Shot while second shooting for Luck & Love Photography | www.lucklovephoto.com

Phew! HAPPY FRIDAY, YALL! I’m gearing up for Megan & Ryan’s beautiful wedding day and cannot wait to celebrate with their families! It has been such a busy week/month/couple of months, and I feel like I’m living on a constant stream of Starbucks Refreshers & Whole Foods hot bar. Any other photogs with me this time of year?  

October is one crazy but amazing month, and I seriously cannot wait to share all of the goodness that I’ve been working on (and will be working on) with you! I had a plan to post something completely different today…but, like I’ve said, it’s been a crazy week, and I wanted to save that post for a time when I could really dive deep into the topic! Giving myself a little grace, y’all!

So instead, I’m sharing a quick tip that has really helped me remember names! I’m often in situations where I have to learn a lot of names—quickly! Bridal party of 10 or Flybarre class of 19?! HELP! I’ve realized over time that I really do struggle with learning names! I’ve come up with a little something that has helped me SO much!

There is a 100% chance that I will remember your face after meeting you for the first time, but often, I freeze up when it comes to calling someone by name for the second time! It’s not that I forget their name…but it’s just that I get so nervous that I am going to have it wrong that my brain tells me that I don’t have it right! (Social anxiety is a JOY, y’all) Does that make sense?

So, to help, if I’m really struggling to learn names (or have quite a few names to learn at once!), I’ll often ask for a fun fact along with their name! I do this with groups I work with (bridesmaids & groomsmen…prep those fun facts!), random people I meet, and my Flybarre patrons. It may feel a little bit like the first day of college (we all remember those days! Name, major, fun fact…), but want to know the best part? Not only do I learn names faster, but I learn a little something about the person along the way! So that the next time I see them, we immediately have a topic to connect on and they’re super impressed that I remembered the topic they told me! Win-win-win!

I have no idea why this helps me learn names, but it does! I’ve had people tell me everything from “I’m planning a wedding!” to “I moved to DC a week ago!” to “You know…my esophagus has really been hurting, and I have no idea why!” Anything goes y’all—seriously! To help make things a little less awkward for the person on the receiving end of my ambush, I typically give them a fun fact about me! I keep a few in the back of my mind for quick reference! (My fun fact is usually that I was a clown in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade—yes, I have pictures…no I won’t be sharing them today!)

Do you have a fast way to remember names or a favorite fun fact? If so, leave your tip in the comments below!