Sunday, April 22, 2012

10 Cost Saving Tips for Wedding Photography

It's your wedding, there are no do-overs, this is the biggest day of your life, you only get one shot, you must hire a professional wedding photographer. There are thousands of wedding photographers to choose from every city. Many photographers would love to shoot your wedding. Find a wedding photographer that will fit your needs.

The interview process is very important when you are searching for a wedding photographer. You should look at their photos from previous weddings to see if you like their style for taking photos. A good photographer has top notch state of the art photography equipment, has plenty of experience of taking wedding photography. You want a photographer in which you like their artistic style of photography, the photographs should be bright, lively, have good lighting with a beautiful background. You want a photographer that gets along well with all your wedding guests, is very personable but becomes assertive at the photo shoots. You want a wedding photographer that acts professional at all times, someone who dresses well, someone who is a perfectionist , is always on time, and who is thorough and a good listener.

Here are 10 cost saving tips for wedding photography.

Tip 1 - Always Hire an Experienced Wedding Photographer for Your Wedding
Choose a wedding photo package that suits your budget, but you want to be sure to hire an experienced wedding photographer for your wedding. Should you have 12 photos taken, 40 photos taken or hundreds of photos taken. If your budget is very tight, have the professional photographer take the important shots, and then you can have a family relative or friend take the rest. If the budget is not too tight get more photos taken and someone take the less important shots. Make sure they have a high quality camera and if the photos are taken using a digital camera, make sure the photos are printed using real high quality photo paper. If it fits your budget, have a professional wedding photographer take all the wedding photos.

Tip 2 - The Wedding Couple Could Create the Wedding Album Themselves
Often the wedding photographer as part of their wedding package, they can create a wedding album for the wedding couple. The wedding couple could opt to only get the pictures from the wedding photographer. The evolution of the internet has given birth to online wedding albums, also many couples put pictures on their wedding website. It is still important to create a wedding album. What would you do if your computer got hit by a computer virus or what would happen if your computer crashes and all is lost?

Whether a photographer or the couple creates a wedding album it's an important keepsake. It becomes special. It's fun and challenging. Create a wedding album from your wedding using scrap booking supplies, use high quality pens, put names to faces, use color, depth, put in captions, add glitter, and laminate for protection and make sure you start with a high quality wedding album book. If either of you don't have good penmanship find a friend that has good handwriting. Remember in 20, 30, or 40 years names may be forgotten, so mark who is in each photo. The wedding album is great to share at reunions, show your children and grandchildren and adds to the anniversary ritual, part of the routine, look at wedding pictures once again, share an anniversary present, and then go out for a special meal and toast.

Tip 3 - Review in Depth the Photos You Want from Your Wedding
Before your wedding day, you should meet with the wedding photographer and review exactly the photos you want for your wedding. In your meeting, you should review the names of all the people in your two families that are part of the photo shoot. Below is a general wedding photo shoot list. Identify what pictures you want the wedding photographer to shoot at the wedding.


Wedding Photography Checklist

At the Bride's Home

Mother/Maid of Honor adjusting veil
Bride putting on garter with bridesmaid looking on
Bride in bedroon mirror getting ready
Corsage being pinned on mother
Corsage being pinned on father
Portrait of mother and bride
Portrait of father and bride
Brothers and/or sisters with the bride
Group shot of whole family one last time
Bride with all bridesmaids
Bride with each bridesmaid
Bride leaving house with parents and bridemaids
Father helping bride into car
Shot of bride in back of car from the front seat looking back

At the Church Prior to Service

Groom waiting
Groom and best man
Groom, best man and page boys
Best man adjusting groom's tie
Groom with father
Groom with mother
Groom and best man waiting at front of church
Guests arriving at church
Bride arriving in car
Bride exiting car with father helping
Bride kissing father on the cheek
Bride with mother and father looking on
Bride and bridesmaid's group shot in church garden or vestibule

During the Service

Bridal party coming down the aisle
Bridemaids, flower girls coming down the aisle
Father giving the bride away
From the rear of church looking down the aisle at couple
Soloists
Readers
Musicians
Above from organ area or balconies
Ring Ceremony
Kissing
Exchanging of vows


