Well, my partner has a co-worker at his full time job, that suddenly stated she needed a wedding videographer. Wanting to expand our demo base for the 2009 season, we worked out a negotiated deal that should yield us some good footage.
Upon meeting the groom for lunch it was immediately apparent the groom was running this show. He had lots of questions, lots of plans, lots of this and that, and HIGH expectations/demands. The groom wanted ALL the raw footage, but that was a no go from me. We ended up agreeing on a price, and full coverage of all events of the day. The plan was for a friend of his, from a local news station, to cover the wedding, but apparently there were issues with that. So, as a result, we were in and shooting the wedding.
With a week to go until wedding time they still had no programs made, no music chosen for dances, plans were still ever changing, etc. We told them to just keep us up to date, and left it at that. We received several emails during the week with song changes, plan changes, etc. We just kept notes...lol.
The photo session was to be done at a local house that a man rents for bridal use. It's rumored to be absolutely stunning, so we looked forward to it for demo purposes. They say there are huge waterfalls, bridges, flowers, rare trees...all kinds of crazy stuff. The bride was also a very attractive girl, so we felt it would be great.
They also stated they were incorporating a custom to the wedding, that being the jumping of the broom. It was a custom used by the slaves to symbolize marriage, because there was no formal marriage allowed amongst slaves. It was made popular by the miniseries Roots, and they were excited about incorporating it. Good to know for future couples...we didn't know the meaning until researching.
So, the day of the wedding, we arrive at the church at 2pm. The church is basically a "worship center". It's very large, stadium seating, big band, preacher that runs around with a headset preachin the word...very grand. On this day we learn, that there will be a photo/music montage on these HUGE screens played at the beginning of the ceremony. We also learn that the men will now descend from stairs from the upper balcony, while the women walk..MORE MORE MORE the groom wants!
The wedding is scheduled to start at 4pm, with a 5pm reception. The schedule, as we assessed it at the rehearsal the day before, seemed extremely crunched...so lets crunch it more! 45 min ceremony, pictures in the church, 15min ride to the photo location, photos there, then to the reception that started at 5...ahhh no!
Well, day of, we set up our third camera, get with the sound guy, blah blah blah. I start doing some shots of the church, interior, etc. Some guests begin to arrive, and I get that while my partner waits for the limo.
Limo arrives with the women, they go into a dressing room, and the word is the groom is only 10 minutes away. This is approx. 3pm. So, over the next 45 minutes I continuously attempt to get in with the bride, but am rejected. I also want to get some shots of the rings, but guess what...no best man or groom at 3:45! The bride catches word of this and the drama starts.
They won't let me in still, and it's 3:55, so I say the heck with it. At this moment, here comes the groom...3:55! I get with the best man immediately and slap together some ring shots..quick! My partner goes after the groom to mic him, while I lastly try to get in with the bride....this time I'm allowed. It's 4:15, and I am done with her, while my partner tells me via radio comm that the groom refused to be mic'd because he's busy. I tell him to work on it, and impress upon him what he'll lose without it.
So 4:25 rolls around, and finally things get moving. The groom is mic'd, and they are coming down stairs...everything is rushed. Candles are being lit in back, while the parents light stuff up front, while the crash gets pulled by someone else....thank god for a glidecam at this point. I'm spinning, running, turning, twirling to get this six ring circus covered....somewhat! My partner is in my ear via comm tellin me, "I got a candle ceremony in the back" while I'm shooting a candle ceremony up front
Then he's on the mic saying..."crash is moving", while this slideshow is starting on screens overhead...lol. We do our best...end of story.
So, the officiant senses the pressed time schedule, and moves through this ceremony QUICK. Before we know it, it's kiss the bride...then from up above at about 45ft high, rose petals begin to fall. Now, I asked the wedding planner if these thing are gonna fall like...bam...or if the person that dumps them, does it slowly so they can catch some air and flutter down...they assure me they release slowly...NOPE....BAM...with a few fluttering petals. Could've been nice, just missed the mark slightly.
So, they head out to the receiving line and it's 5:00. My partner covers it, while I go outside and prepare for the bubbles and exit. I wait...and wait...and wait. 5:25 comes along, and here they come! So, we get that, and they return inside. I cover some pictures and glide around. Next thing I know, it's 5:45. The limo driver grabs me and says..."I gotta go!" He says, they only have this thing until 6pm. I'm like, not my problem, but I'll help you out and see if I can find the planner. I radio to my partner inside to give them a time heads up.
So, here comes the groom...not happy. They have to pay the limo driver to not leave. They go back inside, and CONTINUE to take pictures. At this point, the groom is yelling for my partner from the stage/alter. He tells him, forget about the entire picture location...it's out!
So, 6:35 rolls in and we're leaving the church! They take some pics outside in a guys backyard to make up for the pre-paid and now lost picture location.
Now, since we got the reception in a hurry, there's no setup time for the intro. The groom is like, LETS GET THIS ROLLIN! So, we get no chance to setup the marantz for audio during intro's. They come in, get sat, and the best man (grooms dad) begins his speech. Groom doesn't pay him much attention, and it's over. Groom grabs the mic and says, now everyone sit down, cause I've got alot to say and this'll take a while. He waves to his people and they start bringing out white roses, and he goes into a deal about appreciating your women, and every guy take a rose, and give it to a woman next to you..blah blah blah. I glide around and get some reactions...most of them confused ones.
So, this consumes time, and the mic is then given to the dj....(maid of honor is out of luck...groom stole the show). At this point food is served. We get some coverage of the room, and get with the photogs because they got some rings. We get a few shots with them, then get with the dj and set up the marantz. The DJ is furious, as he said the groom changed songs so many times, that he was unable to have time to get some stuff...and of course the groom is mad about it.
The overall feel of the reception is pretty dead! Not much dancing
and things like that. Then the mother/father dance...which is cut short for time...it's about a minute. The photog's love setting up poses, so they pose instead of dance...it's lame and I stop shooting cause they don't even move. The groom/mother....DELETE! Then the wedding party dance..not bad.
At this point it's already 9:30 in a flash, and the place is dead. The bartenders seem miserable, and being a talkative guy I ask them how they are. They say, not too good....four hours of serving and only 3 bucks in tips between us...lol.
I get with the DJ and tell him to play solja' boy to get some dancing going...and that works some. He plays a couple other popular hip-hop songs and they get going some. He pulls me aside and says, 10 oclock, and I'm shuttin this mother down. This DJ was great...DJ Cool...BIG black dude, probably like 350lbs, 6'7 easy, in somewhat of a maroon, black pinstriped zuit suit that I could re-upholster my couch in it was so much material....definitely a cool guy, so his name suits him...lol.
Anyway we just got past some dancing, and the groom is asking us why we aren't doing interviews. We are working like crazy, and like there's just no time. I tell him I'm not thrilled about the loss of the photo location, and he says he might do something in a couple weeks. The photog's are mad about the loss of the photo location also, and they say he told them he'd do something the next day. Who knows.
10pm, we're Peace/OUT! The bride was lovely, and was a wonderful girl. She thanked us, hugged us, and really appreciated our presence, and on that note we left. We drove out kind of windblown. I got alot of things I wanted to try, but also lost alot. The crowd wasn't the friendliest to us, with the exception of a few, but we did our best.
In the end, I think I got some good shots despite the chaos, but it certainly was a day that taught us some lessons.
