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When Everything Goes Wrong - A Wedding Story!
Scootersbabygirl
Registered Users Posts: 224 Major grins
This weekend I had a huge wedding that was 3 1/2 hours away from my home. The bride was very specific in what she was looking for, and was coming off as a bit of a bridezilla. Regardless, I decided to make the best of the day, to do what I do, and to have fun. I had to get up at 5 am to head for the wedding, and after gathering everything together, I went to start the van.
*click click click*
Um, huh? It worked perfectly the day before and it's only 3 years old! But something had gone wrong with the battery, so I woke the hubby up and he jumped my van. I left it running while I got gas and then for the 2 hours drive to pick up my cousin/assistant/second shooter (all in one LOL). She's not my normal assistant but she has photography experience and wanted the opportunity to shoot with me. I figured that I'd had the van on long enough for the battery to be fully charged so I turned it off at the gas station I was to meet her at and went in to grab a snack.
Once she got there I went to start the van again.
*click click click*
HUH?! I called my husband, who was 2 hours away by this point, only slightly panicking. He guessed that the battery must have gone bad, and I had someone who'd parked near me with a big truck jump me again. We traveled the rest of the way, the whole time with me both debriefing my cousin while, at the same time, trying to organize my thoughts and figure out what I was going to do with the battery situation.
We arrived at the historic mansion that the bride and her EIGHT attendants were getting ready at and I was trying to figure out what to do when my husband called. He'd set it up with an Advanced Auto that was in the area I was in to change the battery, we just had to get there, so I gave my cousin the keys to the van and went in to shoot the getting ready shots.
About 15 minutes after I got there, and while my cousin was still gone, the bride called in a tizzy. She was going to pop in, get dressed, and GO (her words, not mine!) When she found out that her bridesmaids weren't dressed yet, she was definitely not happy, and when they heard she was on her way, they jumped to finish the steaming and dressing, while I was arranging with a distant relative of the groom to bring me to the church should my assistant not be back yet.
Thankfully she showed up and we made it to the wedding. Earlier the bride had requested that she and her new husband and I sneak down to a covered bridge that was a few minutes away to do a few quick shots, and she'd wanted me to take her in the van. So right after the wedding I asked my cousin to bring the van around the back. The groom, however, had other ideas and wanted us to take his car, so we did. I saw my cousin in the road and let her know that I was going with them to the bridge and that I'd be RIGHT BACK, and to not go anywhere.
About eight minutes after we left, we were back and the bride decided she wanted to change things up and to do the family photos at the church instead of at the mansion as she'd originally decided. So I do the shots with family, and attendants, all the while wondering were in the hell my cousin was! Finally the bride was ready to go outside (for MORE shots - this bride wanted TONS of shots) and I saw that my van was there, but I couldn't see in it. I rushed the three blocks over to find that my cousin was just sitting in the van! UM, HELLO??
So after the shots we head to the reception site, where I am immediately set upon by groomsmen who just want to be DONE taking pictures. The bride, however, had other ideas, so we managed to get a few more shots with the groomsmen before they wandered off to drink. The bride still wanted more shots with her ladies, and with family, so I was doing everything I could to keep things organized and moving along. No, generally, my assistant has the shot list and helps to keep things organized, but my cousin had other ideas. She grabbed the second camera and started trying to take over the shots!!
I'd get things set up and just start to shoot when she'd bark out something else that she wanted the subjects to do! She even got to the point where she started to actually go in and move people around!! What was I supposed to do? Here I was, in front of everyone with an assistant who was trying to take over the situation. I did everything I could to take back control quietly and unobtrusively, but she definitely rubbed me raw.
The rest of the evening I found myself doing my assistants job, as my cousin was either on her cell phone talking to her asshat of a fiance, or flirting with the DJ (yes, she has a fiance, and yes, she was definitely flirting). And then her fiance couldn't even be bothered to pick up his fiance at the same place that we'd had the drop off, but pretended that he didn't hear his cell so that I had to drive 20 minutes out of my way to bring her home.