After the Service Inside the Church

Bride signing the register
Groom signing the register
Bride and Groom signing the register
Best man signing the register
Maid of honor signing the register
Bride and groom coming back down the aisle as husband and wife

After the Service Outside the Church

Groom kissing bride full length
Groom kissing bride 3/4ths length
Groom kissing bride close up head shot
Bride and groom looking at ring
Bride and groom with rings and bouquet/flowers
Bride and groom with officiant
Bride and groom with wedding party
Bride with bridesmaid's and flowers
Groom with best man and groomsmen
Bride and groom with bridesmaids
Bride and groom with groomsmen
Bride and groom at church door
Bride and groom leaving church
Bridal party outside of church
Bride and groom with bride's parents
Bride and groom with groom's parents
Bride and groom with bride's immediate family
Bride and groom with groom's immediate family
Bride with her mother
Bride with her father
Bride with both parents
Groom with his mother
Groom with his father
Groom with both parents
Bride and Groom with both sets of parents
Couple getting into limousine
Shot of couple from front seat or sunroof
Shot of couple leaving in limo with church in background

Special Shots

Action shots with entire wedding party in pretty location (jumping for joy etc.)
Couple sitting with dress train spread out
Couple on bridge looking at water/looking at sunset
Couple talking next to tree
Couple walking on beach
Couple in ruins of unique building, etc.


At the Wedding Reception

Reception facility decorated but empty before reception begins
Closeup photo of seating chart
Photo of the wedding cake
Bride and groom arriving at the reception
Couple greeting guests in receiving line
Photo of bride and groom with bridal party table
Close up of best man/father offering a toast
Photo of bride's father speech
Photo of groom's speech
Photo of best man's speech
Photo of bride and groom's first dance together
Photo of bride and father dancing
Photo of groom and mother dancing
Photo of couple cutting the wedding cake
Photo of bride feeding the groom the wedding cake
Photo of groom feeding the bride the wedding cake
Photo of bride throwing the bouquet to single ladies
Photo of bride throwing the garter to single men
Photo of single man catching garter put garter on single lady who caught bouquet
Photo of bride and groom with grandparent's on bride's side
Photo of bride and groom with grandparent's on groom's side
Photo of musician's performing/(or dj)
Photo of wedding gifts on table
Group photo of everyone at the wedding
Bride and groom with everyone on the bride's side
Bride and groom with everyone on the groom's side
Bride and groom with each and every reception table
Bride and groom leaving the reception
Shot of "just married" decorated car with bride and groom
Shot of car leaving reception
Candid shots at the reception

Tip 4 - Leave Disposable Cameras and Camera Phones Scattered on Reception Tables
If you are looking for some candid shots at your wedding reception, you could leave disposal cameras and camera phones at each wedding reception table and advertise to your wedding guests to take some candid shots and gathering all the cameras and pull together some of the best shots in which you can add to your online photo album, your wedding website, or your wedding photo album. Make sure you advertise and let your wedding guests know the cameras are for them to take candid shots or are the cameras to use as a wedding favor and for your guests to take home with them.

Tip 5 - Find a Photographer that will Provide you with High Resolution Files
There are many wedding photographers in your city. Almost every photographer has their own way of handling their photographic pictures. If the money is tight, maybe you could find a photographer that will provide you all the important photos right after the wedding, and maybe some months or some years later you can arrange for the less important pictures. Many wedding photographers have copyright marks on the photographs taken for your wedding and if they have not handed over the copyrights to the wedding couple would have an imprint called a watermark on the photo. Some photographers will keep control of the copyrights for about 3 years before discarding and the photographs could be provided to anyone you agree to for a fee. You should touch base with the photographer how long they will keep photos before discarding and you can request high resolution files from them and how much the fee would be and how should the files be obtained by photos, CD, email, or album downloads.

