It pays to be prepared. For a professional wedding photographer, being prepared doesn’t just mean making sure you’ve brought all the photography equipment you will need for the day. This is where your customer service abilities can have a chance to shine, because- let’s face it, without happy customers, there would be no wedding photography industry.
As anyone who has ever been to a wedding knows, there are plenty of opportunities for things to go wrong. The bride could rip her dress. The weather could be less than ideal. Someone could spill their drink or food all over their outfit.
Accidents can happen, and the bridal party and guests are not likely to bear that in mind when they are getting ready for the day. After all, who wants to show up dressed to the nines and toting a bulky bag of stuff?
My experience has taught me that being prepared for any possibility comes in handy. Preventing disaster makes happy people, and happy people make better photographs. Below, I’ve created a list of items that should be in any well-prepared photographer’s bag of tricks:
- A travel sewing kit. Clothing rips. By having a sewing kit handy, you can mend little rips and save someone a few tears.
- A Tide stick and a bottle of club soda. At a wedding I recently photographed, one of the flower girls accidentally spilled a green sauce all over her beautiful dress. The poor girl was so upset! Although I couldn’t do anything then, that was the day I started including a Tide stick and a small bottle of club soda.
- Toys for kids. Children can sometimes get restless. By bringing a few toys to lend out to them, you can keep the kids happy. Keeping the children happy can mean they won’t get under foot or upset when you are trying to take photos.
- Condoms. These have two uses, when included in the photographer’s bag of tricks. The first use is the least obvious: when it’s raining, the photographer can waterproof their lens by pulling a condom over it and snipping the end off so that the lens isn’t covered up. The second use is more obvious: they will be available when people need them.
- A first aid kit. Accidents happen, no matter where you are. By having a first aid kit on hand, you can prevent a small accident from becoming a big issue.
- Feminine hygiene products. Feminine issues can show up unplanned-for. Carrying a few feminine hygiene products in your bag, whether you are a male or female, can save someone embarrassment.
- A lightweight blanket. Sometimes formal photographs involve getting the bridal party to sit on the ground. A lightweight blanket allows them to sit on the ground without getting their outfits dirty, and the edges can be easily hidden if need be.
- An umbrella. Rain happens. Having an umbrella available means that the bride and groom, or anyone else for that matter, won’t get wet when they have to go between the car and the venue.
- Shoe glue. Heels can break when you least expect. Soles come loose. Having some quick-acting shoe glue can mean that a member of the bridal party or a guest won’t be stuck without shoes to wear because theirs broke.
- Rope. You don’t have to carry a long piece… even a piece long enough to act as a belt if someone’s belt breaks is good enough. Rope comes in handy when you least expect it.
Being prepared for any possible accident makes sense, from a customer service point of view. By providing these little things, you can make a stressful day a little less stressful. In customer service, these little touches really do go a long way.