Popped my cherry!

Its done. My first wedding. What i learned.

1. Regardless of whether or not its your fifth or 500th wedding, everyone expects you know what you are doing.

2. A bad wedding cooridinator can make your life miserable.

3. This is really hard work. A wedding is a living breathing thing. One it gets up a head of steam, it can roll right over you.

4. If you feel like you are studying for a college final while you are prepping, you are probably doing it right.

5. All gear fails. All gear gets dropped. God bless L lens, which apparently bounce.

6. Try one thing new, and you will surprise yourself.

7. Beware of wedding cooridinators who continue to refer to the evening as " my wedding".

8. If it rains (it did), look for the rainbow (we got one).

9. You will take some really lousy pictures. Speak up quick when you do and ask for a redo.

10. Drunk people will do almost anything for a camera. I knew this already, but its way cooler when their in tuxes and dresses.

11. Until proven otherwise, wedding cooridinators suck.

lol....Sounds about right. Can't wait to see your revised list when you encounter your first bridezilla!

Bride / groom couldnt have been more laid back. Coordinator was straight out of toddlers and tieras.

I love it when the B&G are easy to work with, you get the best pictures when they are relaxed and not trying to make sure everything is going to be perfect.

What is a wedding coordinator and why would someone hire them?

Someone to run the show. Wear the be in charge hat.

Sounds like rent-a-bride-parent. I will have to ask some event coordinators I know what they hear about that service. It does sound like a painful thing to work with if you are a service provider of any kind. Even the cake people probably felt like an extra boss was running around.

Oh, he was gone by then. That was the problem. He had somewhere to be. Bearing in mind that this my first wedding, i got through the alter call and bridal party shots in 38 minutes, which i thought was pretty good. Just as i get the bride anf groom in position for their first portrait, he comes running out screaming "youre done. I am cutting you off. We have kept these people waiting long enough. ". 38 minutes after he kissed the bride?

the title of this thread keeps popping out of the page for me, however I like the actual post too, so it is a win-win.

Sounds lik a hired crzy person. That said, worth a follow up phone call to that person. Probably could recc you to other couples. Not that it would work, but you have nothing to lose.

Totally diggin the list!! Great outlook on a day that seemed to get you a bit steam-rolled. 8,6,5

#5 - Made me laugh. I'd bet it made your heart jump a few beats!

#6 - Glad to hear someone say that; I've just learned (through recent shooting) that sometimes trying something new just doesn't work. However, many times, it will work out great!

#8 - Good thinking. Bet it was awesome! I've got a wedding at the end of the week that might get rained on a bit; definitely keeping that in the back of my mind!

Oh, and the gal that was our wedding coordinator (who "came with" the venue) was amazing! She stayed out of the way when she wasn't needed, peeked into the conversations she needed to, and kept everyone informed on when and where to be all day!

I don't think there is anyone on this forum with wedding experience that wouldn't agree that wedding coordinators suck. However.......in my years of shooting, I have gotten more leads and work as a result of a wedding coordinator referral than you could shake a stick at. Am I happy shooting with the same ones that gave me the referrals? No, they suck but they are good for business (sometimes)

Ive been trying to avoid this topic, but everytime someones comments the title gets highlighted, and there lies the issue

Your title is the most offensive ive seen, are you comparing the fine art of photography to taking the virginity of a virgin? How can you compare the Two?

Sorry for the rant but i really hate that phrase and it has nothing to do with taking photographs

why does the wedding coordinator have so much power at the event ?

I've had nothing but good experiences with wedding coordinators. They are an invaluable tool to keep guests away from my formals, they help with timing, and mine have always been flexible when I ask for "just X more minutes"...