A friend of mine asked me for advice on how he could take the pictures at a relatives wedding to save money.

I reminded him that wedding pictures will last a lifetime, and every minute of that special day must be captured in great detail.

Consequently, I would not recommend anything other than a professional photographer, but if finance is tight, following this proven outline should lead to a collection of “treasured memories”

Initially, I would recommend close ups of centerpieces and the place settings, name cards and menus.

This can be followed up with wide shots of the venue before guests arrive and of course an overall view of the guests seated.

The bride and groom’s first dance is essential, plus the happy couple dancing with their parents. Photos of the bridal party dancing always prove popular and guests dancing in happy situations are other important subjects

Close ups of the cake prior to the cutting should not be overlooked and remember to show the bride displaying her new ring to the guests. Photographs of the toasts to the couple will always be treasured memories. Remember to show close ups of happy smiling faces.

Include close ups of guests’ faces, having a great time. These are best taken later in the evening …after they have loosened up a little. remember to depict varying situations both sitting at tables and dancing

Family members and children also make great subjects together with close ups of the band, DJ and the Master of Ceremonies.

The bride and groom cutting the cake is always a highlight so take plenty of shots covering this situation.

Traditions vary from country to country with removal of the brides garter by the single males and the catching of the bouquet by the single ladies being two that I am familiar with. Whatever tradition is prevelant in your country, make sure it is included in your photographs.

Final shots should be of the couple being farewelled by guests and of course departing in their vehicle.

Remember, you only get one chance at these situations so take plenty of photographs and you are sure to gather a great collection of treasured memories.

Author Antony Wilton is a hobby photographer with a keen interest in wedding photography. His site http://www.weddings.bestbuysite.com is a total guide to arranging the perfect wedding

Album Shown: Polka Dot I Do Album from Target.com

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Free photo packages seem to be the thing to do this wedding season, with many high end photographers holding competitions and rewarding the winners with a free wedding photographer package. It’s great for you guys - I hope you are entering all of them! Here is another one for you from Karenscape Photography! Share your story of how you found “the one” for a chance to win a $9700 photography package! They are giving away one package every 3 months. They are located in Manhatten, and will travel up to 75 miles before charging travel fees. But - for a $9700 free package, I’d pay a fair amount of travel expenses, lol.

Here are a few samples of their fabulous work:

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Kate Triano is giving away a free wedding photography package - but you have to get on this TODAY. The deadline in Feb. 20!!

The prize includes:

-8 hours of wedding day coverage by me
-all images hosted online for one year
-an online slideshow
-30 photo 8×8 album

In order to qualify you must:

-anyone getting married in 2008 with a set date
-must have a great LOVE story and reason as to why they deserve this above anyone else!! (anyone can enter you and you can also enter yourself)

How sweet is that? Get the rest of the details on her blog.

Same samples of Kate Triano’s work:

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Hi,

I am in desperate need of some photography options for my wedding that aren’t going to cost me thousands of dollars. Most packages that I see on the internet are over $1000. Do you have any ideas?

Michelle

Hi Michelle,

There are some ways to save money on your wedding photography. First of all, you can certainly negotiate with a photographer. Be clear with him/her that your budget will only allow a certain amount. No-one says that you have to buy a big package. Have the photographer only do certain poses for you. Then have friends or family members take digital action shots for you and have them email the photos to you later.

It is also not unusual for a photographer to snap pictures then sell you the proofs which you can have processed yourself.

You also have the option of hiring a student photographer. Just be sure that you interview the student and that they can show you some good samples.

Good Luck and congratulations,

LeeAnn

This tidbit came from a recent issue of the Cheap Weddings EZine. To subscribe, visit http://cheap-chic-weddings.com

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Did you know that a professional photographer who does not specialize in wedding photography will often charge 50-75% less then a wedding photographer? You can often find qualify professionals, with photography knowledge and experience, for a fraction of the cost!

