Do NOT plan on taking them yourself, you are the mother of the bride and have your own tasks - that should not be one of them. Do NOT count on disposable cameras - very poor quality. Do NOT call the HS or college photographer and tell them you are looking for a cheap photographer - it is an insult! Ask what they would charge. And, I would not recommend a student to do it either. I think both sides of the family need to be included, even though the brides family is paying. The bride is the primary subject, but please don't forget the groom and his family, too. You should be able to direct the photogrpaher to take this photo or that, using a list is handy, but if there are too many itmes, the photographer may be overwhelmed. Really highlight the photos that are really important for you to have. I agree that a formal portrait session is a good idea, lacking the ability to afford much more. Expecting professional results for anything less than $1,000 is laughable. Please hire a professional, these need to last a lifetime. You might try to find an "event" photographer, just because they don't advertise as a wedding photographer, doesn't mean they don't do weddings. Some ways you may be able to save $$ is hire by the hour and schedule 2-3 hours, You don't really need the 30 photos of the bride and her entourage getting ready. Or another 50 of a bunch of drunken guests. Candids are great, formals are necessary. I do really like the "photojournalist" style, but not at the expense of the formally posed. I would be sure to ask for both, time allowing. Also, be sure that you get the negatives or CD of images. That way you can reprint without paying the exorbitant mark up. And any color photo can easily be converted to BW. Maybe try your local newspaper photographer. BTW, I am the college photographer that people call for a "cheap" job. I might offer you a good deal, but I ain't cheap! Good luck!

In my area, the northwest, prices start at about $1,500 for 5 hours of coverage and go up to over $3,000 for all day coverage by a husband and wife team. For those prices you get an album. Most photographers today place the proofs on-line so that family and friends from all over the country can order directly without having to wait to see proofs. If you consider hiring a photographer that works in a studio with others, be sure that you see actual samples of the work of that photographer. The best shots will be on the walls, in sample albums, etc. but they may not have been taken by the person that you are considering hiring. In this area we don't pay extra for photographer's helpers. They are optional. I often fill in as a helper if needed. If a photographer chooses to bring a helper, they usually pay that person out of what you pay them.

