Apprehention and the Princess

Princesses give me anxiety. They kind of always have. I'm not talking about the Disney kind, of which I have issues with that I won't delve into now. I'm talking about those girls who really are normal in every way except that they are treated like princesses by Daddy. And of course this gives them the excuse to act like a princess all the time. You know the ones. Even worse are the ones that are getting married. They're the reason the term Bridezilla was coined.

Imagine my apprehension when, way back in 2010, a friend of mine asked if I would consider photographing her brother's wedding. The week after Christmas. Don't get me wrong. I know there are plenty of brides out there that are perfectly sweet, gracious and kind. But you know how it is when a stereotype gets stuck in your mind.

My natural instinct to avoid Bridezilla coupled with my inexperience and of course the fact that it was so close to Christmas promptly brought the word "no" to my lips. Assured by the implied promise of lowered expectations due to the need to cut costs, and the fact that the family was easy going, I agreed to think about it.

It took me a while before I agreed. When I told Otter about the proposition his first words were "Oh man. That's a disaster waiting to happen." Yeah, exactly the supper supportive vote of confidence I was looking for. I think he imagined some Bridezilla that would tear me apart at my first for-pay gig. So, really, not all that different from my first impression. Once I agreed to do it he was incredibly supportive and even helped me overcome my jitters.

Fast forward a few months and the pictures are taken, processed, and the CD is on it's way to the Bride. As promised she was sweet and easy going. Certainly not anywhere near the princess of my nightmares. It was a great learning experience for me and I'm grateful for the opportunity. There are definitely things I will do different should I shoot another wedding, but over all I'd say not too shabby for my first gig.

And - just maybe - I'm on my way to overcoming my princess complex.  After all, just because someone looks like a princess doesn't mean they'll act like one. What a relief.