What would wedding planning be without booking your photographer? If you’ve ever researched wedding photography then you know that a good photographer can cost a lot of money and whether you need them for only an hour or less, the photographer will often charge a minimum fee for their services.
You have a lot of options, more than you may realize, when it comes to deciding how to plan your wedding photography. Like most events, weddings have some typical or standard photographs that are expected.
Standard Photographs of a wedding include:
- Bride and her family
- Bride and her attendants
- Bride alone
- Groom and his family
- Groom and his attendants
- Bride and Groom with both families
- Bride and Groom with their attendants
- Bride and Groom alone
Those are the most standard of photographs. While many couples do all their wedding photos on the day of the wedding, many of these photographs can be taken prior to the day of the wedding in a professional studio. It will give you an opportunity to get dressed up and be relaxed during the photographs. You can save the bride and groom pictures for the day of the wedding if you want to avoid letting the groom see the bride’s dress ahead of time.
Expenses
My uncle photographs weddings in Great Britain. He was an amateur photographer for years and when he retired from his work, he took up photography professionally. You can get great photographs from an amateur and since a lot of photographers are using digital cameras these days, why not let the good amateur photographer in your family try their hand and photographing the wedding?
The great thing about digital photography is that you can look at all of the photos without having to print out each individual print. This can save you a lot of time and money. You can view the photographs digitally through your email or on a CD.
Professional Options
If you do not know an amateur photographer or you don’t have confidence in one, check with local photography shops – look for one-man operations or two man operations. These photographers are usually in the business because they love photographing weddings and they have good interpersonal skills. You should be able to negotiate a good deal that is pleasing to both of you. Avoid purchasing a package before you have a chance to view the prints.
If you go with a larger photography outlet, then you want to make sure that you get a chance to meet the photographer before hand. You’ll want to discuss your expectations and desires with the photographer ahead of time. You’ll also want to meet whomever the photography studio might send if your assigned photographer is ill.
Remember, your photographer will be an intimate part of your wedding gathering. You will want to be comfortable and know they won’t be an intrusive presence. Trust me, a photographer can be very intrusive if they are not careful.
This is your wedding, never let the photographer tell you different. They can be artistic if your interested in experimenting – if not don’t let them do any arm twisting. If you want to have the photographer stay through the reception for candid shots and photographs of the first dance and cake cutting – remember that the extra time will cost you more. If you want to save money on those candid, consider adding disposable cameras to your table settings at the reception and ask your guests to take photographs throughout the reception – you’ll likely get some great shots and your guests will have a great time being able to participate. But fair warning, if any of your friends are like ours, you’ll get some real hilarious shots too – but that’s half the fun of a wedding right – the memories you get to take home from it!
What are some of the best photographs from your wedding?