Appreciation has its rewards.

This is a true story.

A photographer friend was shooting a wedding I was performing at. For him, it was a fairly typical wedding event. He had a "shoot list" to fulfill, in addition to capturing all of the important events of the reception in his typical photojournalistic style. Nothing really out of the ordinary.

Sometime during dinner, after the pomp & circumstance of the Grand Entrance had subsided and everyone was settling into the delicious meal, the bride made her way to the ladies' room to freshen up. But before leaving the ballroom, she paused for a moment to speak privately with the photographer. She said only a few words to him and went on her merry way. But something changed in the demeanor of the photographer for the rest of the night. He smiled more. He seemed livelier and more animated. He seemed to take more photos. Instead of just slogging away at his "job," he seemed more passionate about this wedding in particular.

Two weeks later, when the photographer delivered the wedding photo album, the bride & groom were surprised to see that the photographer had included two "mini-albums" for the newlyweds to share with their families.

What did the bride say to my photographer friend on her wedding day?

"Thank you for all the work you're doing tonight. I really appreciate it."

Your wedding day is going to be a hectic day. But sometimes just taking a brief moment to genuinely show your gratitude to your vendors can make them remember how much you appreciate them, and in turn they may go above and beyond to serve you.

Have you hugged your vendors lately? :)



Marino M. Regalado
Master of Ceremonies & Interactive Entertainment Specialist
Ninja Entertainment