Last Sunday I attended my last wedding fayre of the season at Donington Park Farmhouse Hotel, just outside of East Midlands Airport and Donington Park. It's a beatiful hotel with lots of nooks and crannies and absolutely loads of photo points for anyone getting married there. I wasn't standing as Paul Storer Photography but helping out Sarah Brett from Fabulous. Collette the other half of the dynamic duo was at a Hotel in Ashbourne. I did speak to couples about photography as it's part of the Fabulous Wedding Box that we run together. I've been trying to put myself in their shoes and it must be difficult and bewildering for most couples to chose any aspect of their wedding never mind just the photography.
I also speak to other suppliers: cake makers, florists (Zorina at Lavish is fantastic), musicians and of course other photographers. I find that we are a mixed bunch: you get the quiet, silent types who sit behind their tables not engaging couple unless they have to and you get the extrovert - like me who likes to get out from behind the table andengage brides. What's interesting to me is how they interact with other photographers. I know we are competing for the same business but guys and girls chill out you haven't got top secret documents, we can probably guess where your albums come from and let's face it all we have to do is google and we can find out most of what we need. Civility and friendliness doesn't cost the earth and you never know I might have a wedding enquiry for a date I'm already booked. Who am I going to pass it to?
I enjoy talking brides and grooms about their weddings but one comment that fills me with despair - "a friend is photographing my wedding" It doesn't fill me with despair because it's lost business but the potential memories that can be lost. It's not necessairly their equipment, some friends have better kit that some professionals it's not necessairly their skills as there are plenty of talented amateurs out there it's the dual role of photographer and guest that is the issue. As a professional, when the guests and the photographer friend are enjoying their beautiful wedding breakfast, I'm downloading images from earlier in the day and preparing for the speeches. The speeches; does the friend sit and listen or does he prowl around the tables looking for shots, looking for the candid, the guy checking his mobile... you get the meaning. What about the album? Unless you shoot weddings it's highly unlikely that the friend will have produced an album so it's probably images on disk. My recommendation is let your friend enjoy the wedding and take shots alongside the professional, you will get the best of both worlds excellect images that will last a lifetime.
This is the first part of my rant - next will be images on disk
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