Here we go! This is always a fun one! As you read and saw last week (Behind the Scenes HERE if you missed it), a LOT goes into creating those beautiful, wedding photos. Well, a LOT of “uh ohs” happen too and most of the time you never see them. Well, I’m here to show you what happens…and how we laugh through it (most of the time) and how NO wedding is perfect! So, let’s do this! The 2022 Hannah Barlow Photography wedding outtakes and bloopers are live in the wedding blogs right now! ENJOY!
First wedding of the year, first official photo of this blog…let’s start it off with a photo that could be titled, “…when your photographer has no sense of personal boundaries”. TO BE FAIR, Mikala and Jordan (at this point) were my most photographed couple. I’d done her brother’s wedding and her cousin’s wedding. They’d also done an engagement session each season of the year leading up to their wedding. To say we were on a very comfortable level is an understatement. Add in the fact that we were racing sunset and Jordan’s very amazing black VELVET tux had Dalmatian hair all over it…time was of the essence! I feel like we look like an actor and wardrobe assistant here. I needed to get that hair off of him and clearly…I wasn’t afraid to make that happen! HA!
I was a nurse before I was a photographer so maybe that’s another reason why I have little personal space awareness. I have an important job though and wedding days run fast so directing people is always important. I’m also “bossy” and joke that I have a “bossy, professional voice”! The facial expressions can be unfortunate though…along with my double chin! HA!
I’m not the only one who directs either!! Those videographers and wedding coordinators have a job to get done, as well! Except Brian (DJ Brian Oliver)…he’s just pointing at me because I’m always taking pictures when he’s talking (he talks as much as I do). I’ve had teachers tell me that pointing is actually a way to get people’s attention and is “taught” in many speech and business classes. Who knew?! I mean…I KNOW pointing directs people but didn’t know it was an official thing.
ANYWAY! It’s not just vendors we catch with funny facial expressions! Cake cutting every year always delivers some good outtakes…it’s harder than you think to cut that cake perfectly especially when it’s fresh and moist! This year…I only had two bloopers for cake cutting – Allie and Kim. Usually, I have lots and lots but these ones cracked me up!
I love that I can remember what was going on in every one of these photos (below). I’m telling you…it’s not easy to make those wedding galleries “perfect”. It’s like social media…we usually only show the good stuff…except for the Hannah Barlow Photography outtakes blog at the end of the year. Whether it’s accidentally poking your finger while pinning your son’s flower or braving the cold weather…popping champagne or avoiding the flying insects, we’re almost always guaranteed to get some funny facial expressions!
Speaking of poking your finger, this groomsman is an ICU nurse. We had joked he’d be good with a needle and he offered to help pin flowers. Plot twist…he was NOT good with those pins despite his very best efforts. We had a lot of laughs over this one that day!
I see it year after year in online, wedding groups. Brides and grooms want to know why the photographer doesn’t deliver ALL the photos. Well, I joked with Brittany and told her she could be the poster child for “why photographers don’t give you all the photos they take…”. A bee had flown right in her face while I was taking photos…and this is what we got. I absolutely love that Erik never broke character or that pose. That’s dedication, I tell ya!
OoO my facial expressions. It’s why I have lots of wrinkles! Remember last week when I said Aaron (Off Center Production) and I work well together? And we work so well together than he often asks me to do things instead of his wife (Hey, Ashleigh!) because she says he won’t “yell” at me like her does her? Well, this was me holding and throwing the veil for him and him telling me…I didn’t do it well enough. HA! My face…it’s cracking me up!
So, he had me do it again and said, “WAS THAT GOOD ENOUGH FOR YOU THIS TIME, MISTER!?” I nailed it that time! Cathy really got to see the true colors of her vendors on this beautiful, warm, April day!
This (below ) was a core memory moment for the 2022 wedding season. When brides have long veils and they have to walk down the aisle on brick or concrete, I always do the “sweaty armpit tuck” (yes…that’s actually what we call it). That’s when I tuck the veil under their arms before they walk down the aisle so it doesn’t get pulled (or pulled out). Well, after the wedding ceremony, I’m not able to do that again for them before they recess. Yes…Kim lost her veil and she came up those stairs and loudly said, “HANNAH…I was SO close…I did so good until just now! Dang it!” And I cracked up laughing!
