In our years as wedding photographers we have had the opportunity to meet a bunch of really nice people, traveled to all types of venues and sampled many delicious cuisines. We’ve also run into some very interesting situations. One in particular that stands out is the case of the lipstick on the wedding dress.
I wasn’t in the room when the whole thing went down, I was patiently waiting outside the door for the bride to slip into her dress. That’s when I heard someone say “oh shit”! I knew right away by the silence on the other side of the door that this wasn’t good. And then it got worse. Deb, my wife, assistant and now the “person that volunteers my services” said “oh, don’t worry. Rick can get that out”. At that point I wasn’t sure I even wanted to enter the room but the door swung open and I was invited in like I was some kind of king or something because I “can get that out”.
As I entered the room and looked around all I could see was panic. Then I saw it. You couldn’t miss it. I’m not talking about a little mark of a blush or pink lipstick… This was a set of red, yes, red lips and they were at just about the knee! I stayed calm (which brought the panic level in the room down), asked what we had for stain remover. I was given a stain stick, some soda water and some paper towels and carefully went to work on the stain. I was as amazed as everyone else that i was able to “lift” the red lips from the dress!
Is there a lesson here? I don’t know. I guess if there is it’s don’t just hire someone to take pictures at your wedding. Hire someone with experience. More than just clicking the shutter experience. Or, don’t let anyone in the room wear lipstick.
Here’s a picture that was taken minutes later just before we left for the church, followed by the bride’s testimonial.
“Rick was wonderful! he helped out so much in ways i don’t think he will ever understand! Not only did he help get a stain out of my dress minutes before we left for the church, but his Deb helped me touch up my make up and even had me covered when I needed an emergency dose of Chapstick before heading to the reception! I know I will stay in touch with Rick and Deb, they are some of the nicest people i have ever met and are phenomenal at what they do. I am very grateful to have had such a positive experience with them! “