“Be Prepared,” the famous “Scout Motto,” cannot be overstated when it comes to photographing a wedding.
Imagine: It is the moment you’ve been waiting for your whole life, you’re giddy with bliss–it’s all you can do to focus on the words, “You may kiss the bride” when just as you’re about to have the first kiss as the new wife of your beloved, several feet away, your photographer, unbeknownst to you, presses the button on her camera to the sound of total silence.
Not the expected “ca-chink” as the camera captures this sacred, unrepeatable moment. Just utter, total, sickening silence.
The only sound she hears as she looks down and sees the dreaded (and all-too-common) “Error-99” message blinking back at her from the LCD screen of her camera is the pounding of her own heart as anxiety and shame fill her up completely.
Later on, she may try to explain away her irreparable mistake as being due to camera malfunction, but, “Woe the carpenter who blames his tools.” No amount of apology can fix the damage that has been done. Her tail cannot tuck far enough between her legs to remedy the tragedy of having failed to capture this precious moment in your life.
You’ll be kissed many times in your life; some will be more memorable than others, but “THE Kiss” is lost forever.
“I should have had a backup,” she’ll say feebly while you wonder how she could have possibly failed to show up for her job without one. “Don’t all professional photographers take precautions against such disasters?” You’d ask yourself. Well, friend, the answer is: No. Not all of us.
What You Can Do To Prevent This:
Luckily for you, this is the most easily circumvented threat to your big day! When you make your very first call or email to a prospective photographer, ask for a list of their equipment. If there aren’t two or more camera bodies explicitly listed, they’re out. Presto, move on to the next candidate!