….here’s the play by play! Whoops!
She wasn’t the only one this year though! I remind my couples every year to just…laugh…because they are not alone!
We had a lot of “themes” for the year. Last year, it was “what can go wrong IS going to go wrong”. This year, it was weather. We started out…SO COLD. This was our second wedding of the year in March. I’m not kidding. It was 17 degrees and Stephanie was like, “Screw it…I don’t care…I’m getting my outside photos”…and she did!!!
It was NOT without some struggles though. The WIND really picked up!
…like REALLY picked up…wind gusts and all!! Bless this bridal party. They went for it…no complaints!
…and that weather theme continued into the summer. It was so windy at Allie and Nate’s wedding we finally had to ditch this location and go hide by a building. HAIR EVERYWHERE.
…it didn’t make hanging dresses easy either!
Then, it got REAL hot in the summer! Lacey even stopped and got us handheld fans that both the wedding couples AND vendors used! Kari’s face is cracking me up. “It’s too hot to be out here today.”
We didn’t have too much rain this year which I was very thankful for but we did have a pop up rain shower at Cara and Mario’s wedding. Look how calm they are…it’s cracking me up!
Keeping on with the themes of the year…”poo” quite unfortunately became a theme, as well. We had to watch everywhere we went. Look at this action shot of Lacey literally flinging it away from the photo area with a stick! That is dedication, I tell ya!
I’m pretty sure there was a goose poo and once we mentioned it, these little ones were checking.
This bridal party had to avoid it like land mines! The guy on the left is cracking me up!
We had some “near misses” too on wedding days. Poor Kaitlyn had been sick for WEEKS with some kind of crazy cough that no one could explain. So, her doctor called her in a whole cocktail of medication and despite her husband being a doctor himself, I got to play nurse and help dose her up for the day! Emily stayed on water patrol and despite all the craziness…Kaitlyn kept smiling!
How could she not smile though? We literally had a “head” of her soon to be husband, Vince, to carry around! HA! Apparently he goes a lot of places now! I told her this bobble head on a stick needs its own IG page of adventures.
We laughed a lot this year…and we danced a lot this year. I think we were just happy to see each other’s faces again. Also, my husband says my beige, lace shirt looks like a table runner. I can’t UNsee it now!
Caught Jonathan (Finest Events) dancing before the ceremony.
…and we got a huge laugh out of this one when I was showing Paige where to stand and what to do and I had to yell “Clint! Don’t grab hands yet…it’s me not Paige!” And we giggled and giggled! Kayla (Frye Fotos) caught us laughing.
Lacey got caught at Mikala and Jordan’s wedding…”party foul!”. She knocked the beer over!
Speaking of beer and drinks…I never ever drink at weddings but often get caught in photos like this which is always comical. Listen, I’m just helping! I was helping the servers get the money/shot dance ready AND I was trying to get the bridal party off the bus and moving along for the ceremony and photos so I was literally helping them clean up the limo! People are always saying, “You’re so helpful on wedding days” and I joke and tell them I’m just being selfish…because I need to GET MOVING! It’s true though!
Simone’s bouquet got stuck in the ceiling decor when she tossed it so they used my flash stand to knock it down!
…and I’m lucky I didn’t get stuck in this position. Again, I’m always willing to help! I was showing the bride how she could go to the bathroom backwards on the toilet to avoid her dress falling in the water. Jay Morris is looking at me like, “Here she goes again!” I’m always providing the flattering photos! HEY! I will always defend this…it works!
My assistants never fail to show me how much I forget to be a lady on wedding days. Don’t worry…I DO wear black shorts under my dress because I know myself.
I often catch the vendors too!
…and my assistants too! Emily was positively dedicated to this shot and Kaylea and Adam couldn’t help but laugh! Jay Morris (Jay Morris Video Productions) almost fell off that same spot in 2021 ironically!
DJ Brian Oliver is VERY (and I mean…VERYYYY) particular about dressing professionally, matching…you name it. He has big opinions so it’s always fun to catch him in action. He thinks he’s sooooo sneaky changing his shoes behind his booth. Gotcha! Caught-ya!
