Hopefully a New Trend...

My past wedding I have to say has been my best experience with guests ever. They were EXTREMELY respectful of me and did everything they could to let me do my job and not get in the way.

First dance, for instance, everyone wants their shot, but every single guest stood back and watch me and waiting until I stepped back and took my camera down and then put up their cameras to get their shot. They were on the opposite side of the dance floor but one guest later said that she knows how much wedding photographers hate it when guest's flashes get in the way. It was so nice to hear that someone was aware and conscious of it!

Probably far fetched to hope this is becoming common knowledge and will be a new guest trend, but it was nice to get that respect from these guests. And reflecting back I realized I haven't had an Uncle Bob issue at any of my 2012 weddings. Maybe people are really starting to realize that they don't need to take a million pictures that they will probably never look at again at each wedding they go to. We can only hope!

Are you sure that the Bride did not add a note on the invitation to request everyone to stay out of your way or she will be in their face ?

If she did she excluded it from the invite she sent me.

Glad to hear that you had this experience, it seems to be the exception rather than the norm these days. People are generally becoming more pesky with their cameras (& iphones, even ipads) these days and think nothing of stepping in front of the main photographer.

I know this has been discussed fairly widely in this forum of late and most people seem to accept them as part of the day. I however consider the uncle Bob extreme rude, inconsiderate and bloody annoying.

I have been in conversation lately with prospective couples who have been to weddings recently and have noticed this themselves and have asked of my opinion as to what I think of adding to the invite instructions to put cameras down.

I think in the future once people other than photographers become more aware of this it will be more common to demand from guests to refrain or at least regulate those with cameras. Most people dont attend many weddings, before I started photographing them I'd be lucky to go to one in five years, my point here is the awareness thing will come, bring it on.

I had a lady tap me on the shoulder 4-5 times throughout the reception on Saturday, each time telling me I'm in her video camera's way. The first few times I just sidestepped a couple of feet, but then when I sorta had enough, I told her "you might not want to stand behind people with that thing" and kept going about my business... I didn't see her bolt over to the groom, but my assistant pointed out she went over, was all agitated, pointing at me, etc...
the bride walked over a few minutes later, and right away apologized about the guest video... she told us that she told the guest to put her camera away as there is a paid videographer going around already...

never had a bride come apologize in the middle of a wedding, so that was different... i would have prefered she not be involved in something like this and just enjoy her day, but that was a guest's decision...

the worst part about that guest is she never really held her camera and made it look like she was using it... it was on the edge of her table, pointed at the dance floor (and head table beyond it) and she was off doing her own thing!

Definitely not a new trend in my neck of the woods.

People want to get their shots in and be the first person to post on FB.

People will step in half way into the aisle during the processional, then the people behind that person will inevitable follow and lean further and further. Doesn't happen at every wedding, but happens quite often.

First dance? Pretty much the same thing.

Cake cutting? Probably the worst of it all.

Oh, and not the mention the overzealous reception venue employees ALWAYS getting in the way or staying by the couple too long. (Yeah...I think they know what to do with the cake cutter...so get the F out of the way. :lol

That's just reality for most weddings, at least the ones I shoot. I've gotten used to it.

The only thing that really pisses me off is the reception venues. They treat "vendors" like crap.

Went to a wedding reception this past weekend. It was a small room, with about 100 guests. There was a photog with an assistant and a videographer. I took my camera, but it barely left my table as I knew it would be hard to get many pictures without being in the way of someone who had been hired to document things. And, it seemed unlikely that I'd get a bunch of pictures that were better or much different from what the pros would get. I'll see the pictures later and I spent the time talking and enjoying myself instead.

I did notice some funny interaction with the main photographer and the videographer during the first dance. They were set up on opposite sides of the dance floor (basically facing each other) and I see the photographer setting up a shot of bride and groom dancing when videographer moves directly into the background of her shot to get some video. Photog brings her camera down with a scowl at the videographer and takes two steps to the side to recompose a picture with a clean background. I did see them chatting and smiling together later, so it was probably just a moment of frustration that I just happened to catch. But, in that moment, if looks could kill . . . .

nicksan wrote in post #15035927
The only thing that really pisses me off is the reception venues. They treat "vendors" like crap.

