Food for thought | David Tutera

If you haven't caught an episode of My Fair Wedding with David Tutera yet and you're a wedding professional... then I am going to assign you one task. Watch three episodes of this series and then come back and read this blog post.

If you have seen the show, then this will make sense to you. I am sitting here watching the show in a small corner of the screen as I edit and felt it was necessary to write about it. As a wedding professional, as a photographer, what you will learn as time goes on is that this profession is all about customer service and serving your clients and really being genuine about it.

This is where David Tutera comes in. In every episode, the first question he asks is "what do you see for your wedding?" Right out of the gate he is focused on getting to know what the bride is envisioning, how she feels, and her personality. He lets her talk, say all she needs, gets her excited, and builds trust. He takes what makes them special and what they want and turns it into a dream wedding. Through out the episode, you'll notice he constantly asks "what do you think?" and "how do you feel?" He nods and takes it all in. Filing it all away.

The wedding is usually breathtaking and a complete reflection of the personality of the bride and groom. But more than that, what you will walk away with is how David really CARES about his couples. He genuinely and whole heartedly cares. He's excited for them and never puts on a fake face. He puts himself into each and every couple. More importantly, he becomes their trusted friend. No faking it, no fronting. He is open and is always smiling.

There is one thing that resonates with brides and speaks volumes is when they know and feel that you are genuine and actually care about them and their wonderful day. Because for them, this is the beginning of a new life for them. And when you care about it as much as they do and know how special it is, they appreciate it. And they appreciate you.

The show always reminds me of what is important as a wedding professional. It's not the photography, it's not how many weddings, it's not how big they are, how much brides spend or if they'll refer you. It's about caring and really serving your couples genuinely, openly, and whole heartedly. It's about guiding them, educating them, and becoming a real friend.