Wedding Photography Tips #23: Is an Album from my photographer Necessary?

Well nothing is necessary, it is all perspective.   I believe having an album of your wedding is extremely important.  It’s a hard copy account of your day.  Something tangible you can touch and feel.   I like being able to feel something, it heightens the whole experience for me.  Watching a slide show of 600 image from your friends wedding just doesn’t have the same fuzzy feelings as a tangible album to look through.

It also goes back to the previous post on what do you do with all this digital information.   You want to preserve it for your grand kids to someday see what you wore and what you looked like when you got married.   The best way to save those memories is through an album that will stand against all the digital changes we’re sure to go through over the next 60 years.

Wedding Album

We’ll decode albums in the next post.

Wedding Photography Tips #17:  Bridal Party Photos

I am really slacking lately!  This time a year is so festive with lights and yummy smells coming from the kitchen.  I get so caught up in it all I forget what day it is!

The people you choose to be around you on the day of your wedding really sets the tone for everything.  Supportive loved ones there to hold your hand when you’re anxious or to just tell you how your lip stick is.  The core people are what hold you up in good times and bad.  They’re the ones always there for you.

I don’t follow the rules most of the time and I don’t like doing everything everyone else does.  I do what I feel is important and what matters to my clients.  Most of my clients don’t want to spend a lot of time taking photos of the bridal party.  Just enough time to get a group shot and maybe a couple candids of everyone hanging out together.    Each couple is different of course, so take the time to decide if you want some crazy creative bridal party photos.  Think about where you’d like to do them.  It doesn’t have to be a specific spot, but if your ceremony and reception are at two locations, decide where you’d like certain photos to happen.   And always talk it through with your photographer.  They usually have some pretty good insight on these things.

bridal party photos

Next up…The Bride and Groom

Wedding Photography Tips #16: Family Photos

The ‘have to do, but no one wants to do them’ portion of the day.  It’s a pain to stare at the camera for a long time taking photo after photo, while the photographer says ok 1..2..3.  Trust me it’s not a picnic on the other side of the camera either.   So that’s why I decided to make family photos as fun, easy and quick as possible.  I always do the immediate family (siblings and parents) and grandparents. Beyond that it’s up to the couple.  And most couples don’t want more then that.  If you want more then just your immediate family make a list with people’s names on it and give it to your photographer prior to the wedding.  The more people you want, the more time it requires, so it’s important that you and your photographer are on the same page.  I make family photos as fun and light hearted as possible.   The more I have you laughing the less fake and contrived the photos are, which is my ultimate goal.

The day of the wedding make sure the family members participating in the family photos are told where and when they’re suppose to be.   And let them know it’ll go quickly if they cooperate.  Motivating family for photos can be like herding cats, so let them know what you’re expectations are.  Everyone wants to make the bride and groom happy on their big day.  They’ll move mountains if you ask them. 

Next up…Bridal Party Photos