Dear Jasmine,
How do you handle it when a bride wants a lot of couple photos but the groom don't care that much and even begin to be annoyed by those?It happened to me and they chose me as a wedding photographer and now it's like I have to beg them to have a picture… Also, how would you calm them down when they start having an argument about it? It really killed me and my inspiration, it made me feel next to nothing and I certainly don't want to document two people fighting on their wedding day…
Sincerely,
Caught in the Middle

Dear Caught in the Middle,
Being center to an argument is never fun, but I can only imagine it's amplified when it comes to clients having a dispute about photos in front of you! It's definitely a difficult situation, but the only way to avoid something like this in the future would be to communicate as much as possible in advance. Here are a few tips:
    1. Ensure the Clients Know What's in Store
Ensure the couple approves the wedding day timeline in advance. It's important for both of them to know how the day will unfold and how much time you need for documenting different aspects of the day. This information should come in the form of an email at least two weeks in advance. More than anything, manage the groom's expectations by ensuring the bride has communicated to him what she wants…and this conversation must happen before the wedding day.
    2. Find a Compromise
If for some reason the groom loses his patience and wants photos to end (and the bride does not), tread carefully. If one person is emotionally checked out, the photos after that point will reveal the truth. And nothing's worse than photos of someone who's forced to be there. In this case, I'd have an honest talk with the couple and try to find a compromise. If we had 30 minutes for slated for photos and the groom wants to be done in 10 minutes, I'd ask him to give me an extra 10 minutes and guarantee he'll finish all photos in 20 minutes. The key is to find some middle ground and make him feel like I heard him. That's important. Yes, it'll be hard to finish all the photos in less time, but at least we're on the same page and the groom will give me what I need when he's in front of the camera.

I hope these tips help for your future weddings and I hope you're never caught in the middle again!
Communication and Compromise,
j*