Wedding photography tips that will preserve your special day, and your budget.
Wedding photography tips crucial to saving you money.
Did you know the average couple spends over $2000 on their wedding photos?
After months of planning, hand-wringing, and check-writing, ultimately, your wedding is over in just a few hours. It will go by in a blur faster than Wiley Coyote going over a cliff. And if the photos don’t turn out exactly as you wanted, you’ll feel like going over right along with him.
Why? Because of all the decisions you make about your wedding, who and how it gets captured on film is one with no do-overs. Many people gripe that there’s a “premium” you pay for good wedding photographers. I have a different word for it. I call it “insurance!”
Finding a wedding photographer is one of the bigger challenges in wedding planning because who among us regularly hires professional photographers and then places a couple grand on the hope that the product will look good in the end? That’s what I thought. Here are some wedding photography tips that will make this process less stressful.
How do I begin to find a wedding photographer?
Start by making a list of wedding photographers. Write down the names of wedding photographers you know or have heard about, and a few comments on what they do and who they are. The best way to start building this list is to talk to friends who’ve recently gotten married.
There’s no better marketing than word-of-mouth, and you can ask all the candid questions that you’ll be too polite to ask the photographers. If you don’t have any friends (sorry, if that’s you…j/k!), then the web is also a great place to look. Websites like Yelp.com or TheKnot.com have forums that offer wedding photography tips in the area. While these reviews skew toward the positive (the sites don’t want to lose business you know!), you’ll likely find enough photographer suggestions to build a list of wedding photographers that you’re interested in working with.
What is the process for hiring a wedding photographer?
Now that you have your list, you’ll start setting up appointments to interview the photographers. During these interviews you’ll have an opportunity to ask each photographer questions that are important to you (more on that in just a bit). (This is where your wedding photography tips comes in handy!) You also use this opportunity to view sample work, and to see if you get along with the photographer.
Those portrait photos might look amazing, but if s/he runs things like a drill sergeant, then it might be an added stressor that will melt you down on your wedding day. After you meet with several photographers (most couple meeting with between three and five of them), you should rank them based on preference and remove the ones you don’t want to work with.
Photographers can only do one wedding a day, so their schedules will book. It’s good to have a second string in case the starter is already booked. When you’re ready to book, get out your checkbook. Most photographers will require some kind of deposit to hold your spot on the selected date. This deposit is usually non-refundable, so make sure you know the date you’re shooting for. Once the deposit check clears, your photographer is booked!
What am I paying for?
This can depend a great deal based on who you hire. Wedding photographers typically structure their pricing based on the number of hours you will need them and how involved you think they will be after the wedding, as they help you edit and sort proofs.
Generally speaking, you’re paying for their time, resources (camera, film, proofs), and deliverables (wedding albums and prints). The pricing you see reflects how many of these items are going to be part of your overall package.
What questions should I ask?
Of all my wedding photography tips, the most important is that when you meet with your photographers, it’s most important to get a good understanding of how they work, what you’ll get in the end, and whether or not your personalities are compatible. In some ways it’s similar to how you decide who to marry!
Basic questions are:
- Do you snap all the photos, or do you use an assistant to help?
- How would you describe your photography style?
- How long have you been doing weddings?
- Do you photograph other events? Or are you just focused on weddings?
- How long does it take to get the wedding albums after the wedding?
- Have you taken photos at my reception and/or ceremony site before?
- How will the time of day of my event affect the photos?
- What will you do if it rains/snows on the day of my wedding?
- Do you have a back-up in case you get sick on the day of my wedding?
- What are some wedding photography tips for the day of my wedding?
The most basic of all ideas is to make sure you’re ready. Make a list of your wedding photo ideas you want and discuss this with the photographer.
Wedding photos take a lot longer than most people think they should, and that photographer you just paid several thousand dollars to, knows her/his you-know-what is on the line if the photos don’t turn out perfect. Couples who don’t plan their photos prior to the big day end up spending all their time posing for the camera and miss out on a lot of the fun of their own wedding!
Make sure you have a back-up plan in case the weather doesn’t cooperate.
All great photographers know that light is either their enemy or friend. When the lighting is not as the photographer wants, there needs to be an alternate spot for photos. Decide this upfront to save yourself the stress later.
And finally, walk the sites/s with your photographer.
Go to the physical location together and walk through where the various photos will be taken. This wedding photography tips will give your photographer a true sense of what you want and s/he can visualize the day in vivid detail.
What are some wedding photography tips for after the wedding?
After the wedding is over and the photos have been snapped, you will meet with the photographer to decide which photos should go into an album. If the photographer used a digital camera, s/he might offer to edit some images to create artistic effect.
Ultimately, you want your photos to tell a story. The story of your big day and how special it was for you. Make sure you select album photos that tell this story. Also make sure to balance out the people so that not one side of the family is over-represented from the other…that’s a surefire way to start your life-long relationship with the in-laws on the WRONG foot!
What are some basic wedding photography tips that I can share with my photographer?
Your photographer should have the basics down. But the most effective advice we’ve seen is when the couple describes in vivid detail the “style” of the event they want, and are organized in their approach. Don’t be shy about telling your photographer EXACTLY what you want.
Create a timeline of the shots you want taken, who should be in them, and who should stand next to whom. It’s not being dictatorial. In fact, most photographers will appreciate the level of detail. They are, after all, in this to make you happy!
How does photography equipment affect pricing and quality?
It’s 2009 people! The world is digital, which means the cameras should be too! It wasn’t long ago that wedding photographers were still using film cameras. But even over just the past two years, the quality of digital cameras has improved dramatically. Everything about digital cameras is better than before, and unless your photographer is SUPER old school, you should be wary of photographers still using film.
Why, you ask? First, digital cameras will not limit the number of “exposures” (what you and I call snaps!) on the day of the event because there’s no additional cost like there is with film. Second, digital images can be more easily edited later if you want any sort of artistic effect added. Third, digital images can be shared more easily. After the wedding, your photographer can hand you a CD and you can let the emailing begin! Fourth, digital images can be swapped into black and white from color and vice versa with a press of a Photoshop button.
Have I convinced you yet? There are too many advantages to enumerate fully here. All I ask is if your photographer is still using film, ask why, and make sure it’s a GREAT reason.
Haven’t had enough yet? For more wedding photography tips to help you preserve your special day, read this one!
For wedding photography tips on how to save money, make sure you read this handy article guaranteed to save you a bundle!For an additional resource, look here: The Bride’s Guide To Wedding Photography gives you the lowdown on wedding photography styles, albums and prices, andhas sample wedding photos for you to browse.
