Wedding Photography Pet Peeves (No Shade, Just Real Talk)
Before we start: none of this is meant as criticism or “rules.” These are simply observations from many years in the wedding industry — both as a photographer and a venue owner — and from being part of hundreds of weddings every year. If any of these are part of your plans and you love them, that’s totally okay. Truly. These are just a few things I’ve seen so often that they’ve landed squarely in my not-my-favorite category. No shade. Just real talk.
Reception Speeches (Specifically… Too Many of Them)
I know this one might be controversial — but if speeches quietly disappeared as a wedding tradition, I don’t think I’d miss them. Out of all the speeches I heard last year, I can think of maybe three that were genuinely great. The rest tended to fall into one (or more) of these categories:
Way too long
Very inside-jokey and confusing for most guests
Overly emotional to the point of awkward
Or… somehow mentioning an ex (this happened more than once, which is wild)
If speeches are important to you, I always suggest limiting them. Short, intentional, and well thought out goes a long way. One alternative I actually love? A brief speech from the bride or groom. A quick thank-you, a moment of gratitude, and then letting everyone enjoy dinner. Simple, meaningful, and no secondhand embarrassment.
Receiving Lines
This one is very personal — but also very practical. First, I’m just not a super touchy-feely person, so a long line of hugs sounds exhausting. But more importantly, receiving lines are incredibly difficult to time well. They often:
Eat into portrait time or good lighting
Create long gaps between the ceremony and dinner
Feel rushed even though they’re meant to be intentional
And ironically, they’re usually not the best way to connect with guests. A much better alternative? Visiting tables during the reception. It’s slower, more personal, and lets you actually talk with people instead of repeating the same 10-second interaction over and over.
The Garter Toss & Bouquet Toss
I’ll be honest — these are tough to photograph, awkward to watch, and feel very dated. They tend to:
Pull guests out of the flow of the reception
Make people uncomfortable (especially those pulled into the spotlight)
Create photos that aren’t particularly flattering or meaningful
A newer trend I do love is dedicating the bouquet to the mother of the bride or another important person. It’s emotional in a good way, meaningful, and photographs beautifully. If you’re set on keeping tradition, that’s fine — but if you’ve been on the fence, this is one I fully support skipping.
Final Thoughts (Promise, Still No Shade)
None of these things make a wedding “bad.” They’re simply moments that tend to add stress, awkwardness, or timeline issues — especially from a photography standpoint. The best weddings I photograph are the ones that:
Feel intentional
Keep things moving naturally
Focus more on connection than tradition for tradition’s sake
At the end of the day, your wedding should feel like you. These are just a few things worth thinking through as you plan a day that feels relaxed, joyful, and very much your own.