Last year, Brian made it a goal to get all “unflattering facial expression photos of Hannah” and it became such a trend that the couples and guests were getting in on it by the end of the year! If you know me, you know I could care less…I’ll own any and all photos…no filter! Well, I’m a nice friend…and years ago I took a photo of Brian that is still his profile photo (I think it was 2018). I’m still trying to get an updated one but he never…ever stops talking (like me) and moves constantly. So, instead of a new profile photo…this is what I get!
…and this! HA!
Sometimes he’s totally aware of my picture taking and will call me out literally during introductions to the reception!
…so sometimes we take photos together too to prove to people we DO, in fact, like one another. It’s funny. He and I just talked about it the other day. Many people think we’re friends outside of weddings. We’re really not…I’ve never seen Brian outside of working a wedding. We end up working a lot of weddings together because we’re the same personality…and couples like that. They also like that we work well together and know each other’s routines and preferences for wedding days!
…that doesn’t mean we don’t want to strangle each other every once in a while though! We once had a wedding coordindator tell us we were the same person just in different bodies and wedding specialities. I’m convinced we were brother and sister in another life. I like things a certain way. Brian likes things a certain way. 99% of the time it works out and the other 1%…well, we want to strangle one another. At this particular wedding, Brian (who is Mr. “MUST START ON TIME”) actually got really snippy with me about bringing the couple to the wedding reception….too early. That’s right. He’s all “What are you doing, Hannah?! This is too EARLY! Take them back outside for more photos”. It was 30 degrees outside…and windy…WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME?! Guests were really wondering what we were doing for this photo…but again…we had extra time for an end of year outtake.
We’re not the only ones though! Remember the husband and wife team of Off Center Production? Well, a lot of the same goes on! HA!
It can be happy husband and wife hi-jinx too! Andy…STOP! This was, ironically, the cold wedding I brought the couple back to the reception early for…we had no time for nonsense, ANDY!
Sydney and I joke that my famous line with her was just her name…”SYDDDDDDNNEEYYY”…and then followed up by “Nooooooo”….that goes for kissing with your teeth too, girl! Just no! HA!
Speaking of “NOOOOOOOOOOO” moments. This sure was one!! We gave a guest Ashleigh’s camera (which we’ve frequently done). Well, he started clicking buttons and all of a sudden the screen went blank….and I thought he deleted all the cards (with the WHOLE day’s worth of photos). As if I’m not paranoid enough, now I have something else to be paranoid about. Jeesh! Ashleigh’s face…says it all. He did NOT delete the photos though…whewwww.
I totally thought Clint was going to run over Paige’s dress at this point. He didn’t…but it was such a funny and cute moment that both Kayla and I caught it simultaneously!
I thought Mason was going over into the snow at this moment.
This sweet flower girl got her hair piece stuff on Grandma’s dress! Nothing you can do about it during the processional though and they just kept on going and rocked it!
Lacey was able to help this Grandma before formal photo time! See? When I tell people, “it happens all the time…” I’m not kidding which is why we’re quick to jump in and help!
Guests are happy to jump I and help too…with my lighting test shots! Do you recognize these two?! Former 2021 bride and mother of the bride right here!
My assistants and vendor friends often go ALL out for my test shots! My assistants keep on going with the flattering shots…including nose blowing. Jeesh. When you’ve moving fast, you gotta do what you gotta do!
…and sometimes those test shots are downright funny. Lacey was NOT feeling the cold! HA! Emily went 110% for that balcony shot! HA!
…and in the end, every wedding and blog has to have a “grand finale shot”. If you’ve done a dip for me, you KNOW the #1 rule is….”maintain eye contact so you don’t dip like a corpse”. Maddie missed the memo…and we’re still laughing. She dipped like rigor mortis had set in! Don’t worry…we had a “redo” and got a good one!! But her neck though…I’m still giggling!
…and that’s that! The end of year blogs are up, live, and we’re here to laugh (and cry…both sad and happy tears) over the 2022 wedding season being over! Thanks for reading, everyone! Have a WONDERFUL holiday season!! I hope this brightened your day!
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