Wedding guests furious over a stranger appearing in the ceremony photos
Nov 19, 2019
Dunja Đuđić
Dunja Djudjic is a multi-talented artist based in Novi Sad, Serbia. With 15 years of experience as a photographer, she specializes in capturing the beauty of nature, travel, concerts, and fine art. In addition to her photography, Dunja also expresses her creativity through writing, embroidery, and jewelry making.
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Wedding photographers sometimes rant about guests who stand in the way with their phones. But at a recent wedding in Minnesota, this got a whole new dimension. It wasn’t guests who got in the way of the photographer (and everyone else) – but someone who appears to be a stranger.
Ali Fitzpatrick from Minnesota shared a few snaps from the wedding to a Facebook group called That’s It I’m Wedding Shaming. She explained what happened in her post: “A wedding I went to today had this lady all up in all the shots and she even went all around the couple and behind the altar to take videos and pictures.”
She added that she didn’t block anyone’s face because she had the bride’s approval. She notes that the brides were “totally annoyed at this lady they barely knew.” The photographer had to ask her to move several times so he could take photos of the brides.
People were quick to comment and express their opinion in the comments. Of course, many of them were wondering why no one escorted the woman out of the wedding or why the ceremony wasn’t stopped until she left. Others believed it should have been bridesmaids or ushers to deal with the situation. One commenter wonders if the photographer could simply edit the woman out.
It’s not quite clear whether the woman is just a random stranger who was passing by and decided to snap photos. If so, than this is beyond weird in addition to being rude. If she was one of the guests – well, then it’s just rude.
The most… interesting comment I read is this: “the proffessional [sic] photographer should have not taken photos whilst she was doing that ,,,” Why, though? They should take photos throughout the wedding, but also ask the intruders to move if they’re in the way in order to capture the important moments. According to the post, this was exactly what the wedding photographer did in this case. Although, it apparently took a few attempts.
This makes me wonder: what would you do as a photographer is someone did this? Would you be the one asking the person to move? Or you think it’s someone else’s job?
[via Daily Mail; image credits: Ali Fitzpatrick]
Dunja Đuđić
Dunja Djudjic is a multi-talented artist based in Novi Sad, Serbia. With 15 years of experience as a photographer, she specializes in capturing the beauty of nature, travel, concerts, and fine art. In addition to her photography, Dunja also expresses her creativity through writing, embroidery, and jewelry making.
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30 responses to “Wedding guests furious over a stranger appearing in the ceremony photos”
I’m guessing a boot in the arse wouldn’t be an appropriate response?
I came here so say exactly that. Thank you :D
Sorry, I misread your statement. I totally disagree. It would be the MOST appropriate response ?
Photoshop
This happened to me when I took photos for my friend at his wedding. His step mother brought her camera and started taking photos in front of me. I usually take them from a reasonable distance so to get a wider shot for easier editing (my personal preference). I just decided to love In the front of her. Luckily before she could go off on me about it my friend spoke to her about how he hired me to do prof photos. I’m absolutely ok with you taking no flash photos while seated or from further back than the position I am in but to get in the shot where it’s not so easy to edit you out was not ok with me. I did have to edit people out of shots which took longer for me to edit than it would’ve taken. If this had been anyone else and not my friends wedding I don’t think I’d have been as nice about it. However I would love to hear stories on how others managed these kinds of issues professionallyz
Always talk to brides and ask them to make sure the wedding is unplugged, at least the ceremony. Put a clause in the contract absolving you of any responsibility for rouge photographers blocking your view and messing up with your shots.
gettin’ married in a pasture, what the hell else did you expect?
David Amaral’
The pink blob in the back of this photo is actually the hotel manager of the place where the wedding was held. Unbelievably she followed in step behind the bride down the bridge filming on her phone. ?.
In cases like this it helps to imagine you have a sniper stationed somewhere behind you with a 50 cal rifle, and on your mark he blows the heads of the offending phone snapshooters right off?
And she was never. Seen. Again.
i would stumble over her
Some shots by a paintball gun. :v
First, it isn’t the photographer’s job to make sure the guests behave. That’s what ushers and family members are for. Second, you find a party member QUALIFIED to make decisions on behalf of the bride and groom. You explain to them that you’re paid for your time and image composition suffers when others jump into your shot, which is not your responsibility to control. If they argue, let them know fewer quality images will be a result and it’s their memories that will suffer.
I’ve had more than my fair share of such “photographers”.
Whatever.
it’s covered in the contract. if anybody interferes, obstructs or endangers me or my equipment, I walk, no refunds.
there’s a contact person (usually the wedding planner or mother of the bride, usher etc) who I’ll ask ONCE to intervene to remedy the problem, and if that fails, I pack my gear and leave.
they’re paying me to do a job, if somebody prevents me from doing my job, then they’re wasting everybody’s time..
I’m reasonable, polite, but if the designated person can’t get the person to stop… there’s nothing more I can do.
So you can afford to bail on the first problem that pops up?
Fabian Orner contracts are there to protect both parties. If you’re dumb enough to work for a client that expects you to work in dangerous situations or under circumstances that prevent you from doing the job properly in the first place, what you’re going to end up with…
is your client, their friends and family ruining your business by bad mouthing your work.
You’ll spend hundreds of hours fixing the photos, they’ll want everything for free, and no matter how hard you try to fix it for them…
You’re handing them substandard work which becomes the weapon they need to ruin you…
if you’re dumb enough to not have a contract, then you deserve what happens to you.
Still can’t access the site. Us it broken on mobile?
You’re leaving a comment, so guess you can access it now?
I don’t think the horse in #1 pic.. (upper left) was aware of a contract.
Me? I walk up and direct them back to their seats. I also include an “you have asshole friends folder” of all the people in shots ruining them so the bride knows why I did not get x shot and who of her friends made it happen.
Are people this oblivious to their unwanted presence?
Sometimes, people just don’t care how their behavior affects others.
I would be equally pissed at the maid of honor showing up in a sleeveless dress with a huge, hideous tattoo on her arm.
Grow up, you moron. That has nothing to do with anything.
Ah yes, it takes true integrity – and maturity – to hurl insults from the anonymity of a faceless, nameless profile. You’d do well to take your own advice.
And it does indeed have something to do with it. People are worried that a stranger has shown up at a wedding, but not that vomit-inducing tattoo?
People have a right to deface their body with whatever they want, but if this was a maid of honor at my wedding, I’d insist on long sleeves.
Well, if by “ask” you mean a discreet garrotting, then yeah, I’d “ask”.
She notes that the brides were “totally annoyed at this lady they barely knew.”
So people knew her in some capacity? Not a total stranger.