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KSG Photography
13th of October 2008 (Mon), 18:07
Anyone who has ever shot a wedding will know the nerves you feel in the run up to the event, the nerves/ rush/ blind panic of the day and, for those of us old enough to have done it with film, the sweat filled nightmares as you wait for the films to come back safely from the lab.
However, I thought I'd share the 'highlights' of my first one with you and would love to hear about yours.
The first wedding I did was a work colleague of a friend of a friend etc. in a notoriously 'wild' town just outside Glasgow on a Friday afternoon. The reception was held in a local bar - while it was still serving members of the public (including half the local bricklayers still in their work clothes) The top table was positioned right next to the slot machine and - because a customer refused to stop playing it during the speeches - a fight ensued between two or three of the aforementioned brickies and the groom and best man!
As the rain was torrential (hey, it's Scotland, what d'ya expect? lol) I had to take the photos in the bar! (complete with politely asking the brickies to get out of the shot)
I was asked to shoot the cutting of the cake, which wouldn't arrive til 8.30pm with some evening guests. That meant I 'enjoyed' the meal at a table with guests who emptied several LARGE bags of Columbian Marching Powder up their noses, rolled joints of Jamaican proportions (all at the table) and the drunk couple who (after telling me that, due to his medication, HE shouldn't really be drinking cos the last time he did, it took 6 cops to arrest him!) kept offering me money to take "Hard-core photos of us f***ing tonight"
The following day, when I called my 'mentor' to tell about the previous nights exploits and declare that I would "...never do another bl00dy wedding again!" He just laughed and asked "Was there anything else that could've gone wrong?" When I replied that I didn't think so, he calmly said "Then the rest will be a piece of cake, won't they?"

OdiN1701
14th of October 2008 (Tue), 10:49
My first was of a good friend of mine. They already had a photog and I knew him - he was also a friend of theirs. So no problem with me taking photos as well, and there was no stress at all because of that. Turned out really well too.

Robert16
14th of October 2008 (Tue), 11:57
Anyone who has ever shot a wedding will know the nerves you feel in the run up to the event, the nerves/ rush/ blind panic of the day and, for those of us old enough to have done it with film, the sweat filled nightmares as you wait for the films to come back safely from the lab.
However, I thought I'd share the 'highlights' of my first one with you and would love to hear about yours.
The first wedding I did was a work colleague of a friend of a friend etc. in a notoriously 'wild' town just outside Glasgow on a Friday afternoon. The reception was held in a local bar - while it was still serving members of the public (including half the local bricklayers still in their work clothes) The top table was positioned right next to the slot machine and - because a customer refused to stop playing it during the speeches - a fight ensued between two or three of the aforementioned brickies and the groom and best man!
As the rain was torrential (hey, it's Scotland, what d'ya expect? lol) I had to take the photos in the bar! (complete with politely asking the brickies to get out of the shot)
I was asked to shoot the cutting of the cake, which wouldn't arrive til 8.30pm with some evening guests. That meant I 'enjoyed' the meal at a table with guests who emptied several LARGE bags of Columbian Marching Powder up their noses, rolled joints of Jamaican proportions (all at the table) and the drunk couple who (after telling me that, due to his medication, HE shouldn't really be drinking cos the last time he did, it took 6 cops to arrest him!) kept offering me money to take "Hard-core photos of us f***ing tonight"
The following day, when I called my 'mentor' to tell about the previous nights exploits and declare that I would "...never do another bl00dy wedding again!" He just laughed and asked "Was there anything else that could've gone wrong?" When I replied that I didn't think so, he calmly said "Then the rest will be a piece of cake, won't they?"

That wasn't Coatbridge by any chance?;)

KSG Photography
14th of October 2008 (Tue), 12:36
Close mate, Larkhall ;)

egordon99
15th of October 2008 (Wed), 08:04
My first (paid) wedding was last weekend :)

I was mostly nervous about the group formals. The bride gave me a list of all the shots I needed. Problem was I didn't know who Joe or Bob, or Sue (names changed to protect the innocent). Luckily they "assigned" someone to round every body up. I'm also more of a candid shooter, so shooting posed shots was a bit foreign to me. They had to tell me to let them know when I was going to take the picture (It felt weird saying 1-2-3 CHEESE!) They came out great though :)

Now the Ceremony I wasn't nerved up for, BUT it started up without much warning, and in the middle I managed to change my memory card out, my camera battery out, AND my flash batteries :) Note to self - Put fresh EVERYTHING in right before the ceremony. Oh, and everything happens so quickly (at least in a Jewish wedding....) Break the glass, first kiss, probably about 10 seconds to get them both in! I did get a bunch of first kiss shots, AND a shot of the groom with his foot up in the air, but when I tried to get him actually stomping the glass, my flash didn't have time to recharge so shot was a bit underexposed. oops ;)

Overall, I'm happy with the shots, and I came away with a lot of great little "good to know for next time" lessons...

NC_Photo
16th of October 2008 (Thu), 18:05
I was 18 and in my first year of college.

A family friend was getting married (smallish wedding - approx 40 people, 2nd wedding for both) and their "friend" that was supposed to do the photography flaked out at the last minute. I jumped in a shot the wedding (film) and had a total blast with it. I didn't have much time to be nervous.

I get more nervous these days than I did back them...although I'm not sure why. I just remember the feeling of watching the bride cry the day they picked up their pictures because she was so happy.

The Outhouse
17th of October 2008 (Fri), 00:57
Yep it was 6 weeks ago, the bride and groom would not take no for an answer. I was bricking it - as they came all the way from OZ to get married in a Scottish castle. And they asked me a friend of the family and a newbie to photography (7 months) to document the event. I had never really shot outside or in daylight before, in earnest, as I was learning how to shoot in dark dingy gigs and music events.
All worked out well and I have since been offered another 5 weddings. Dont know if its for me though however it would help pay for my expensive tastes in toys. Honestly i have performed in front of big and abusive crowds without any real nerves however standing in front of the bride when she was getting her make up on just about filled my boots.