As a wedding photographer, do you enjoy it or are you always stressed?

Answer 1

The first 10 or so I was so stressed I thought I was going to pass out but now I am not stressed or nervous or anything. Now whether I enjoy it or not depends a lot on the wedding couple. I shot one last month that I wished my life away during, I couldn't wait for that thing to be over. They weren't hateful, just seemed like they didn't want to be there. The month before the couple was wonderful and so much in love you could fill it in the room I had such a good time I hated to go home. Those I love. I shot one this passed weekend that was fun too. Attitude of the families and the couple goes a long way. If you as a photographer can bond with the bride and groom I think it shows in the photos and they just seem to be better. The couples that keep you at arms length as "hired help" miss out on all that.

Answer 2

Like others have said, the first few can be stressful, mostly from nerves. I avoided them for a long time and did almost every other kind of photography because if I messed it up, I could always reshoot.

I find weddings to be lots of fun. I work my tail off, so at the end of the day I'm exhausted, but at the same time it's invigorating. Clients seem to appreciate that they are getting good photographic coverage.

If you are working on your own, you can pick and choose who you work for. Not only does your potential customer get to choose a photographer, you get to choose your client. If it's not a fit, you can simply say so (in a politically correct way of course).

Weddings are a happy time, even when things go wrong (and something almost always goes wrong). People are generally in a good mood. I work totally on referrals so in general the people I've worked with who are fun, have family, friends, and relatives that are fun too and this is who they refer back to me.

We also try to make the photography as painless as possible, so they get through their event in a timely fashion.

You have to have a good attitude and be good with people, or it will be a chore. It's a lot more work and often more time consuming then doing some other types of photography too, so you really do have to like it. You have to consider the work you do before the wedding, the wedding itself, and then as much if not more time after the wedding. If you are lazy or sloppy with your photography, it will show and you will not have happy clients.

Answer 3

I wouldn't call it stress. More like energy waiting to be dissipated. Almost always I enjoy it, photography is my favorite thing to do, so although it is a job, it is also fun.

I did have a wedding a few months ago that felt very odd. I was a second shooter, and the other photographer mentioned how weird it felt to her, too. I found out a few weeks ago that the couple stayed together less than two months following the wedding. Oh well.

Answer 4

I enjoy photography, so I lean toward the "enjoy" side...but on that same token, it is a job and someone is paying me to capture a moment in their life that is deemed by them to be very special. So a little stress involved(but a good stress) to make sure I am always on top of my game.