These days, bridal shops really take the footwork out of your wedding photography. Step into a bridal shop, and youll be presented with irresistibly-priced wedding packages. For three thousand bucks you get this, you get that and you get the photography thrown in - FREE. That's a lot of bang for the bucks, you thought. And so you sign up for one of the packages. "Congratulations!" says the consultant, "Come in one month before your wedding and weÂll set you up for the photo shoot." It was a set up indeed. The problem with some of these packaged photography is that they require you to have your wedding pictures taken before your wedding day. Many of these photographers would prefer not to take your pictures on your wedding day. For them, 'actual day' pictures are best left to the amateurs. Curious thinking, that. Ask around. Check with your friends. Find out how many of them REALLY liked their so-called studio wedding photographs. "That wasnÂt me!" "Hey! I looked ridiculous in that pose." "No, no! This one is censored, you canÂt look at this, I looked ugly here." Sound familiar? Well, what went wrong? How your wedding photos will turn out eventually depends a lot on you too. Just consider the following: WAS IT TAKEN ON YOUR WEDDING DAY? One month, one week, or even one day before your wedding is still not your wedding day. So would you feel the same as you would have felt on your wedding day? While it wouldnÂt be fair to generalize that all photo sessions before the wedding would turn out wrong, weÂre really saying that itÂs not the real thing. Contrary to what some photographers might suggest to you (that youÂll be too tired to look good if the photos were taken on the actual day), actual-day photos will turn out well. And we are talking about studio-quality photography here, not those taken by your aunts and uncles. After all, it IS your big day and youÂll be naturally happy. And this happy disposition would naturally be captured in your photographs. BEWARE THE SNARE OF "ARTFUL" CONTRIVANCE You canÂt believe why on earth did you allow the photographer to "degrade" you that day. But you were certain you looked stupid in the picture. "Groom, hold up the phone receiver and talk into it. Bride, look the other wayÂthatÂs right, okay now, cup your right ear and pretend to hear him. Perfect!" Who would want a picture like that? You wonÂt believe the paces some photographers put people through, but they sure are silly. What your photographer feel is art may not really be your cup of tea. So, do be careful. Learn to say no if youÂre not comfortable with a particular pose. WeÂve seen too many poor couples manipulated into poses best performed by contortionists. DonÂt be another victim. ENDURING THE PERFECTIONIST TORTURE If you really have to take pre-wedding (studio) photography, check with your photographer how many shots and how any hours of photography heÂs putting you through. Setting a time limit with your photographer would be helpful for it is not uncommon for couples to go through 7-hour photo sessions. If you feel that you can take the marathon, fine. But would you still look good nearing the 7th hour mark? Checking ahead with your photographer would better prepare you for the photo shoot. In turn, this will minimize any unpleasant surprises that might arise due to poor planning. Another thing to consider before signing up with any photographer is the location of the photo session. These days, anything goes and hereÂs where you have to be careful. A number of couples have taken to endanger their lives by taking pictures on railway tracks. WeÂre not talking about disused railway tracks, but tracks that have regular (and speeding) services running on them. So, make sure your photographer really know the train schedule to avoid any unpleasantness, to say the least. THE PHOTOJOURNALISTIC APPROACH: A POPULAR OPTION A good and responsible photographer will surely want to get to know the couple first so that a relationship can be built between the couple and him. Usually, a planning conference would be held at the photographerÂs studio or at your home. This is essential as it helps the photographer build rapport with you. You will smile more naturally and readily before the camera if the photographer is somebody who already knows you. That in turn contributes to better pictures. While not imposing any particular form of photography, we find that about 60% of the couples prefer the photojournalistic concept. The other 40% is shared equally between candid photography and contrived ones. (couples looking at the wedding rings, the sort) The photojournalistic approach, is not to be confused with candid photography. Candid pictures are usually taken without the subjects knowledge. At times, candid shots may turn out well, but most of the time they become rather inconsequential as they do not adequately capture the mood of the occasion. The photojournalistic concept, on the other hand, captures the spirit of things. Posing is fine, but is done as naturally as possible. The advantages of choosing the photojournalistic type are aplenty. Firstly, you donÂt have to pose awkwardly. Some posing, while done correctly (but contrived) are best suited for models who gloss wedding magazines. TheyÂre slick, but cold. ThereÂs no atmosphere of love there. Secondly, unlike candid shots which end up being inconsequential most of the time, the happiness that permeates the occasion is captured in the photographs. It could be the audience laughing in response to a good joke or the glances that the newly weds exchange with each other. Or it could be a picture of the bride with her bridesmaids having a good time while looking into the camera. A good photojournalist would be able to capture not just the subjects but also their moods and feelings too. So, if youÂre getting married, discuss with your photographer first on the kind of photography you like. Ask for his portfolio and see whether you are comfortable with his works. As mentioned, a good photographer will tailor his works to your needs and not the other way round. Check with family and friends, youÂll be surprised how much they know about wedding photography and how to avoid the pitfalls of wedding photography.

As another wedding photographer, please consider this advice. First a little disclaimer; it would be 10X easier for me to shoot a wedding and hand you a CD of all the images. That would literally save me about 10 hours of work AFTER the wedding day processing images and also money to provide you with the proofing. I could charge you for the dig. negs and the copyright release and be done with it, moving on to the next wedding much faster. Here's why you should consider NOT buying digital negatives. Color Calibrated monitors of the photographer will give you the colors you think you're going to get. This will almost surely NOT happen by taking a CD to WalGreens or Walmart. Archival quality prints from the photographer means they'll last. ...and probably the biggest reason to order prints from the photographer is the post processing involved. This includes, aspect ratios, color-correction, sharpening, saturation, contrast, noise-reduction, dodging & burning, B&W and Sepia conversions and MUCH more. Like I said, I spend about 8-10 hours doing this processing for the average wedding. Unless you want/know how to do this yourself, digital negs may not be as good as it sounds. Few, if any, photographers are going to spend this time processing images to hand over to you on a CD. They are going to give you the untouched, unprocessed digital images. ...in short, they aren't going to look as good as you'd expect. Why would they, they haven't been 'developed' yet in the digital darkroom. The professional digital wedding photographer has skills that extend way beyond the camera into the areas mentioned above. ...just something to consider. My goal with wedding photography is to leave Brides & Grooms with a feeling of satisfaction and amazement! I feel strongly that a good portion of the "art" of digital photography is finished in the post processing. A photographer selling you unprocessed digital negs is selling you an unfinished product, in my opinion. Now, if you happen to be a whiz on the computer and are capable of and have the time to process your own digital wedding negs, then go for it! By the way, if you are a bride /groom who has purchased digital negs from your photographer and have realized that the prints don't look like you expected... I offer to process those images for you (as long as you own the copyright) for a minimal fee. Get in touch! daniel@dgmphotography.net -daniel