Hi, my name is Lisa and I’m a wedding photographer!
Oh wait, I’m a bit more then a wedding photographer, I’m a professional, I’m a woman, I’m good at what I do and I love it. I love it so much that I’m going to voice my opinion on the state of our Industry.
But I’m not going to look at it as the photographers part of the wedding industry, I think I’ve spoken more then enough on how I feel that has changed.
I want to focus on the what has happened to the Ceremony. The union of a man and a woman, the marriage of two souls to become one.
Monday night I got the pleasure to sit in a crowd of over 100 Saint Louis Photographers, I got to listen to Jerry Ghionis and I believe one man who has experienced ups and downs in life as well as in his craft. There were a few things he said that struck me, and as I said in an earlier blog.. made me think.
I started to think about my past weddings, and I started to think what the process was and I realized that most of the weddings I had shot seemed to be nothing more then an assembly line. From the morning process of hair and makeup to dress and down the aisle, hurry get out we have either another wedding or mass… then on to a crazy event filled reception. Even at the end of those days I walk away buzzing from everything that just went on.
But, last night as I thought about the emotion of the wedding and because of a few questions that Jerry threw out to the crowd, I thought.. something needs to change. I don’t want to be part of that process, the
commercialization of a wedding.
We are all guilty of it, every vendor that touches the bride and groom is guilty of just going through the motions or pushing the motions through.. hurry, rush, we only have a few minutes, we have people waiting, go go go, hurry get our stuff, you only have 1/2 an hour, you have to get out before 5, we are having mass, we have another wedding coming in, HURRY!!!!! RUN>>> GO>>>>
And last night I thought.. STOP!
One thing I tell my brides is, today is about you, today you will marry your soul mate and prayerfully you will NEVER do this again… I want you to stop ANY time you want and if you have to, tell people around you to be quiet. I want you to take it all in, it’s your day… take it in and enjoy it because faster then you will ever believe, it will be over. Thank GOD for photographs to help you see what you missed!
I honestly can’t tell you the last wedding planner that told a bride to take 5-10 minutes with her dad before she walked down the aisle. I don’t remember the last time we were not being rushed around to get 30 minutes of images in less then 10. I do remember final words in the back room being, Okay after we get back we have to move this stuff out of here, we have to be out of here by 4:30..
What a thought to have.. moments before your father see’s you the last time as his single little girl, moments before you walk down that aisle and see the man of your heart looking at you in awe.. You’re thinking about cleaning out a room because you are being rushed out.
I don’t like it. Now, I can take 30 minutes of images in 10, I’d rather not, but I can do it. But what about those last few moments with your dad, your mom, your sisters… what about the walk down the aisle? What about the walk back!
I say let the pampering of the bride and groom come back. Let the emotion and response come back into the industry. As a couple I ask you to now choose a location that wants to rush you around, but choose one that wants to focus on what is really going on and shame on all the churches that have become nothing more then commercial wedding vendors.
Brides.. your wedding day is all about you, it’s about your groom and it’s about your last moments as a single girl and guy and the matching of your souls together as one. It’s about those last few moments with your parents and it’s about that wonderful event called marriage.
My goal this year is to educate, to tell my brides.. DO IT, take that moment.. don’t worry about it and breath and take in and remember everything going on and don’t let anyone push you till you are ready to move. If they don’t like it, tell them the photographer told you to do it 
Most of the time, when I sit down with my couples they’ve already booked everything, they tell me what time I have and generally I go with it. I’d love to meet my couple before they book and tell them.. this is what you want, not only time for photography but also time with dad, time with mom and time to stop and time to just take a deep breath and breathe….
It’s time to claim our industry back to what it actually is… a marriage ceremony!
It’s time to stand up for love and tell commercialism to take a break.
and if no one listens, find someone that will….
Change is coming… I can’t wait to capture it!
