Wedding Planning Tips

iDeLick Interview: Kim Rix at Your London Wedding Planner Location: World Bride Magazine Show at Mayfair Hotel, London UK Date: 12th December 2009 iDeLick Media & Creative Photography: www.idelick.co.uk

Hiring a wedding photographer does not have to be as tedious and stressful as many bride’s to be think. You really can have fun interviewing various photographers, choosing wedding photography packages and planning ever minute detail of your special day.

When you are done with this article you should have less stress and much more confidence when it comes to hiring the right photographer to capture your special day. Here are your wedding photography tips to help you alleviate the stress.

First and foremost, one of the most important of the wedding photography tips is – you need to have a strict budget to stick with before you begin looking into various photographers. When you have your budget you should begin thinking about the amount of time you want your photographer to be with you and your guests.

Are there special poses you want, a particular person to have a picture of. For example, if you have an elderly grandparent you might want to have a few extra pictures taken of him or her. You also might want to have the photographer take a few pictures of you at your home while you are getting dressed, maybe with your dog or on your stairway. The possibilities here are endless.

When you are trying to figure out which wedding photography packages you are going to narrow your choices down to you should consult a few photographers. For the average person, simply telling us that we can have X number of pictures taken for Z amount of money is not fully informing us. By having your list of “must have” pictures the photographer should be able to give you an idea of the best package for your needs.

Don’t sign the contract for the wedding photographer or choose a specific package right away. You should have the price written down as well as the pictures you want and the package number. Look at the photographers portfolio and ask for references. You need to do your research before you commit to a particular photographer, even if he or she is within your budget.

Finally, ask yourself a few questions before you agree to the contract. First, are you both comfortable with the particular photographer? Is everything clearly stated in writing on the contract?

For example, the ‘must have’ pictures, the amount of money that will be the down payment, the number of installments, the balance, the time the photographer will begin taking pictures, where he/she will take the pictures, the time to start and the time he/she will stop taking pictures. Is the right price and wedding photography package written on the contract?

Following these wedding photography tips is going to help you to avoid unnecessary stress and keep everything clear for you and the photographer. Remember, you might know what you want from your photographer, but he or she is not a mind reader. Make sure it is all in black and white before you sign the contract.

By Rosie Parsons – Forever After Images,
http://www.foreverafterimages.com

Finally you have everything booked for the wedding of the year. The countdown and last minute plans begin to take shape! Because your photographs will probably (aside from videography) be the only lasting way to really remember all the effort you’ve put into this magical day, we’ve come up with our five top tips to help you make the most of your photographer (and allow them to create the best images possible).

Tip one:

Allow more time!

If time is going to be a bit tight for photography later on in the day (and with demands on your attention from family, relatives and friends it usually is!) why not start getting ready earlier? Then you can make plans to have photographs with your bridesmaids, parents and other important people in your life when you’ve just finished getting ready. You’ll be looking absolutely perfect and if you’ve left extra time for this you’ll also have a bit of time to calm your nerves before walking out the door! Your bridesmaids and parents will especially treasure these photos with you – the last hour as a single girl!

Tip Two:

Plan your locations in advance!

Your photographer is going to have a lot to think about on the day. Make their life easier by thinking about potential good locations for your group shots in advance. Ideally you want a photographer who will be happy to come with you to see the venue(s) in advance so they can get their own ideas. If they don’t offer – ask them! This is one of the most important days of your life – make sure your photographer is prepared!

Tip Three:

Make time for photography

We know weddings are about celebrating your union with your closest friends and family, but remember that your photographs are your way of showing your future children or grandchildren what your wedding day was like. It makes sense to maximise the skills of your photographer and to try and get some really beautiful shots of the two of you. Shots like the ones you see in magazines though don’t just ‘happen’ when you’re not watching, they take time, effort and a willingness to work with your photographer. If you want photographs which also look like beautiful pieces of art then talk to your photographer about setting aside half an hour after the ceremony when you can do these. Our favourite wedding was a couple in Bristol who left their wedding party for half an hour and got a friend to collect their pet dog. We got some really special shots of them walking in the park with their dog which worked wonderfully to represent the start of their new life together as a family.

Tip Four:

Be natural!

It might be the only time you ever have a camera pointed at you for an entire day, but try to act natural and forget the photographer is there. It’s great if you can find a photographer who you really get along with, because they really do become a friend and can then blend into the crowd and get some really relaxed shots. It’s especially important when taking photographs of the bride and groom that you focus on each other. Laugh, giggle, cuddle and kiss. Forget about the camera and let your love shine through! That’s what makes great photographs, not stiff and awkward formal poses with no emotion!

Tip Five:

Ask family what they would like!

While we don’t recommend handing your photographer a huge list of group set ups (which will only stress everybody on the day when Auntie Elma can’t be found), it’s still great to get some feedback from your parents and other key family members on which photographs they would absolutely love. We’ve heard horror stories of parents being devastated when the prints come back and there isn’t one of the bride with her Mum on their own for example. If this or other shots are particularly important to you or your family then let the photographer know in advance. There are so many variations of family shots it would usually take hours to do them all, so if you have a particular preference do let your photographer know – and well in advance of the day!

As someone who grew up as a Nantucket photographer, I’ve been asked numerous times for wedding photography tips, here are a few suggestions.

