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Helpful hints when making plans with your wedding
photographer
After the cake has been cut and the last song has been
played, your wedding pictures will be what you have left
to show of the special day you became husband and wife.
For this reason, many couples focus much of their time
and budget on a wedding photographer.
Finding the perfect photographer
ˇ Get a referral. You can get an honest opinion and see
someone else’s proofs before spending thousands on a
stranger with a camera.
ˇ Before you hire, meet with the photographer and find
out everything about their packages. Look through their
portfolios carefully and point out photos you like. If
time allows, hire the photographer to take your
engagement photos for a trial.
ˇ Packages range from low to VERY high in price. You and
your fiancé should dedicate some time to decide how much
of your budget you will spend on photos. Analyze what is
offered—how many pictures are included? Are negatives/
picture CDsincluded? If not, how much to do prints cost?
How many
hours will they work? Will they bring an assistant?
When hiring…
ˇ Make sure the photographer knows the schedule of your
entire day. Timing will be the key to getting all of the
pictures you want.
ˇ Find out the time that people being photographed will
need to arrive for their pictures. Tell them to come 15
to 30 minutes earlier than the estimated time. Many
times the photographer’s schedule can change a bit,
depending on who is ready to have their picture taken.
ˇ People to contact with their picture schedule include,
you and your groom (obviously!), wedding party, personal
attendant, readers/musicians and other wedding helpers
if needed, parents, siblings and their families,
grandparents, godmothers and godfathers, and other
family members or friends who will be included in
pictures.
Know what you want....
ˇ Your photographer will probably ask you to list the
poses you want to have captured. If they are good, they
will get most of these poses for you. However, it’s
probably going to be so chaotic that the checklist could
be misplaced or forgotten. If you are extremely worried
about having all the photos you have chosen, appoint a
friend to help. Give her a list and have her make sure
the photographer follows it carefully!
ˇ If you want outdoor pictures, discuss this with your
photographer. Timing for these will be important so you
and your new spouse are captured in daylight hours!
#1 rule in wedding pictures
Take the amount of time you think your wedding photos
will take and double it. It is already a chaotic day,
and bringing together numerous people to strike several
poses is quite a lengthy task. A lengthy one!
ˇ Do as many pictures as possible before the ceremony.
You will look fresh and not have to worry about rushing
through them to get to your guests. If you are looking
to get that “feeling” of your spouse first seeing you at
the altar, have your photographer set up a shot of the
first time you see each other in your wedding garb.
ˇ Ask your photographer if he/she has taken photos at
your sites previously. If this is their first time at a
location, they will need extra time to get a feel for
each shot and travel the grounds to find the best
settings for your photos.
ˇ Know how many pictures your photographer wants to
take. Have him/her give you an estimated amount of time
it will take, so you are prepared when they keep
clicking, and you have to keep smiling!!
ˇ Have plenty of food and drinks available. This is a
long process for and everyone will appreciate that you
provided snacks and water to hold them over until
dinner.
Final discussion
ˇ Make sure your photographer has been paid. Invite them
to stay for dinner. They have had a long day, too!
ˇ Before your photographer leaves, find out the when
will your proofs be ready to be seen! Make sure he/she
has your new name and phone number so you can be reached
the second they come in.
ˇ If you get your proofs back and find that a pose was
not captured, talk to your photographer. Perhaps you
missed getting a good picture with your sister. If the
two of you are in other shots together, the photographer
can sometimes crop photos to get the perfect picture you
were wishing for!
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