Choosing your Wedding Photographer
January 6, 2010
There will never be a more special day in your life than the day you join your life with that special someone. And the journey you will take to get to that day will be one faced with many decisions. One of your biggest decisions you will encounter will be selecting the perfect photographer to capture your wedding day memories. After all, once the cake is eaten and the guests have all gone home, all you will have left is your memories…and your photographs. Finding the right photographer for your wedding is critical to preserving your special day and here are some ways to help you along the way.
Decide up front what type of photography you want. The new trend right now is storytelling photography or photojournalism photography. Your other options would include the more traditional posed photography or even a combination of the two. Talk with your fiancé prior to meeting with photographers so that you know ahead of time what type of work to look for in your photographer.
Ask friends and co-workers for recommendations for photographers. Many people you already know who are married probably had wedding photographers and would be a great place to start when looking for suggestions for photographers.
Meet with photographers and view their work. Ask to see a complete wedding album of one single wedding rather than an album with 20 different weddings with 1 or 2 images from each wedding. You want to make sure that your photographer can capture an entire wedding beautifully rather than just being able to get off a lucky shot or two throughout the day. Try to meet with at least 2 or 3 different photographers before making any decision. Photographers are trained of course to close the deal before letting you out the door, but if they have really done their job and impressed you, waiting through a few more interviews won’t hurt.
Ask lots of questions. Trust me, photographers are used to this. I do warn against using pre-made “questions” that you can download off of wedding websites. These are generic and probably don’t answer anything that you are really concerned about anyway. Ask questions that you really want to know the answer to and will make an impact on your decision. Is it really going to matter to you if a person has been photographing weddings for 10 years versus 15 years or what school they went to? Probably not. Instead look for the answers to things like “How do you handle major changes in the day such as people running late or the wedding not starting on time” or “Have you ever had to deal with severe drunkenness at a reception?”. You want to know that their work is beautiful, that it’s emotional and they know how to handle themselves at a wedding under any circumstance.
Be sure that you “feel good” about them. No other wedding vendor will be with you more on your wedding day than your photographer. If you don’t get along with them, it will be a major damper on your wedding. Make sure the rapport is there and you actually like the person you are considering hiring. If you are a reserved couple, your photographer shouldn’t be a clown and if you are a fun energetic couple, your photographer shouldn’t act like he runs the local funeral home. Make sure your personalities go well together!
Make sure to choose the right package that fits your needs and your budget. You might wonder why price wasn’t the first thing to consider on this list but the truth of the matter is, the price of your photographer should NOT be the first thing to consider. Price can sometimes be deceiving when it comes to wedding photography. You might go with the cheapest guy because he costs less and risk losing that emotional connection in your photography or worse…dealing with someone who really doesn’t know the first thing about capturing a romantic wedding. Price is about books, paper and hours. Do not base the decision on your photographer purely on price or you will be sure to be disappointed.
Be sure that you understand your contract and payment requirements before leaving the table. It’s standard practice to pay a deposit or retainer at your contract signing and many require the balance to be due prior to or on the day of the wedding. You should ask questions or see if they are addressed in the contract about issues that arise such as a change in date or if the photographer is sick. There should always be a backup plan in place. Remember the contract is your standing ground if something goes wrong. It doesn’t matter what he told you during your consultation, it only matters what is on the contract. Make sure you understand it all.
How to Write Your Own Wedding Vows
January 5, 2010
Writing your own wedding vows is a beautiful and romantic thing that you can do for each other. It can also be one of the most stressful things that you do. There is a lot of pressure to come up with your own vows that are meaningful, original and heartfelt. But here are some steps that will make writing your own wedding vows a little easier.
Talk with your fiancé and decide together if you will have a matched format or if you will both be on your own for the vow writing. Sometimes it can be helpful to say you will both start with your thoughts about the first time you met and go from there or maybe you both will make a fun list to read about the “3 things I love about you”. You may also decide to both be completely original and do what you feel best represents the way you feel.
Decide on the mood of your vows. Do you want them to be passionate and romantic or fun and witty? What kind of couple are you? Use your personalities to decide up front how you want your vows to come across.
If you aren’t sure what to write about, start with answering questions. Write them down for reference later. Be specific and try to use events to explain the story.
How did you feel the first time you met him/her?
When did you first know that you loved him/her?
What has he/she taught you about life and love?
How has your life changed since falling in love with him/her?
How do you feel when you aren’t with him/her?
What do you look forward to as you grow old together?
What does marriage mean to you?
Find a quiet place that you can be alone with your thoughts. You may want to start with an outline to keep in line with what you and your fiancé have agreed to or just to keep your thoughts organized. You can start with how you met followed by how you fell in love, what they mean to you now and how you see your future together. Refer back to the questions you answered in the previous step as you are writing.
Practice your vows. Even if you and your fiancé choose to read from a written piece of paper rather than memorizing it is a good idea to practice your wedding vows so that it flows better and you are more comfortable. This will also let you test the length of time that your vows take. One or two minutes is about as long as you probably want to go with your vows or you may start to see your audience’s eyes glaze over.
Check with your officiant to be sure they are okay with your vows. Some religions are more strict than others.