Create A List Of Shots.

Request or suggest to the couple to provide you with a list of shots they would like for their wedding. This makes things easy to remember and you can check them off as you click away. very helpful for family and group shots. It would be a real bummer to find out when you get the photos back that you missed Uncle Joe.

Use An Assistant.

Shooting the family portraits can be frustrating when you have people missing and they are not organized. People are just having too much fun and are wondering about – not really thinking about photography. I recommend to bring an assistant (preferably female) to nominate a family member to gather everyone for the portraits. They can round everyone up and make the shoot go so much faster so everyone can go back to celebrating.

Stay Prepared.

So much can go wrong on the day – so you need to be well prepared. Have a backup plan (in case of bad weather), have batteries charged, memory cards blank, think about routes and time to get to places and get an itinerary of the full day so you know what’s happening next. If you can, attend the rehearsal of the ceremony where you’ll gather a lot of great information about possible positions to shoot from, the lighting, the order of the ceremony etc.

Discuss Expectations.

With Your Bride. Show them your albums and samples of your work. Find out the style they want to achieve, how many pictures, key moments they want photographed, format of the shots ( digital, film), and more. Make sure to go over the price so they know exactly what they are paying for.

Minimize Your Camera Noise.

Camera clicks and beeps during the vows and toasts can be distracting. Switch off sound before hand and keep it off.

Shoot With Two Cameras.

It’s too easy for one camera to go down during a shoot leaving stranded with out anyways to finish your work and destroying your reputation. Buy, borrow, or rent an extra camera for the day and set it up with a different lens. I try to shoot with one wide angle lens for candid shots and tight spaces and one longer lens (it can be handy to have something as large as 200mm if you can get your hands on one – I use a 70-200mm).

Capture The Details.

Take pictures of the rings, details in the dress, eyes, lips, table settings, interior etc – these help give the end album an extra dimension. Pick up a wedding magazine at your local news stand for a little inspiration.

Bring A Second Shooter.

Having a second backup photographer can greatly facilitate the day and improve your coverage. It means less running around during ceremony and speeches, and allows for your or your second to capture the formal shots while the other covers something else. Most importantly, it takes a little pressure off you being ‘the one’ to have to get every shot!

Don’t Be Shy.

Being shy won’t get you ‘the shot’. Sometimes you need to step to the front of the line to capture a moment. However, timing is everything and planning ahead to get in the right spot for key moments are important so you don’t disrupt the event. During the ceremony I try to move around at least 4-5 times but try to time this to coincide with songs, prayers or longer readings. During the portrait session take charge, know what you want, and ask for it from the couple.

Indeed, weddings are definitely one of the happiest moments in a person’s life. But, this momentous occasion does not always come as blissful as the event itself. Days and even months before the big day, couples usually cram up with the littlest details. The wedding planning process includes listing down and cutting down everything into specific details such as the wedding date, the venue, the reception, the caterer, the designer of the gown and suit, all the way down to the wedding coverage.

Because to hectic schedules, most couples usually do not pay much attention to one of the crucial things in any wedding: the wedding coverage. Despite the overwhelming tension and excitement, couples do not have to be nonchalant when choosing their wedding photographers if they want their fun times and precious memories recorded very well.

Choosing your wedding photographer

To avoid making this slight neglect that usually leads disastrous results, couples have to decide first what kind of wedding photography they would want to have. Most wedding photographers today categorize the types of wedding photography into two—the traditional or classic style and the wedding photojournalistic style.

Today, the most common style used by wedding photographers is the traditional or classic wedding photography is considered as a “timeless” and the “safest” style because you normally see in countless wedding albums. Characterized by classic poses of subjects aware of the camera, this style involves so much control from the photographer because he is in-charge in arranging individual and group shots before, during, and even after the wedding.

Here, the photographer must have excellent portraiture skills to focus more on the quality of the photograph by making the subject look great from the littlest details. Expect typical wedding photos like pre-ceremony pictures, formal shots of the bride and groom posing with bride’s maids and ushers, cake cutting, garter and bouquet toss, and the like when you choose a classic wedding photography. This style is ideal if the couple would want to keep portraits of family members for their wedding album.

If the couple is adventurous and unconventional, then you might want to consider the wedding photojournalistic style of photography on your big day. An increasingly popular style today, wedding photojournalism offers fresh and new style of taking photos in the occasion. Characterized by candid shots of the subjects unaware of the moving camera, the photojournalism style lets the attendees act freely to capture their pure and true emotion.

Sourcing style from his experience in journalism, the “photojournalist” pays more attention to minute details and candid shots rather than arranged ones. He’s more into eyeing interesting moments and capturing those in his lens to produce a narrative collection of images that tell a story. Although some traditional poses will be present, expect photos that show actual emotions of the bride and groom and of other participants throughout the duration of the wedding when you choose the photojournalism style.  

While wedding planning, make sure that you meet up with your photographer first to avoid ruining the documentation of that big event. Make sure that that early on, the wedding photographer meets all of your standards. When you meet with the photographer before hand the so you could discuss the details you want.

Iam planning to quit my present job and open my own studio. How can I improve more about my wedding shots, lighting effects , portraits etc. related to wedding and birthday parties.