Wedding Tip #5 Servers/Speeches

Time for tip #5, below are the first 4.

Wedding Tip #4 - Preparation/Hotels
Wedding Tip #3 - The DJ
Wedding Tip #2 - Talk to your officiant
Wedding Tip #1 - The head table

You know all those important images during the speeches. You know the ones of not only those sitting at the head table with you, but of you parents. Where they are cracking up at the tales your friends tell. Well I love to get them. It seems this is about the only time your parent's and grandparents really relax, ignore me and show real emotion. Sometimes they cry, sometimes they laugh. But really it's just a great time for me to get images, not just of them, but of everyone.

I've included a bunch of favs of mine from the speeches. Now here is the tip... your waitstaff/servers should NOT be serving, refilling glasses or anything during this time.

Why? Because they get in the images, they distract the guests, and then what do you think everyone does with that fresh piece of cake that was just set in front of them? You guessed it, they eat it. Now I have a policy to edit out eating images. They just don't look good, but you can imagine instead of listening and laughing they are chewing.

Or at just the right moment they are laughing and a server walks right in front of me and I get them and not your dad crying as you thank them for raising you so well. Sometimes I just want to scream.

Also people are attracted to movement. So while I try to minimize mine, I find it interesting that they are all over standing up (taller than the seated guest) and they therefore get some of our attention.

I do move around, but I try not to do it too much. And I like to sit back at this time with a good view in a spot where I'm not to distracting. Manuevering around tables is not easy. So when the servers are all over, it really does take away from an opportunity for me to capture true emotion.

Do you ever wonder why there is that clause in your agreement that says I can not be held responsible for any specific images..... because circumstances beyond my control. Yep this is one of those.

So, my recommendation is to talk to your staff if you have them. Family if they are doing it and try to instruct them that they should serve prior to and after the speeches. And on your part be sure to do those speeches at a time other than when dinner is being served. From my understanding once they start serving they really can't stop. I'm thinking this has to do with your dinner getting cold. So work with your caterer or event coordinator to help work these logistics out.

These first four images are all taken from the same wedding during the speeches. The first and second are in sequence of the father of the bride reacting to what his daughter had said about her parents. It has me in tears everytime I see them. The second two are the parents of the groom reacting to the grooms and the brides words. Have I ever mentioned I LOVE emotion. Just let it out!

This last image is the most unincriminating image I can find with a server walking right in front of the head table during a speech to serve the meal.
CA