Tip 6 - Arrange a Meeting between Your Wedding Officiant and Wedding Photographer
Some wedding officiants have problems with wedding photographers, they feel the wedding photographer interrupts the wedding service. It is important to have the wedding photographer and wedding officiant to meet to discuss the photos for the wedding ceremony. Sometimes they work together fine and sometimes the photography is an issue. The wedding couple should allow them to meet and find out the arrangements that were made for each wedding shot. The couple should get feedback from both the officiant and photographer to be sure there are no issues that arise. If an issue should arise, then the wedding couple has a chance to intercede and address the issue. Sometimes a little arm twisting can be used such as photos of the bride and wedding party coming down the aisle or a first wedding kiss, signing a bridal registry, or stating wedding vows, for you only get one chance at wedding pictures and you want to be sure the wedding photographer can do their best job at taking wedding day pictures.

Tip 7 - Assign a Relative of Friend to Assist the Wedding Photographer
At the photo shoot, you could assign a relative or friend who knows most of the people at the wedding. This person could be given a checklist of the wedding day photos wanted and it's their job to make sure the right relatives or members of the bridal party are in proper position for each photo shoot and to help the photographer keep note of all the names and how they are related to the bride and the groom. Also it's a good idea for the assistant to be aware if there is bridal emergency kit, for touch ups for bridal hair, bridal makeup, and dress. A bridal emergency kit should be loaded with touch up products such as lip stick, tissues, wet wipes, powder, mascara, hair brush, sewing needle and thread, mirror, a bottle of water, and every emergency that might be needed for a photo shoot.

Tip 8 - Go With Packages with One Camera or Simple Coverage
When it comes to weddings, many wedding photographers will try to go with the up-sell, offering you anything and everything. If your budget is an issue, don't let the photographer control what you want. Only choose the photos you really want and you can get by with one camera coverage. Go through the list of photos you really want with the wedding photographer. You can listen to what each of the packages are, you don't need all the upgrades that the photographer is pushing. Just get the simple basic package that fits your budget. Remember, if the wedding photographer should be pushy, there are thousands of wedding photographers that can shoot your wedding day pictures.

Tip 9 - Arrange a Compromise with the Wedding Photographer and Wedding Guests
Many wedding photographers don't like wedding guests taking pictures the same time that they do. Often the wedding photographer is looking to take great pictures. If a wedding guest is taking pictures at the same time as the wedding photographer, some of the wedding guests are looking in different directions in the photo shoot or seeing someone else's flash in the photo. Some photographers are really strict insisting no wedding guest photos. Be aware that this has been an issue at many weddings. Try to work it out with the photographer, he gets attention of the subjects getting their picture done first and after his picture is done other wedding guests can then take their photos. Just be sure wedding guests are not taking valuable time from the professional wedding photographer.

Tip 10 - Arrange for a Photo Booth at Your Wedding Reception
Photo booths have become big at weddings in recent years. Photo booths offer two or four pictures. Make sure you have a prop table outside the photo booth for zany pictures. Props can be many different things like different style hats such as a cowboy hat, a Mexican fat, a magician's hat, a straw hat. Other props can be over sized glasses, Hawaiian leis, jug band instruments, a chalk board with something written on it, or a picture frame, use your imagination.

Make sure the photo booth is advertised at the wedding reception and make sure the bride and groom get their pictures taken too. Usually with two copies made, one can be taken home as a wedding favor, the other is kept for the bride and groom and someday after the honeymoon, the bride and groom can select the best photos that can be added to the back of their photo album. The style of pictures could be formal or collage style. Photo booths create a lot of zany memorable pictures of wedding guests out of their character and a great way to remember people that have come to your wedding.

It is important for the bride and groom to look their best for their wedding photography. The couple should get a good night's sleep before their wedding and well rested before their photo shoot. The photos should not be rushed, their worries should be left far behind, for each photo take a deep breath and smile. You want the wedding day photos to be perfect. Also be sure the contract is thorough, everything that has been agreed to is laid out and the contract should have a "failure to perform" clause that insures you get all your money back. Keep a receipt of all payments made including the deposit.

Remember, photo shoots are vital for your wedding, they are a memory of what transpired for the biggest day of your life. You don't want an amateur for your most important day, you need the lighting, cropping, editing, setting and the angles to all be perfect. Your wedding day pictures are an important keepsake and if they are done right they will always have special meaning.

See you on the other side!


1 comment:

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