money also changed hands.) It was something to do with respecting the sanctity of the occasion which was apparently violated by a camera in "silent" mode but not by the tourists chattering to each other or crazy gift shop lady shouting.

At least I think that's why she was shouting at me. I don't speak Russian.
 
Yep one or two,i used to just get out of the way,part and parcel of the job,the longer you stay the more likely it is to kick off.

:)
 
swanseamale47 said:
I have had a few drunk guests over the years, most are harmless enough, only once did I actually feel it was going to go further (many years back) so I put my camera away and had a quiet word with the groom and it was sorted by the ushers/best man, failing that your best bet is calling in the police or venue staff if you think they will deal with it.
As tempting as it might be to just sort it yourself it's not a great idea, most lightly you'll be the one arrested, they guests will close ranks and you as the outsider will probably end up in a cell for the night, obviously if you've no choice and it kicks off get stuck in, sort it quick and go to the police yourself, it'll look better that way.
Click to expand...

This is very good advice.

Although I am not a wedding photographer (have my first 3 next month), I did work as a DJ 3 nights a week for 5 years and as you can imagine I had many altercations with drunks - to the point of being threatened my kit would be wrecked and I would be beaten up.

As a trained boxer there were many times I thought to myself "let me just get this over with quickly" but not once did I rise to the occasion. As tempting as it is, the repercussions will not be as swift to get rid of...

I found that the best approach in handling these folk was to be nice. And when they get angry, you still be nice. If they touch you, walk away...nicely. A few times I had to go and have a chat with the venue manager who once told they would lose money because of one drunk man/woman (drunk aggressive women are very challenging...) they would deal with it very quickly.

I think that would be the way to handle these kind of situations in most jobs where you (as the freelancer) are coming to a venue serving alcohol.
 
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I've had a couple of arguments with videographers before. Nothing too serious and they weren't drunk just annoying.
 
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