Wedding Photography should reduce stress, not increase it.

A while back, when I was at a small wedding with five people in attendance, the mother of the bride told me how she had been to several weddings over the past year that stressed her out. I asked her why that was, and she proceeded to tell me some horror stories about being stressed out by the young photographers that took over the space. Intrusive personalities, lots of demands, rude behaviour. No empathy.

She then told me that hiring me to photograph her daughters wedding was quite possibly one of the best thing she did. We’re around the same age, so maybe that’s part of it. Or maybe it’s because I know how stressful a wedding is. Add to the mix some random person showing up in your home with a bag of cameras and shit can go sideways pretty fast.

That’s why I work alone. That’s why I get to know my clients way ahead of time. That’s why I show up to the rehearsal. That’s also why I shoot with one small camera and dress the part.

Being a wedding photographer is actually not that hard a job. The barrier to entry is a camera lease away. What makes it HARD is all the other stuff. You need to know when to shut up. You need to listen. You need to be able to feel - and that doesn’t mean you need to be an emotional basket case behind your camera, but having some sort of a soft spot for what’s going on in front of you does usually help.

Also, caring is a big part of the job. I know your mom and dad may have a brave face on, but deep down inside, they know that even though you’ve moved out and are living your own life already, this is the official “end” of that stage of life, and as a father of three kids - who are no where near this stage of life just quite yet, I already know what that feels like.

Whether you hire me to photograph your wedding or not, a little advice - pick up the phone and talk to them before you decide who will spend the entire day with you and your family. Get a sense of their vibe. Ask them why they photograph weddings - listen to their answer.

Usually you’ll get everything you need to make a decision right there in those couple of minutes.