Alright, so as the title suggests, this article is about Bridezillas. Now, before I go into the actual question I am asking of whether they are completely real, or a stereotype of a woman behaving a certain way due to stress, let us get on the same page. I am not suggesting that brides-to-be are completely calm and delightful customers from start-to-finish and we have only imagined their stress-related (and stressful) outbursts solely due to media influence like the TV show Bridezillas. What I am saying is that the concern with Bridezillas may be overblown and even sensationalized, and that if you are not aware of the difference, you may be missing out on some glorious business opportunities.
Let us say that an incredibly stressed-out bride has picked you to be her… photographer for her wedding day. Her stress the day of is so high that she begins taking it out on you, telling you that you are in the way when you are simply taking the pictures she had requested prior, or perhaps making undercutting comments about your photography skills when she initially chose you on the recommendation of friend she loves and trusts, and who left you a positive review on Yelp! In short, she is so stressed and she is not making sense, and you are on the whipping post of her frenzy.
Is this a Bridezilla? What happened? This certainly seems like a monster, but even a monster deserves a little empathy. And, as I said, consider this obstacle one way to guarantee you some business success, even if you simply manage to effectively calm her down. Next wedding round with another Bridezilla, you will be confident, cool, and capable. Now, getting back to our original stressed-out bride, As A.L. Wedding and Event Planning has to say,
Why do we even have this label for a category of ladies who have lesser patience and higher demands and don’t fare well under pressure from parents/fiancé/finances/social status/friends and time? Why don’t we have labels for them before they are married (still, for example, happily enjoying the single life and doing whatever it is unmarried single/dating ladies do and also coming under the same pressures and constraints, just in different settings).
It is unfair label created by pioneers of the wedding industry who also lost their patience, didn’t fare well under the pressure of a stressed out client, and finally fell to the lowest of the low – name-calling.
That is true, calling a stressed-out bride a “Bridezilla” is both a stereotype of a woman in a certain transient category behaving a certain way, and it is also straight-up name-calling. So what can you do when you have landed yourself a client of this kind? If you are caught in the heat of the moment and cannot gently turn her down, you have to figure out a game plan. Perhaps the best option is killing someone with kindness. This takes a lot of humility to do right, but a genuine compliment after a sharp barb catches everyone off-guard. Even if she does not show it, your bride will be truly grateful that someone is NOT breathing down her neck, including herself. Another option might be humor. Come prepared with some jokes, whether you suspect your client may be susceptible to stress or not. If anything, it might win you over a new client or two if you have a few solid funnies up your sleeve. Plus, a stressed-out bride cannot stay stressed and smile at the same time.
Most importantly, however, is to try something, and to not let these experiences make you bitter and jaded. Why do I say this with such confidence? Because looking at every business opportunity with fresh eyes is the first step to business success. Past failures and problems should not become your “misery du jour” where you can place blame on someone else. A stressed-out Bride, our notorious “Bridezilla,” is a learning experience as well. In our past articles we have talked about resolving problems heroically. Here is your chance. A hero or heroine is never unprepared, and sees challenges as a chance for victory. Most importantly, with this attitude, you can call problems for what they truly are, and not by what everyone else is calling them just to be popular.