Tips For Finding a Wedding Photographer
Your wedding day will pass in a hectic blur. Finding the right photographer to capture all the moments you’ll want to remember – such as the bride’s walk down the aisle, the father-daughter dance, the best man’s toast, and all the rest – is important. A professional wedding photographer can capture the most heartfelt and genuine moments, and make it possible for you and your family to relive your wedding day every time you look at the pictures.
Choosing the right wedding photographer can seem difficult, not to mention expensive. A good rule of thumb is to realize that the most expensive photographer doesn’t necessarily mean your pictures will be the best. Look for a photographer that has many sample pictures, as well as one with a list of satisfied references. It can also help to ask family and friends if they can recommend anyone.
Be sure to let the photographer know any specific pictures you want to take beforehand. There are usually a standard set of pictures that wedding photographers take – groomsmen, bride and mother, etc. Anything out of the ordinary should be discussed with the photographer beforehand to make sure the taking of the picture can be worked into the photo shoot. Also let the photographer know of any pictures that you do not want him or her to take. Letting your photographer know this before the wedding will give him or her time to plan and schedule a set of pictures so the wedding day photo shoot goes quickly and smoothly.
Find out exactly what is included in the photographer’s price. How will the pictures be sent to you and when can you expect to receive them? Many photographers offer wedding packages, some including pre-assembled photo albums. Look through the packages and decide which you’d like best. A professional photographer can also customize a package to better suit your needs.
You may want to ask your wedding photographer if you can purchase or have a CD or DVD of the original photographs, or the original negatives if the photos were taken on film. This will make it easier for you to make extra prints in the future.
Make sure your photographer has first hand knowledge of the venue before the wedding day. Some photographers will go to the rehearsal to get a feel for the setting and plan out certain shots. This is also a good time to let the photographer know of any aspects of the venue that you do not want to see in photographs.
Finally, make sure your photographer and you enter into an agreement – or contract – that includes all the services that he/she is providing, as well as the price and cancellation policy.
Finding the right photographer and having a specific picture-taking plan will help you enjoy your special day. With the right wedding photographer, you’ll be able to enjoy the moments for many years in shots that capture the excitement, love, and sentimentality of your wedding.
Why Hire a Professional Wedding Photographer?
In this day and age there are many couples planning weddings who believe that there are many different alternatives to hiring a professional wedding photographer. Many couples choose to have a family member or friend take their wedding videos and pictures. Others decide to allow friends to take the pictures, enabling the use of disposable cameras, or trusting friends to have remembered their digital cameras and to take worthy images of the event. While these may be good ideas, they do not usually work out well for the bride and groom in the long run.
Family members and friends rarely have the professional caliber photography equipment that is necessary to record an event as special as a wedding. Your wedding is a once in a lifetime event for the vast majority of couples. If your relative or friend gets distracted during the ceremony or have inferior equipment, your memories of your special day could be compromised, ending in a large amount of disappointment for the bride and groom later. Someone who is related or otherwise close to the bride and groom will be easily distractible, something that you do not want in your wedding photographer. A professional wedding photographer is someone who is professionally trained with a proven track record of success. They have sample pictures or portfolios to back up their work, and are a neutral third party. Much like a wedding planner, the professional wedding photographer is there to make the bride and groom’s day easier, more enjoyable, not to interfere. They can provide you with the high quality images of your wedding day that would otherwise be missing.
The second option for amateur photography at a wedding is the disposable cameras. Some couples pass these out to guests at the door, others choose to leave several on each table at the reception, encouraging their guests to take all of the pictures. One of the problems with this method is that disposable cameras do not offer a good quality image. They are actually extremely limited in their functions. Though they are readily available now with a flash built in, they do not have many exposures per camera, they are expensive, and there is very rarely any zoom functionality available, little less the kind of zoom available to a professional wedding photographer. A professional will have excellent equipment made for just the kind of pictures that you will want to commemorate the day. They also have photography training and expertise that allows them to see shots that others will not, including those that your guests may take that you will not want. Where disposable cameras often generate dark, grainy pictures, a professional will have the appropriate experience to ensure that your photographic memories are of the highest quality.
While there are alternatives to having a professional wedding photographer, they should be used in addition to the profession, not instead of. A professional will be able to provide you with the high quality images that you will want, not the random, dark photographs that you will not.