When a cousin of mine began telling me how much she hated her wedding pictures, I thought she must be exaggerating. “Hate” is such a strong word, but when I saw tears well up in her eyes, I realized that this was coming from a very deep place. She became heartbroken and upset every time she even thought about her wedding day and she made it very clear that she does not want a wedding album to remember that day…..ever!
This must be a unique situation..….or so I thought. Then a close friend of mine, who had a beautiful wedding, ( I can attest to that, as I was there.....)had similar sentiments. She cringes at the thought of her wedding photos and does not want an album either! I began to wonder……is this more common than I thought? I began to wonder how many brides have this issue, and is this something that can be fixed for future brides and grooms? My cousin confided in me that the photographer just didn’t listen to what she wanted. Listening to what the client wants is one of the most important things in business and requires attentiveness, listening skills, and most of all, humbleness. Your client’s wedding day is not the time to show them that you know best. It is the time to show how skilled you are by listening to the customer’s needs and showcasing your best work, based on that. Confidence is important, but so is listening to someone else’s vision.
At the end of the day, my unsolicited opinion is that even if you never want to look at your wedding photos, your children and grandchildren will. Children don't see the flaws that you will see when you look at the album. They will see their beautiful parents, happy on a special day, that became the start of a new life together. It is something they will cherish for a very long time. Don't deny them that joy.
Photo Credit @akeenster