4 out of 5 times, I agree with that!
It's almost as if they think other vendors are there to make their jobs harder... in the end, we all want the same thing (except we go home earlier than they do)

This last one was the exception - a couple of the ladies couldn't have been nicer or more helpful

nicksan wrote in post #15035927
First dance? Pretty much the same thing.

What bugs me the most about the 1st dance is the number of guests that appear in the shot who are NOT paying attention... you get someone walking through (probably on way to/from bar), people chatting, backs turned away, etc... and to me that seems so disrespectful... I almost welcome people with their cameras taking pics of that 1st dance - at least they show they care!

nicksan wrote in post #15035927
..... The only thing that really pisses me off is the reception venues. They treat "vendors" like crap.

Reception venues in Southern CA are super nice to Vendors.

SMP_Homer wrote in post #15036056
What bugs me the most about the 1st dance is the number of guests that appear in the shot who are NOT paying attention... you get someone walking through (probably on way to/from bar), people chatting, backs turned away, etc... and to me that seems so disrespectful... I almost welcome people with their cameras taking pics of that 1st dance - at least they show they care!

i completely agree with this!
it seems so awful to me when i see this in the background during an otherwise sweet first dance or father daughter dance or something.
as if they have something better to do than watch them for a few minutes..

mplezia wrote in post #15035964
They were set up on opposite sides of the dance floor (basically facing each other) and I see the photographer setting up a shot of bride and groom dancing when videographer moves directly into the background of her shot to get some video.

It'll be a never ending thing with Photo vs. Video. (Or shall I say Cinema? ) I battle with this on almost every wedding, even though the video guys are actually on the same team as I am. It's just the nature of the beast.

SMP_Homer wrote in post #15036036
4 out of 5 times, I agree with that!
It's almost as if they think other vendors are there to make their jobs harder... in the end, we all want the same thing (except we go home earlier than they do)

This last one was the exception - a couple of the ladies couldn't have been nicer or more helpful

A few weeks ago, I wasn't even allowed to park inside the parking lot. They told all vendors to find street parking in the middle of Bronx, NY. I mean...wow. I'd say 4 out of 5 times sounds about right. Vendors get treated like absolute dirt. Makes me think twice about shooting weddings. It's disgusting how we are all treated.

SMP_Homer wrote in post #15036056
What bugs me the most about the 1st dance is the number of guests that appear in the shot who are NOT paying attention... you get someone walking through (probably on way to/from bar), people chatting, backs turned away, etc... and to me that seems so disrespectful... I almost welcome people with their cameras taking pics of that 1st dance - at least they show they care!

Yup. Not limited to the first dance. But hey, not everyone enjoys attending weddings. They are there because...well...they HAVE TO be there.

bigarchi wrote in post #15036137
i completely agree with this!
it seems so awful to me when i see this in the background during an otherwise sweet first dance or father daughter dance or something.
as if they have something better to do than watch them for a few minutes..

They do. Get drunk!

nicksan wrote in post #15036284
A few weeks ago, I wasn't even allowed to park inside the parking lot. They told all vendors to find street parking in the middle of Bronx, NY. I mean...wow. I'd say 4 out of 5 times sounds about right. Vendors get treated like absolute dirt. Makes me think twice about shooting weddings. It's disgusting how we are all treated.

at this one sorta local gold course/club:
Once I was told to move my truck to a different part of the parking lot... it is a few years old, but its always clean for weddings, no rust, etc... so its not an eyesore or anything... but I was told vendors do not park with the guests... they don't want the golfers/members to see vendors around in the parking lot, we are to use a different driveway, different parking lot, different door to the clubhouse, etc...
a few times I was told not to use the guests entrance, including once when I was heading out with the groom and his boys for a quick shoot outside - we were told they could go out this way, but I had to go around and meet them outside...
I no longer wear my double strap to this place... without it, I look like a guest, and don't get hassled as much!

nicksan wrote in post #15036286
They do. Get drunk!

hahaha, that's so true!

i can't believe the hassling you guys apparently take from the venue staff! wow. glad i haven't had any experience nearly that bad.
i usually even notice venue staff doing everything they can to stay out of my way and avoid my action shots too.
the worst I ever get from them is if they want me to eat after everyone or something. that just doesn't work. i need to eat when everyone else is eating, preferably when the bride & groom are. I don't mind eating in the other room either.