Wedding Photos Etiquette: What Not to Say

Wedding Photos Etiquette: What Not to Say

Wedding photos etiquette is the topic of this week’s Hair Police from Ask the Pro Stylist, which one would think a bride-to-be would be all too familiar with. However, learning when to shut one’s trap just doesn’t come easy for those who suffer from foot-in-mouth disease.

Happy Monday gorgeous, and welcome to another edition of the Hair Police from Ask the Pro Stylist. This Monday we discuss wedding photos etiquette, and what not to say.

My entire married life of almost 27 years I have heard more than one idiotic comment about my wedding photos. Most recently the responses have been towards the dated wedding attire, hairstyles, and headpiece. I get it, and knew choosing trendy items of the late 80s would one day encourage stupid comments. I am ok with that.

When we first got married, the most common reaction to my bridal photos was, “Is that you?” “Who else would it be,” was how I wanted to respond. But I never had the nerve to be a smartass. I just took the comments in stride along with the most obnoxious one of, “Oh my God, your husband is so hot.”

Yes he is. And it didn’t bother me that people would say that, but what always bothered me was they would almost never follow up with a compliment about me or us as a couple. For over 25 years I kept that hurt to myself, having it eat quietly eat away at my self-esteem.

But here’s the thing, which prompted this outburst for wedding photos etiquette: whomever you are saying this to remember that day was the most important one of her life, so how would you feel if someone said that to you?

I recently showed my wedding photos to a group of students. Now I expected similar reactions from some of the younger ones. It’s par for the course, although I have met some very mature younger people who have a great deal of decorum…their parents have done a great job! But what pissed me off was a colleague who said it and kept saying, “OMG, your husband is so hot!”

Yes, she is in her mid-twenties, but that shouldn’t be an excuse. However, what is a most problematic about this woman’s remarks is the fact that she is getting married in 2 months. I wanted to scream in her face to STFU, that she could never get a man as hot as mine, but I didn’t. Instead I did what I always do…ignore it and change the topic. Even though it came up again the next day…and then I politely walked away.

I sat on this until today to write a piece about wedding photos etiquette. If you feel the need to tell a new bride or a seasoned one that her husband is hot or whatever, make sure you reserve a polite comment for her as well. Compliment her hair or her gown or say they make a nice looking couple, but don’t vomit what you think is a compliment without thinking you might be hurting someone’s feelings!

©Deirdre Haggerty, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this article may be reproduced without prior written permission and consent from the author.