# Bridezilla and wedding photography



## Johnboy2978 (Aug 7, 2012)

Caught a couple of episodes of this show this weekend and saw this one: Bridezilla Liza and her demanding ways! - YouTube I've shot only a few weddings in my time and never relied on photography to be my sole income.  I can honestly say though, mortgage or not, I would've laughed at this lady and walked out.  Anyone have any real life experience of someone like this?


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## jwbryson1 (Aug 7, 2012)

She needs a bit of this,


Some of that, 

and this finish her off with a bit of this


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## CCericola (Aug 7, 2012)

I have turned down a few brides who I thought would be problems at the interview. Others told me I'm not wealthy and should not turn away money, but with all the crazy lawsuits going around, I can't afford NOT to turn the crazy ones away. Yeah, I have a lawyer but that is time and money away from my business. I'm insured up to my eyeballs just so I can sleep at night.


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## 12sndsgood (Aug 7, 2012)

id have to walk.


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## KmH (Aug 7, 2012)

That's a Clueless Bridezilla.


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## MLeeK (Aug 7, 2012)

I've turned down weddings for bridezillas and for people I just didn't like for whatever reason. I'd tell that chick to take a walk. There's no way!

On the flip side of that... I recently read an article somewhere about a husband and wife couple turned down a gay or lesbian wedding because of their religious beliefs and have now found themselves in the situation of being sued for discrimination. And it wasn't looking good for them. 

So where does the line get drawn on things we decline? Food for thought!


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## rexbobcat (Aug 7, 2012)

If someone offered to pay me 1% I think I would soil myself.....WITH EXCITEMENT.

How could y'all turn that down? Seriously? Quit being so damn elitist.


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## MK3Brent (Aug 7, 2012)

It always blows me away that people think they can tell you what you charge for services. I was hoping his response would be: "Okay... well, that's not how this works..." and just reams her. 

haha


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## tirediron (Aug 7, 2012)

Since for some reason the video isn't available to me, can someone give me the Cole's Notes version?


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## manaheim (Aug 7, 2012)

rexbobcat said:


> If someone offered to pay me 1% I think I would soil myself.....WITH EXCITEMENT.
> 
> How could y'all turn that down? Seriously? Quit being so damn elitist.



You're kidding, right? 

It's not a matter of being elitist... it's a matter of making a business decision based upon risks.  If the person is... challenging... it will cost you at the _very_ least frustration, will quite likely cost your more time (time=money), and will possibly cost you in terms of a lawsuit (again time... and atty fees... and opportunity costs... and then financial damages if any).


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## CCericola (Aug 7, 2012)

For Tirediron,

A chunky, Latina girl with a bad dye job and hooker makeup meets a photographer in her apartment. She tells the photographer the photos have to be perfect and she has to look better than anyone else. She doesn't want any photoshopping and she wants to tell him who he can and can't shoot because she has "a lot of fatties in [her] bridal party. She also thinks it is only fair that she only pays for the images that are perfect on a percentage basis. So the photographer asked what would she pay for one photo and she says 1%. Then the clip ends. I'm hoping that he said thanks but no thanks and walked away.


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## Stradawhovious (Aug 7, 2012)

tirediron said:


> Since for some reason the video isn't available to me, can someone give me the Cole's Notes version?




Voice of Rosie Perez, looks of a Latina Snookie, Arrogance of Donald Trump, Brains of The Scarecrow.

Most memorable quotes.... "I was thinking it was fair for you to like, get paid, like, on a percentage basis." and "I don't want my pictures to have to have any photoshop.  If I'm shiny,I need you to stop and tell me I'm shiny.  shine is not my friend." Oooo.... Let's not forget that when her fiance tried to intervene because she was being a dumbass..... "Jeez... Why don't you like go make me a sandwich or something."

If I shot weddings, I would run from this one.  Good thing I'm not good enough to shoot weddings.


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## manaheim (Aug 7, 2012)

CCericola said:


> For Tirediron,
> 
> A chunky, Latina girl with a bad dye job and hooker makeup meets a photographer in her apartment. She tells the photographer the photos have to be perfect and she has to look better than anyone else. She doesn't want any photoshopping and she wants to tell him who he can and can't shoot because she has "a lot of fatties in [her] bridal party. She also thinks it is only fair that she only pays for the images that are perfect on a percentage basis. So the photographer asked what would she pay for one photo and she says 1%. Then the clip ends. I'm hoping that he said thanks but no thanks and walked away.



  Ok, rexbo HAD to be joking then.


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## KmH (Aug 7, 2012)

Just tell brides like that, that company policy requires the inclusion of a PITA charge.


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## Sw1tchFX (Aug 7, 2012)

I've turned down a couple where the bride acted strikingly similar. "I have to look perfect", "don't make anyone look fat", "don't take pictures if we're shiny", than they told me that they couldn't pay more than $600 and I said "have a good night, I don't think i'm the man for the job" and left.


