Behind the lens of their camera, wedding photographers can spot certain signs that indicate a union is not going to last. Here are 6 of them:
Spending time with the bride and groom, between the first formal meeting, the preparations and the wedding day, professional photographers usually perceive details that do not deceive. If they are the privileged witnesses of the relationship that unites the couple, they sometimes witness scenes and behaviors that announce that the marriage is probably doomed to failure. Questioned by the HuffPostseveral American photographers shared the 6 warning signs of a divorce, with some anecdotes.
1. One partner does not want to be photographed
In Houston photographer Rob Greer’s experience, it’s important to know ahead of the ceremony whether or not your partner wants to be photographed, and whether they’re unwilling to compromise. Some people aren’t exactly comfortable in front of a camera, which is understandable. Greer recalls one bride who snapped at him a little “‘Don’t point that fucking thing at me today!’ They divorced three months later,” he reports to our colleagues.
2. The bride and groom put each other down during the ceremony
Some couples make comments to each other and justify them as just joking. But on the wedding day, it can potentially be a sign to look out for. “I have captured over 1,000 weddings in my career and I know that when I see a couple fighting or bickering throughout the day, it will only escalate and most likely lead to a breakup,” comments Brian Delia, a professional photographer in New Jersey. “The worst I’ve seen is a bride who told my team, ‘I’m not kissing him anymore.’ It was so subtle, but very profound. The groom didn’t say a word and I thought, ‘This is already the beginning of the end.'” he declares to the HuffPost.
3. An alchemy that seems false
Sometimes couples just don’t have chemistry with each other and in front of the photographer’s lens, it never bodes well. “It’s a bad sign when I’m photographing the couple and one of them overcompensates for the other’s lack of interest,” says Gretchen Wakeman, a wedding photographer in Phoenix, Arizona. “Too often, the focus is on a beautiful image to share on social media. Sometimes, they simply lack the natural chemistry and emotional connection,” specifies the expert.
4. There is only physical attraction between the bride and groom.
If a married couple’s relationship is based solely on physical attraction, in the long run, like a lack of chemistry, it can be detrimental to them. Professional photographer Sol Tamargo of Del Sol Photography, based in Mexico, has witnessed this firsthand. “I remember one specific wedding where I was with a young couple. They had a very physical relationship and it was interesting to observe their body language and the way they communicated with each other. At the end of the wedding, they invited me to photograph them in a private room for some intimate and sexy photos. It was a strange feeling and I politely declined, finished my evening and went home. A year after the wedding, they separated,” she recalls to our colleagues of HuffPost.
5. The wedding budget is a source of conflict
In a marriage, when it comes to money, if the two partners do not agree on the budget to allocate in each service, this can lead to conflicts, and sometimes even to a breakup. This is the observation of Carlos G. Osorio, a wedding photographer in Miami: “Money is a major factor in all marriages and often plays a role in their failure.”
6. The couple does not party together
During the wedding ceremony, the bride and groom usually spend time together: dancing, laughing, eating or posing for photos. Sometimes they will go their separate ways to talk to their guests. But when this short separation turns into several hours, this can be a behavior that raises questions. “I photographed an entire reception and only captured a handful of images of the couple together – that’s a very bad sign,” notes photographer Gretchen Wakeman in HuffPost.
Of course, not all of these signs should be taken literally, but they can help you have a discussion with your partner if you notice that something is wrong in your relationship.