TO ensure you get the photos of your dreams, a little planning does help. While this is a more affordable option, your photographer does not have a lot of wedding experience and will not always automatically think of all the photo options and ideas a wedding photographer would. To make sure you get the images you want, browse online and in magazines for those unique and interesting photo ideas, and then make some lists for your photographer:

1. A list of posed shoots needed - shots with family members, wedding party, the couple, unique set ups, etc.

2. Set-up shots - what areas do you want pictures of? make sure you list any special items and decorations - the cake, the centerpieces, the alter decor, etc.

3. Candid shots - what aspects of the actual ceremony and reception activities do you want photos of?

These lists will help ensure that nothing gets forgotten!

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So, Joanne is offically a Mrs. now - the wedding took place this weekend and was even better then we had hoped. The professional pics are not back yet of course, but here are some pictures I took myself.

This is the alter at the front of the church. During the ceremony, the photographer was the only one allowed to take pictures to avoid distractions - so I will have to wait to show more of the ceremony. It was a fairly flawless ceremony: except for a flower girl who’s dad helped her up the aisle. She was only three, and the crowd scared her, but it was so cute. The ceremony also included two vocal solos by a friend of the bride that were beautiful.

Following the ceremony, the wedding party climbed into a limo with the photographer for a series of surprise photo shoots. The first stop was McDonald’s were the couple posed with the child attendents and wedding party for some fun shoots before the little ones headed home for some down time before the reception. The rest of the wedding party the continued on to a number of surprise locations including: a Convertible Mustang in a Ford dealership, the fire hall, a local park with a gazebo, an elegant home in town with an amazing fireplace setting and more.

The reception had a fall / daisies / orange & yellow theme. Here, you can see the table settings, as well as a close up of the centerpieces with the cutlery set and favors. Below you will see the head table, with a centerpiece that was also used as the unity candle arrangement standing on the signing table during the ceremony.

The forecast for the weekend called for thunderstorms with a chance of snow, so to be safe, the decorator set up two photo sets in the reception hall. This one, on the left of the head table, featured hay bales, leaves, flowers, plants, pumpkins and more - even accented with a few fake mice and a spider! Family pictures were taken in front of this set-up. The arch from the ceremony was placed on the other side, with plants, candles and a wrought iron bench for a second photo spot, as well as a backdrop for the area were the presentations and speeches took place.

And last but not least - the cakes. If you follow my blog regularly, you’ve been waiting for this! This is my first attemted at a wedding cake in fondant! The larger cake is white, the smaller is chocolate (in retrospect, more people wanted chocolate so the larger should have been chocolate). The topper is a discontinued design from 1982 that we found on eBay for $60 (similar models in store were $125 - $150). As promised, I will be posting more on the cake-making process, including the things I learned in the process - in another post:)

Bride's Attire, DIY Weddings, Decorations, Flowers, Photography, Real Weddings, Wedding Cakes, Wedding Favors | 5 Comments »

We Launched WEDDING WORDS on Sunday, and I am VERY excited to bring your our first ten WEDDING WORDS list:) Check out these great sites - the first to join our Wedding Words list!!!

dress - gifts - COUTURE - shower - photography - candles Designer - honeymoon - Fundraising -  Gown

Vendors - need a unique way to get your link out there? Wedding Words are affordable and effective! Click here to get your exclusive word on the Wedding Words page

Bride's Attire, Gifts & Registeries, Honeymoon, In The News, Photography, Wedding Planning, Weddng Party Attire | No Comments »

Do you enjoy being taken advantage of?

Well of course NOT!

Neither do I…

And that’s why I simply refuse to sit around and allow “so-called” wedding professionals TRAP you into SPENDING FAR MORE than you need to!!!

Today I share details about a typical “bait and switch” tactic some wedding photographers use to
prey on un-Savvy brides…

You definitely want to BE ON THE LOOKOUT for this one!

I’ve posted all the specifics here:

http://www.fireyourweddingplanner.com/PhotographyScam

Your friend,

- Stephi
A true advocate for brides everywhere!

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If you are looking for a top-of-the-line, professional photographer in your area, you should check out this new site I found today: Photographix.

They have photographers listed for many states already, and they are constantly growing! Make sure you always research more then one photographer in your area - after all you only get married once! Those pictures are irreplaceable - make sure you are getting the best.

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