I have to say, since I’m doing my official first ‘western’ wedding, I’m freaking out a little.
So what do I do? I turn to all those people on Facebook that I never ever talk to (why are they on my f/list again?), and go through their wedding albums. Yesterday (7/29) was my birthday, and I’m rapidly reaching the age where people think it’s ‘weird’ if I’m not engaged, married, or on my way to having a kid.
So anyway, I’m perusing albums, and I see so much joy in the couples. (And I hate to admit it, but I’m a little jealous!) I hope that this wedding on Saturday reflects that sentiment. I met with the bride the other day, just to have a face to face and let her know that I’m open to hearing what her thoughts are. She gave me some things to avoid, some things to focus on, and some things to think about.
So this is what I’m worried about:
-Weather. It’s been so damp and muggy here. I’m not sure if they have a contingency plan for rain.
-Style. She was never specific about what style she wanted. I shoot mostly theater, thus, my candids can come off posed, and my posed shots sometimes appear a bit stiff. I generally shoot for the press, as in, “if this shot were in a review, would it make people want to see the play?” - thus, I feel like I have an ‘artful photojournalistic’ style. Is that what she wants? Am I able to deliver that?
-Feel. I made sure to ask her what the feel of her wedding was going to be. As it’s pretty much a DIY job, they’re really looking to make this day about the joy they find in each other and in the people who care about them most. But is it fun joy? Is it romantic joy? Is it silly? Is it solemn?
-Color. Depending on the weather, am I going to be able to get the colors balanced right? (Yeah, I can fix some of it post-production, but I’d prefer to not…) The reception is inside a photography museum, so the lighting is such that it illuminates the art properly, which might make things wonky.
-Equipment. Do I have what I need? Will I remember everything? Am I lusting over new camera bodies and lenses? (YES.)
-General nerves. Weddings are stressful. These are photos that this couple will be looking back at to remember one of the most important days of their lives.
Two days and counting.