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## morganza (Aug 8, 2012)

Haha, thanks for the link!


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## carolinajack (Aug 8, 2012)

I work in the banquet industry and have worked more weddings than I care to know. I know how some people are about their food so I can only imagine the stress of the photography. 

That being said, my older brother and cousin are both professional (meaning that is their income) photographers. I am a serious amateur. So when it came to price, time, and everything else I didn't haggle or try to get a better deal. Our photographer was great, she asked if there were any specific pictures that we wanted, we told her what those were. She was super nice and even stayed a little late to catch a couple of extra things. She probably would have done those things for anyone but I hope us being nice and deferring to her expertise made the situation more comfortable for her.


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## 12sndsgood (Aug 8, 2012)

rexbobcat said:


> If someone offered to pay me 1% I think I would soil myself.....WITH EXCITEMENT.
> 
> How could y'all turn that down? Seriously? Quit being so damn elitist.



my first reaction to that 1 photo for 1% was  okay, if i give you 200 photos that you like, you now owe me 200% of my normal fee. Then the other side of my brain said this lady is going to be so picky that she will probalby only like 50 photos just to be an ass and not have to pay me all my money.


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## usayit (Aug 8, 2012)

All I have to say.. thank god I didn't pursue wedding photography as a career choice.


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## tirediron (Aug 8, 2012)

Thanks Christina & Strad! 

Sounds like a winner!


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## carolinajack (Aug 8, 2012)

usayit said:


> All I have to say.. thank god I didn't pursue wedding photography as a career choice.



I would imagine wedding photography is one of those things that when it goes well, it would be insanely rewarding. Conversely, it would be a nightmare if it went wrong. It's hard to imagine anything scarier than losing someones wedding photos after the shoot. Holy crap.


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## Netskimmer (Aug 8, 2012)

MLeeK said:


> I've turned down weddings for bridezillas and for people I just didn't like for whatever reason. I'd tell that chick to take a walk. There's no way!
> 
> On the flip side of that... I recently read an article somewhere about a husband and wife couple turned down a gay or lesbian wedding because of their religious beliefs and have now found themselves in the situation of being sued for discrimination. And it wasn't looking good for them.
> 
> So where does the line get drawn on things we decline? Food for thought!



I'm no wedding photog but in this intance I would give her my terms on how it will be done and if a compromise can't be reached then that is that. If she tried to sue for discremination I would present the terms of my other wedding gigs to show that I was not asking for anything unreasonable.


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## Ballistics (Aug 8, 2012)

Facebook

Here's the link to her wedding album and the photographer brags that he paid her 100%

I also think this show is either fake, or the brides are coached into being much worse than they actually are.


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## usayit (Aug 8, 2012)

carolinajack said:


> I would imagine wedding photography is one of those things that when it goes well, it would be insanely rewarding. Conversely, it would be a nightmare if it went wrong. It's hard to imagine anything scarier than losing someones wedding photos after the shoot. Holy crap.



The same can be said about any business venture... 

I'm sure there are success stories but the majority of the wedding photographers I've run into are not doing "insanely" well...


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## rexbobcat (Aug 8, 2012)

Ballistics said:
			
		

> Facebook
> 
> Here's the link to her wedding album and the photographer brags that he paid her 100%
> 
> I also think this show is either fake, or the brides are coached into being much worse than they actually are.



Not trying to stir anything up, but, for such a crabby woman who sounded like she need everything perfect - those wedding photos are kind of subpar.


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## Ballistics (Aug 8, 2012)

rexbobcat said:


> Ballistics said:
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> ...



I agree.


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## DiskoJoe (Aug 8, 2012)

Sw1tchFX said:


> I've turned down a couple where the bride acted strikingly similar. "I have to look perfect", "don't make anyone look fat", "don't take pictures if we're shiny", than they told me that they couldn't pay more than $600 and I said "have a good night, I don't think i'm the man for the job" and left.



Nobody gets to be demanding on a budget.


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## carolinajack (Aug 8, 2012)

usayit said:


> The same can be said about any business venture...
> 
> I'm sure there are success stories but the majority of the wedding photographers I've run into are not doing "insanely" well...



True. I was more talking about the happiness aspect and what you're providing and not about the monetary aspect.


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## Tamgerine (Aug 9, 2012)

rexbobcat said:


> Ballistics said:
> 
> 
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They are, and you can tell he's a subpar photographer from the video, or have a pretty good guess. Granted there is no way to really know because of what may or may not have been edited in or out, but there are some clues. The way he dressed for the interview is first. Casual, not business professional. A little bit of a hint, but sure maybe stereotyping.

