How do you deal with annoying people at weddings?

Has anyone thought of turning up with a Gandolfi and wooden tripod, then using flash powder ?

 

Hi @hectorroldan, good post! I'm an amateur and I've never done any wedding photography. I have been been photographed at a couple of weddings in the UK and NL.
The situation you describe sounds very chaotic! Other wedding photographers have given their reactions from their professional experience The only additional things that I can suggest are that you:
- negotiate a contract to be the only official wedding photographer on-site
- as part of this agreement, stipulate that any other 'lurking' professional photographers will be denied access to the wedding, even if these have been 'ínvited' by guests.
- make it clear that you will only accept a contract to deliver the wedding photos if you are the exclusive professional wedding photographer.
- Yes, many guests want photos too and they get in the way. Something that - in my experience in other situations - helps is to wear a a yellow vest with something like "official photographer" printed on it. This simple 'badge'' distinguishes you from the guests. It gives you the authority to direct the photo sessions, ask guest photographers to get of the way, stand in front of them, etc. Being the (only) official wedding photographer gives you a lot of leeway.

I have no idea whether this is practical in Guatemala. It just seems to me the more you're authorised and able to take 'exclusive' wedding photos, the more valuable your photos wil be, But this is not a simple answer. The situation you describe sounds like a photographic 'free for all.I'm not sure whether you can change this pder contract.


Best wishes,

Mike

 

One of the older pro's I met had a good idea for handling the relatives. He'd get his group shots and then loudly announce " Okay, family & guests...you have 2 minutes to take pictures before the next setup-I'm timing it!" if you lingered, he'd push you out of the way !
A bit rude but it seemed to work.

Hector, I had one old lady at a wedding, come up and grab my arm and tell me the pictures I was taking were s**t. Amazing how she could see what was on unprocessed film! Later she started hassling me claiming I was drinking on the job-yeah I was-water.! I finally told the best man to tell the bride & groom that if she bothered me once more, I was walking out and under the terms of my contract, they would get NO pictures. She got seated in the back of the hall with a family member keeping an eye on her post haste. You need to make it clear to the couple that you work for them and you don't work for random idiots how come up and want a picture.