I had a wedding in Nashville this weekend... the groom was a high school friend of my husband's, and so this was our gift to them. We'd never met his fiancé, but I talked to her a good bit over the phone in the weeks before the date. At no point did she mention anything that might be beneficial to know before we shot the wedding... and so we just assumed that everything was per our usual.

The morning before the wedding, we had breakfast with the couple. They met us at our hotel and this was my first time to see the bride. Below is the picture we took out front under the sign with their names on it...

well, shes got some really rad shots that dont show her badside.. tho her portraits arent gonna be a looker, i feel you have enough other awesome shots to make up for it.

I've always said creativity is problem solving. Nice job Mel!

Tad

I think you did an absolutely beautiful job! Congrats on great results with a new situation. You handled it wonderfully!

And the results of these is why Mel makes the big bucks. **stands, claps** Bravo Mel, bravo.

~Sam

Mel, these are excellent. True professional. A real inspiration.

You did an amazing job on all of these! Wow! You should be beyond happy with the results! I was blown away! Congrats on a situation that you handled so well!

These are so beautiful Melanie, really really fantastic. I've come across slight problems with appearance before, burns, birth marks, unwanted tattoos etc but have always had a chance to chat to the bride before hand about her feelings regarding her appearance and what she wants shown or disguised in her photos, to go all out there with no background on this at all, I would have been VERY nervous!

They look so in love and this shines through so everyone looks beautiful no matter what. I don't want to say 'well done' as this sounds so patronising coming from lil' ole me but really,... WELL DONE!

Nicola

Your most creative set yet, I reckon.

Really well handled without making it obvious that you are avoiding the problem

The first picture posted doesn't mask any of the brides physical attributes but portrays what you talked about, the love they have for each other. That picture of them hugging may not be your favorite, it may be theres. What you view as a major concern may not have been a consideration for the couple. Nice job giving them the option.

her expression says it all - she felt like an absolute princess that day and every time she looks at her photos she's going to be reminded of just how amazing it was.

these are stunning, mel. the mark of a true professional is the ability to be incredibly consistent and structured, and at the same time infinitely flexible. i'd say that sums you up pretty well!

your images are genuine, honest, and dignified.

she's beautiful and you captured her beautifully.

You dealt like a true professional in such a situation, and it's reflected it the work. These look excellent, and I'm sure any photographer on here would agree. Bravo!

incredible story.....incredible shots!
well done!

Wow. That is some truly professional work.

Lovely photos.

Well done ! and you're indeed capture the pure love of the couple with the images that I couldn't done much any better. I am also touch by his love for her. They are not only deserved one another, bu also deserved to have such a gift photographer like you.

Thanks for sharing,
Sam

Great work Mel. I really respect your balance, thought process, and sensitivity.

/asim

Wonderful photos.

Mel,

You did a wonderful job. Just wonderful! AMAZING & trully inspiring

She will love them !!


Oh, by the way..........I "see" you did a "sparkler" shot...hmmmmm......"20 seconds of smoke" ?

It looks cool......

you did an amazing job!!!

*clap clap*

Mel,

Great shots as always. Love the bride's pink shoes. LOVE the moon shot.

As far as the uncomfortable part goes, I believe this arises because marketing tries to force us to accept a rigid mold of what beauty is. We are constantly force-fed what the "perfect" bride should look like. She should be oh-so-thin, have an "airbrushed" complexion, brilliantly white and straight teeth, and the list goes on and on. But in this quest for the "perfection of beauty", we lose the "human" aspect of our subject. The true beauty and uniqueness of the individual gets lost when trying to make them fit an unrealistic level of perfection.

As an example, there is another thread about before-and-after photos with PS work. Although there is a very high level of skill involved, my opinion is that the models look more like mannequins, and less like real living women: complexions unrealistically smoothed; eye shapes are changed; ears are made smaller; arms (already thin) are made even more slim; lips are altered; hair is added. The real person is lost.

Don't get me wrong, I believe there is a time for some PS work (acne, stray-hairs, etc.), but I believe it should be minimal. The true beauty of a wedding is that you have a man and a woman who have fallen in love with each other, despite their being imperfect. Capturing that in the photos is what photography is about.

Having said all that, Mel, you did a great job. Here's looking forward to your next post.

Patrick

PS - Do you arrive at each wedding venue in an invisible jet? After all, you are "Wonder Woman".

Mel, great job! I love the pink keds. That one shot says a whole lot about the B&G.

I'm almost 100% relocated to Nashville. Hopefully I can find some neat places to shoot.

Mark

As rare as it is that I enter the wedding forum, the title of this thread had me wondering.

And, after going through this set, I'm absolutely amazed at the quality of work. I occasionally say wow in my head while on here, but this one had me say a few wows, out loud. Really, really incredible work.

Adrian