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Archive 2013 · Name Fail

  
 
tonyhart
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Name Fail


I tell this story with a decent dose of compassion; I've got names muddled up in the past too!

At my Saturday wedding the registrar got completely confused with names. First off, she referred to the Groom as 'Middle Name, Surname' rather than 'First Name, Surname'. The first time it happened, most people noticed, but nobody said anything. She then repeated this at the 'Do you xxx take xxx...". At this point the Groom politely corrected her!

Then, astonishingly, she turned to the Bride and said "Do you 'Groom's Middle Name, Groom's Surname' take". At which point she pointed out that that was the Groom's name and everyone creased. It was pretty funny/bad!

I've had a few of these recently. One a few weeks back when the registrar said "Do you Carl XXX take Gregory XXX... I MEAN". She'd taken the Bride's name and substituted it for the Groom's middle name.

I feel for them, but they've got the names on a piece of paper in front of them!

I made a bit of a boo boo recently too. I was on top of a ladder, while doing a full group shot - a spectacularly cack place to screw up like this. After doing some polite yelling to put stragglers in position I usually have 30 seconds of banter with the group to get them onside. I quite often make a joke about whether there are any wedding crashers here today who haven't yet learnt the Bride & Groom's name. I explain that I'm going to get them to cheer and raise their glasses and shout the bride & groom's name, so they better know that it's Mark & Rebecca or whatever.

In this particular instance I'd asked a bridesmaid and her bloke (Helen & Ryan) to shuffle to the right just prior to this dialogue and so when it came to the point where I explained the bride & groom's names to the fictitious 'wedding crashers' I called substituted Ryan for the Groom's actual name. UTTER FAIL! It got a big derisive cheer, but thankfully with a bit of quick thinking I managed to make it look as if I'd made this error on purpose, as part of the 'who doesn't know the B&G's name spiel'. I think at least 50% of them believed me!

What good name fails (or similar) have you seen/been part of, over the years?!



Sep 23, 2013 at 05:21 AM
DarkFall01
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Name Fail


The same thing happened to me at our church wedding in Mexico 3 weeks ago.
The priest said my name correctly the first time, but continued the rest of the ceremony using my middle name and surname. At one point he asked me what my name was again and continued saying it wrong. Mind you, my first name is very Spanish!

I've joked with my wife that in reality she's married to some other guy who has my middle name as his first name and not me!



Sep 23, 2013 at 07:02 AM
swoop
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Name Fail


I couldn't remember the bride's name at my.last wedding so every time I spoke to the groom I said "your bride."


Sep 23, 2013 at 07:06 AM
tonyhart
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Name Fail


swoop wrote:
I couldn't remember the bride's name at my.last wedding so every time I spoke to the groom I said "your bride."


Classic!



Sep 23, 2013 at 07:14 AM
ricardovaste
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Name Fail


I'm often not terribly good at remember bridesmaids names or parents names... which are usually easy to "blag". "Can we have David's parents now?". Or if all else fails, just grab them and start talking to them, when needed ! Thankfully never had any bride/groom name-fails... apart from weird names which I usually just ask about from the beginning.

EDIT: I actually forgot one moment (maybe repressed). Groom & bestman were identical twins. Like seriously identical. Only difference was the tie, and apparently "shifty eyes...". I met them at the Church in the morning and thought I was meeting the bestman for the first time, and said "Hi, nice to meet you..." He gave me an odd look and laughed a little, as it was the groom. Thankfully their family had already prepared me, saying that there is no shame involved as they still get them mixed up themselves.



Sep 23, 2013 at 07:32 AM
jcolman
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Name Fail


I carry the bride and grooms names on a piece of paper in my pocket that I can discreetly look at if I forget them. However I've found that simply writing the names down improves my memory to the point where I usually don't have to look at my "cheat sheet".


Sep 23, 2013 at 07:57 AM
tonyhart
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Name Fail


jcolman wrote:
I carry the bride and grooms names on a piece of paper in my pocket that I can discreetly look at if I forget them. However I've found that simply writing the names down improves my memory to the point where I usually don't have to look at my "cheat sheet".


Agreed. I have a plan of attack sheet in my pocket for all weddings. Side 1 is location details, a simplified schedule, and a who's who of the main players, side 2 is formal groups and the first names of those who are in all of them.

Thankfully I've never blanked on a Bride or Groom. I've had slips of the tongue, but never outright forgot thank god!



Sep 23, 2013 at 08:34 AM
mirrorrim
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Name Fail


I've accidentally called a groom Brandon, when his name was Brendan. But in my defense, the week prior's groom was named Brandon!

I also had 4 Stephanie's as brides this year, and it definitely made me hesitate before saying "Stephanie and (groom)."



Sep 23, 2013 at 10:14 AM
friscoron
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Name Fail



My next two weekends are weddings with Natalie and Clark, and Natalie and Keith, and I've been mixing up the guys all summer in our planning of these two weddings, so I'm a little bit worried about this one.

At least, I'm very confident I won't screw up the bride's name both weekends.



Sep 23, 2013 at 10:56 AM
joshua grasso
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Name Fail


A recent wedding the best man kept getting the brides name wrong in his speech. He was corrected three times and not so nice either. Rather interesting. Then it was followed up by will Ferrell in old school style toast.


Sep 23, 2013 at 11:42 AM
amonline
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Name Fail


I have a feeling this thread just jinxed my perfect record. Thanks.


Sep 23, 2013 at 12:00 PM
aclauson
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Name Fail


At a recent Indian wedding, the official at the temple accidentally married the bride to the groom's father during a particularly solemn and religious part of the ceremony. Guests and family members immediately jumped in to correct him.


Sep 23, 2013 at 12:07 PM
TTLKurtis
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Name Fail


I call people names like... Yellow shirt dude. Or hey you, in the back.


Sep 23, 2013 at 12:42 PM
eephoto
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · Name Fail


Haha! This happens to me sometimes if I'm shooting back to back to back weddings/sessions. I saw a tip from Cliff Mautner once, and I honestly think I should do it because sometimes I draw blanks too. He writes the bride and groom's name on a piece of tape and then tapes it to the back of the cameras. So if he forgets their names he can "chimp" and then remind himself of the names.

Once at an engagement session, I was at the tale end of 3 engagement sessions in one day. I kept calling the groom to be "Frank" which was the name of the groom to be from the session just prior. I promised him there was an actual person by that name and I had just photographed him and his fiance. The couple took it in total stride and now whenever the bride and I see each other, we refer to her now hubby as "Frank". They are great people and get a kick out of it.

Interestingly enough at a wedding in August of this year, I got to introduce the real "Frank" to the pretend "Frank" when they were both in attendance at the wedding I was photographing! Me and pretend "Frank" go a kick out of it! I even took a photo of the "Franks" together.

Even though they took it in stride, I hate when it happens. Ugh...I pride myself on knowing people's names!!! So I'm really thinking of the tape thing for when I draw blanks!



Sep 23, 2013 at 01:05 PM
jb1970
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · Name Fail


Not quite the same but there was one time when it had been a while since meeting the couple and I forgot what the groom looked like. When 3 guys showed up at the wedding dressed the same I had to ask a question that only the groom would answer. I took a picture at the same time so didn't have to make eye contact with anyone in particular. Strange as I remember getting on very well with the groom and looking at all his home improvements when we met, but my mental picture just failed me.


Sep 23, 2013 at 01:17 PM





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