Dear Jasmine,
I recently shot my first wedding on my own. It was one of the most horrifying things ever. It was a surprise wedding on the beach. The couple's family and friends had no idea they were getting married until the groom walked out on the beach. The ceremony took place at about 7:15 pm. At that time here in Virginia Beach the sun's going down or is almost completely gone. In this case when it came time to do pictures of the couple together, the sun was completely gone. And the groom wanted pictures on the dark beach.
I worked with a coordinator for this wedding and we had the times completely planned out. It just didn't go as planned. I had to use a lot of light and flash for the pictures and I'm not comfortable with that at all. I'm not really happy with the pictures on the beach and don't know what to do. The groom asked me to make sure I get the beach because “Why get married in Virginia Beach if there's no beach?” Were his exact words. I'm feeling a little disappointed … this is my first wedding under my belt but I feel like I have the potential to get sued.
Sincerely,
Vexed in Virginia Beach

Dear Vexed,
Oooooh, I've been there before. Dealing with a sunset ceremony and not having a Plan B (or Plan C!) for when things don't go according to plan (because they never do) is a rookie mistake…and I made it too. My very first wedding was a sunset ceremony in an outdoor garden. By the time the ceremony ended, the couple walked down the aisle in pitch black darkness.

And we still had to take all the family, bridal party and wedding photos.

So if you're freaking out, take a deep breath. Now do it once more so you can finish reading what I'm about to say: It's not the end of your career! Seven years after my first-wedding mistake, I'm still in business and became a successfully employed wedding photographer.

But knowing this isn't enough. In order to continue growing as a business owner, you need to do a few things:
    1. Learn from Your Mistake
If you're hired to shoot another wedding, you know things may not go according to plan. In light of this, prepare your clients for what to expect. Using your example from above, I'd suggest for the bride and groom to have a First Look, and take photos before the wedding ceremony. This would ensure the beach was illuminated and the couple could view Virginia Beach in all its glory. If this wasn't possible, then your only option is to tell the clients their photos will be taken in the dark (without views of the ocean) if the ceremony time isn't moved to an earlier portion of the day. What they choose isn't as important as making sure they know their options and what they entail.
    2. Make Things Right
If the client is unhappy after seeing the photos, then you need to do whatever you can to rectify the situation. If this means offering to make a wedding album or sending them a canvas print or offering to reshoot their wedding photos, then you need to do just that. Chances are the wedding ceremony photos are beautiful because the sunset provided great light. If they're willing to get in front of your camera again at the beach, this would be a great way to amend the derailment of their wedding timeline.

Vexed, I want to let you know that things will be okay in the end. If they're not okay, then it's not the end. And this is great news! If you can believe it, the clients from the first wedding I shot were thrilled with their images. While I worried they'd bash my business, they ended up being some of my most ardent supporters. I believe the same can happen for you if your intentions are good and you're willing to fix whatever mistakes were made, regardless if they were your fault.
Stay Fabulous,
j*