So let's see: technical glitches (of the car variety), a bride who spent 2 hours on formals, and a cousin/assistant who didn't do her job and tried to do mine! Anyone got a more enjoyable story than this one? It'd definitely make me less frustrated to hear it!! LOL:barb
*click click click*
Um, huh? It worked perfectly the day before and it's only 3 years old! But something had gone wrong with the battery, so I woke the hubby up and he jumped my van. I left it running while I got gas and then for the 2 hours drive to pick up my cousin/assistant/second shooter (all in one LOL). She's not my normal assistant but she has photography experience and wanted the opportunity to shoot with me. I figured that I'd had the van on long enough for the battery to be fully charged so I turned it off at the gas station I was to meet her at and went in to grab a snack.
Once she got there I went to start the van again.
*click click click*
HUH?! I called my husband, who was 2 hours away by this point, only slightly panicking. He guessed that the battery must have gone bad, and I had someone who'd parked near me with a big truck jump me again. We traveled the rest of the way, the whole time with me both debriefing my cousin while, at the same time, trying to organize my thoughts and figure out what I was going to do with the battery situation.
We arrived at the historic mansion that the bride and her EIGHT attendants were getting ready at and I was trying to figure out what to do when my husband called. He'd set it up with an Advanced Auto that was in the area I was in to change the battery, we just had to get there, so I gave my cousin the keys to the van and went in to shoot the getting ready shots.
About 15 minutes after I got there, and while my cousin was still gone, the bride called in a tizzy. She was going to pop in, get dressed, and GO (her words, not mine!) When she found out that her bridesmaids weren't dressed yet, she was definitely not happy, and when they heard she was on her way, they jumped to finish the steaming and dressing, while I was arranging with a distant relative of the groom to bring me to the church should my assistant not be back yet.
Thankfully she showed up and we made it to the wedding. Earlier the bride had requested that she and her new husband and I sneak down to a covered bridge that was a few minutes away to do a few quick shots, and she'd wanted me to take her in the van. So right after the wedding I asked my cousin to bring the van around the back. The groom, however, had other ideas and wanted us to take his car, so we did. I saw my cousin in the road and let her know that I was going with them to the bridge and that I'd be RIGHT BACK, and to not go anywhere.
About eight minutes after we left, we were back and the bride decided she wanted to change things up and to do the family photos at the church instead of at the mansion as she'd originally decided. So I do the shots with family, and attendants, all the while wondering were in the hell my cousin was! Finally the bride was ready to go outside (for MORE shots - this bride wanted TONS of shots) and I saw that my van was there, but I couldn't see in it. I rushed the three blocks over to find that my cousin was just sitting in the van! UM, HELLO??
So after the shots we head to the reception site, where I am immediately set upon by groomsmen who just want to be DONE taking pictures. The bride, however, had other ideas, so we managed to get a few more shots with the groomsmen before they wandered off to drink. The bride still wanted more shots with her ladies, and with family, so I was doing everything I could to keep things organized and moving along. No, generally, my assistant has the shot list and helps to keep things organized, but my cousin had other ideas. She grabbed the second camera and started trying to take over the shots!!
I'd get things set up and just start to shoot when she'd bark out something else that she wanted the subjects to do! She even got to the point where she started to actually go in and move people around!! What was I supposed to do? Here I was, in front of everyone with an assistant who was trying to take over the situation. I did everything I could to take back control quietly and unobtrusively, but she definitely rubbed me raw.
The rest of the evening I found myself doing my assistants job, as my cousin was either on her cell phone talking to her asshat of a fiance, or flirting with the DJ (yes, she has a fiance, and yes, she was definitely flirting). And then her fiance couldn't even be bothered to pick up his fiance at the same place that we'd had the drop off, but pretended that he didn't hear his cell so that I had to drive 20 minutes out of my way to bring her home.
So let's see: technical glitches (of the car variety), a bride who spent 2 hours on formals, and a cousin/assistant who didn't do her job and tried to do mine! Anyone got a more enjoyable story than this one? It'd definitely make me less frustrated to hear it!! LOL:barb
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Comments
What a bummer! Can't help you with the bride, but with your cousin / second shooter.
As soon as she starts this stuff step in! You don't have to be loud, calmly walk over lean in close and tell her your needs. Something like we can't have both of us telling people what to do, it confuses them, and we are having enough trouble with the bride as it is, I need you to............give her a specific task.
Have a nice glass or two of wine.
Sam