The second thing for me, and this is sort of a personal thing probably, is that he asks, "Do you want any type of editing done or anything?" What does that even mean to the client? Teeth whitening, black and white conversion, taking out some moles? Editing means something completely different to every client, especially those who have no knowledge of photoshop or what that entails. It's such an open question that has the potential to confuse the client and make it more difficult for the photographer. Some clients want a beautiful, natural look and call it "no editing" when they really mean "beautiful and natural" and not "no sharpening and color correction." The majority of successful photographers I know have their style, that includes editing, that they don't deviate from. It's not an option. Why hire someone to create something their photography isn't? Have your style, SELL IT, and nothing else.

The biggest clue that he isn't really professional is the fact that it seems the client is completely unaware of his pricing structure before the interview. I have never seen a client/photographer relationship progress to an interview without the client even knowing if the photographer is within their budget. If a client is already instructing the photographer about the wedding day and doesn't know what the price is, then they're loaded and the price doesn't matter. He is nowhere near in that top tier market. It's possible she knew his price and wanted to change that to what she wanted it to be. I don't know. Again, editing. From my perspective, she is clearly in charge of the pricing discussion from the get go. 

Twenty bucks says this guy is a friend with a camera and a regular day job. 

So, what do you do when confronted with a bride like this? Laugh and walk out? A lot about being a photographer is overcoming objections. If she's not going to pay the price you ask then of course you won't be working with her. Sure she's a little crazy and controlling, but what are her needs from a client perspective?

She wants her wedding day to look beautiful. SHE wants to look beautiful. If you notice she's shiney, don't take a photo and let her know so it can be fixed. If her dress was falling down, or her veil wasn't straight, would you tell her? Help her fix it? Offer a solution? She wants you to take pictures of the people she tells you to. Completely reasonable. No ugly or fat people, and makes a comment about her bridal party. Ha ha, sure. You still take those photos.

Does she sounds like a pain in the butt to work with? Ohhh yes. Aside from the pricing, her demands aren't unreasonable, just communicated poorly.

As you can see, I did not have much to do this evening.


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## MLeeK (Aug 9, 2012)

Tamgerine said:


> rexbobcat said:
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> > Ballistics said:
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I don't think the issue is her EXPECTATIONS, it's her personality, attitude and demanding lack of respect. I couldn't work with her and that's the end of the line for me. 
You can demand a lot of things to me-if you do it RESPECTFULLY. However if you are just being a b!tch? I guess I get to be a b!tch too. 
She has reasonable expectations, but she conveys them in a totally disrespectful and flat out rude manner. When did THAT become acceptable?


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## Tamgerine (Aug 9, 2012)

It became acceptable the moment she paid the price I charge to deal with her. 1% is unfortunately not that price.


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## MLeeK (Aug 9, 2012)

There isn't a fee to make me put up with that.


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## Ballistics (Aug 9, 2012)

Every man has his price.


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## bunny99123 (Aug 10, 2012)

My relative was a Bridezella!  I designed her wedding invitations with two inserts.  It was horrible!  She was constantly wanting changes.  The invitations was for a gift, and turned out wonderfully!  I printed 150 invitation sets, and my husband ate the cost at work.  I spent over 30 hours designing them.  I was suppose to shoot their wedding along with another photographer for free.  Told her no way after invitations were printed!  If took that much work to please her, and she still wasn't, no way was I going to photograph her.  These where expensive invitations, and she acted like she was a queen, and I was below her.  She doesn't speak to me, because the other photographer took boring shots.  More, and more Brides need something to knock them back into reality.  Yes, it is their day, but they have no reason to disrespect others, and be so freaking demanding.  I worked in wedding business for several years, and back then the Mother of Brides drove me nuts.  Nope, I have no problem telling anyone to walk that I know will be too difficult.  Not worth the stress.


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## MLeeK (Aug 10, 2012)

bunny99123 said:


> My relative was a Bridezella!  I designed her wedding invitations with two inserts.  It was horrible!  She was constantly wanting changes.  The invitations was for a gift, and turned out wonderfully!  I printed 150 invitation sets, and my husband ate the cost at work.  I spent over 30 hours designing them.  I was suppose to shoot their wedding along with another photographer for free.  Told her no way after invitations were printed!  If took that much work to please her, and she still wasn't, no way was I going to photograph her.  These where expensive invitations, and she acted like she was a queen, and I was below her.  She doesn't speak to me, because the other photographer took boring shots.  More, and more Brides need something to knock them back into reality.  Yes, it is their day, but they have no reason to disrespect others, and be so freaking demanding.  I worked in wedding business for several years, and back then the Mother of Brides drove me nuts.  Nope, I have no problem telling anyone to walk that I know will be too difficult.  Not worth the stress.



That is a multi faceted issue. 1. Family. Never deal with family they are THE. WORST. CLIENTS. EVER. They don't have a clue and think that because you're family they can get away with a whole lot more. 
2. Free. Free is free. It has no value, so the cost in time and product for you had a huge value, but to her it didn't. 
3. Managing expectations. If you don't guide her to reasonable expectations, she can expect anything her brain dreams up whether it is possible in reality or not. 

As for the bridezilla in the clip: Those wedding photos are awful!


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