Worst Case Scenario Wedding Day Survival Guide: Thunderstorms & Power Outages

We all like to expect that a wedding day will go as smoothly and as close to our dream as we'd hope it would, and for the majority of what I see, wedding days are mostly awesome with no issues. However, there always exists a scrap of worry that something may happen which would throw the whole dream off kilter, especially when outdoor events are planned and atmospheric conditions cannot be controlled.

In my 4.5 years of shooting weddings, the first a weather related fiasco happened was on April 28th this year. I must highlight the couple, Andrea and Patrick, because they handled thunderstorms and on-and-off power outages so well that I came to note how they handled it as a guide for How Not To Worry. Here's a list, in order of significance, on how to prepare yourself to handle a wedding fiasco if you fear the worst. Hopefully this guide will settle the minds of over-worrisome brides and help them know there is no reason to worry!

1. Most Important! You are marrying the person you love. If this is key (and it should be!), even the end of the world can't keep you two from getting married. Enjoy being rained on or being blown away as a unique set of crazy events and challenges that didn't stop you from tying the knot.

 2. Keep calm and roll with it. If you lose power in a windowless room, smart phone flashlights work like a charm. In a pinch, I harnessed usage of a bridesmaid's phone light to snag a few portraits in the dark. Spot lighting quality wasn't half bad!

3. Notify guests to prepare for weather conditions. Anytime a ceremony or reception is held outdoors, guests should always be prepared with umbrellas or a nearby indoor or tented area for retreat. A mention about preparing for weather can even be stated in the invitation.

 4. If the power goes out, get creative and play it by ear. Delegate tasks to your service providers or event coordinators to improvise if loss of power means food can't be served or music can't be played. Prepare to transform a sit down dinner into cocktails and h'ordeuvres, or even an order of pizza for all your guests. Something is better than nothing, and your guests won't mind if they're hungry. (Luckily the power came on and stayed on just in time for Andrea & Patrick's reception.)

5. Use your bouquet as an umbrella! Simple resourcefulness goes a long way.

Preparedness is your best prevention!

Say NO To "Say Cheese!"

This post is not a proclamation to parents to wean them off telling their children to say "cheeese!" for portraits, although in hindsight I think we can all agree that when kids have to consciously run their "smile file" it's going to be a pre-processed robot grin. If not that, then a smirk or grimace or downright frown. This post shares my own intrigue into child psyche, and observations on how to really snag great smiles out of them.

After formal portraits of these sisters I had them roll in the grass for a while

Lo and behold, kids don't really like doing what parents tell them, do they? It's no different for portraits. Most kids dislike the chore. The key from my angle as a photographer is to make them feel like they're playing, not like doing a chore. I normally take a few "standard" shots of children to figure their chemistry before finding out what intrigues them playfully.

A note to parents: Once formal shots are taken in all the pretty clothes, let them play. Let them roll around in the grass, let them touch a pile of dirt, let them pick dandelions and throw them all over the place. The majority of my shoots with children of any age involves simply playing with them, and they usually get a kick out of it. I bring bubbles or balloons, or encourage parents to bring a mini birthday cake for first-birthday smashing reenactment. All my children's portraits are done outside because I've yet to see a kid who doesn't love being outdoors, and children so love to interact with nature. It's a lost wonder I suppose.

Although this cute little ring bearer had an adorable frown, he only smiled when I told him not to... and then he got embarrassed about it! The above range of emotions happened within about a minute. Kids are bipolar, true story.

What parents unknowingly love is a laughing-his-head-off type shot of their child, not a constipated Olan Mills smile forgery. They want to see a punch of emotion. It's quite hilarious to learn on site what sorts of invented smiles kids have come up with after years of being trained on "say cheese!" Some have perfected the Sarcasm of Smile so well they actually start making terrible faces at me, assisted by fingers pulling mouths down and such *eye roll*.

Every baby has the "extremely entertained by something" face. Often with tongue hanging out. He was laughing at bubbles.

Toddlers and babies are up to their own wills. They want to be independent, so let them explore and interact with things. Don't be discouraged when a 2 year old wants to keep bolting away from the chair you want her to sit in. Smiles are optional for babies. Drooly dropped mouths of wonder are just as priceless as huge crazy grins. Some kids smile when you tell them not to and some kids need a round of applause to get them clapping and laughing. These tactics are short lived because young kids have very short attention spans.

Heck, I have a very short attention span. Next toy! Let's run this way! Punch my balloon! Smack my hand! Pop those bubbles! Kick your shadow! If they're not doing something different all the time, I'll get bored too!