Wedding photographer shares their funniest and most embarrassing stories.
Being a wedding photographer can be a demanding nightmare of bridezillas, entitled mothers-of-the-bride, tipsy uncles, and guests assuming this is their perfect opportunity for a free professional Instagram shoot...
So, when a wedding photographer decided to vent to the hilarious petty 'Wedding Shaming' group of Reddit to share stories from the worst shifts on the job, people were dying for the details.
Ex wedding photographer here and I've got some horror/funny/embarrassing stories to share?
Over the span of 14 years of shooting weddings, I've collected quiet a few horror/funny/embarrassing stories that need to see the light of day. It's a doozy, so get your tea, get comfy and enjoy!
1. Hadn’t eaten the whole day (usually I can grab a canapé or two straight after the ceremony, but this particular wedding I hadn’t been able to) or had a moment to breath, recollect and carry on.
Walk into the reception and groom goes straight into his speech. Longest groom speech to date +/- 20 min and 90% of the speech he spoke about the bride’s “beautiful little hands” and “beautiful little face” and “beautiful little heart.'
2. Bride and groom already had two kids together and groom had a son from a previous relationship. It was obvious the bride didn’t really care for groom's son. Son adored dad.
Bride and groom's kids were part of the bridal party, but not his son, I see son sitting with granny during the ceremony and bawling. During family photos, he was excluded from their family photo too. Very strange and didn't sit right with me.
3. Dance floor photo time. Dripping in sweat, drunk guest kept coming across to me and trying to dance against me, he thought he was so funny.
4. Loveliest couple, unfortunately groom had a lack of judgment for a second during the creative session. Couple had a daughter. Was taking photos of groom and groomsmen looking over a two story balcony.
Groom had their daughter and kind of had 'Michael Jackson moment', where he sat her over the side of the balcony. Bride started screaming at him for about 10 min. We still had to do bridal/couple photos after this.
5. First wedding I ever shot. Bride had just gotten a boob job and spend 90% of her time in her underwear in the bridal suite. 10-15 min into creative session they said they were bored and wanted to go drink.
I was young and a newbie, didn't know how to direct people well. Ordered an album with their wedding photos. I gave them their photos when all they had made was 50% payment. They then refused to make full payment until they had received the book.
They complained that their photos weren't 'vintagy' enough (tried to get me to edit with their own preset), said too many of photos of bride getting ready were of her in her underwear and not enough photos from the creative session.
After many fights, a lawyer friend trying to get involved, I decided I didn't want to take this further and decided to just cut my losses. I was about 19 at the time.
6. Bride spent the whole time in bridal suite in only her stick-on thong. I wasn't bothered and did double check she was happy for that to be included in photos- which she was. Poor videographer was a young, newlywed.
He spent most of his time hiding in the corner of the room looking down/avoiding her and trying to take videos of things happening in the bridal suite.
7. Bride forgot to bring correct underwear for under her very see through, lacy dress. So had to wear nothing under. As we were walking back from creative session, she whispered very loudly to her husband, 'I got no panties on, should we sneak into the bathroom and make a baby quick?'
8. Bride and groom misplaced their rings just before the ceremony, had to borrow someone else's. Thankfully found theirs afterwards!
9. I had a +/- 6 month old, still breastfed baby at the time. I obviously need to pump while still shooting to avoid getting engorged. In the morning I talk to bride and said the only time I will pop out will be during the reception, when I have a toilet break and I'll do a 20 min pump, which I'd do while guests are eating. Bride says, 'You do you babe, as long as you don't miss any special moments of my day!'
10. Controlling mom of bride. At the pre wedding meeting, bride said nothing, while mom did all the talking. Wedding goes well. Taking photos of another client a few weeks later and she says, 'oh I saw you did bride's wedding!! I used to date her brother, but I got out of that relationship because of that controlling mother!!'.
Mother would constantly intervene, and pretty much broke up relationship. Glad I don't have to deal with the mom anymore, she even complained about not getting enough sneak peek images from their wedding.
11. From my early days of shooting, a very drunk uncle of the bride kept trying to wrap his arms around me. Thank goodness a bridesmaid saved me!
12. Father of bride, paying for whole wedding, phoned me and down graded the package the bride chose to go with, three days before the wedding. When I delivered their finished wedding photos, bride contacts me asking where the album was that she had booked.
Turns out her dad secretly downgraded her package and hadn't told her he had canceled the album! He then responded with, I didn't have to be that expensive and instead of taking pictures of bride's jewelry, details, etc, I could have used that money and time and included an album.
13. Couple came from a church where the pastor held a very important roll in their lives. Pastor came to pray over couple during ceremony, very loudly put on a fake American, evangelical accent.
It was 100% fake, because when I heard her talking later on she didn't have the accent anymore.
14. Bride refused to kiss groom for any photos because she said it would ruin her lipstick.
Here's what the jury of wedding shamers had to say about these horror stories from the job...
queerharveybabe said:
I might be # 8 … we are divorced now.
MNGirlinKY said:
I have a family friend who is a photographer and she refuses to do weddings because of all this. Luckily she’s been able to be very successful even without weddings.
KingindaNorth66 said:
I thank God everyday I had a normal, happy wedding. Some of these are a doozy.