Choosing a Photographer

Choosing a date for your wedding is just the start of what will probably be the busiest months of your life. Making sure The Big Day is perfect takes so much work and then suddenly, it's over. Without a professional quality photographic record of the day, it can be over forever.

A professional photographer is one of the most important members of the wedding party, as it is their job to make sure that the day will be remembered forever, ensuring that every moment of your wedding day is captured so you will have an enduring set of beautiful images.

As your wedding day approaches, an experienced wedding photographer can also be a valuable ally. They will have attended many weddings and will have good working relationships with the local wedding and reception venues, florists, car hire companies, and wedding stationers and so on.

We recommend that you look for a photographer who will arrange a pre-wedding meeting so that you can run through your arrangements, look at their past work and advise them on what you want. Another benefit of spending time with your photographer before the wedding is that you will get to know each other well enough to be relaxed in their company and confident in their abilities. Some photographers now offer to take trial pictures of you prior to the wedding so that you can agree on what makes you look your best. As long as you have taken the time to really talk over what you expect, the professional will make sure you get it.

A good photographer will make you look like a star, but still capture the real you. Another factor in modern wedding photography is time. None of like to be kept standing around for hours when there's a party to go to, and a professional photographer will use their creative and technical skills to get the best results as quickly and smoothly as possible.

You can choose from many styles of wedding photography - from the traditional to the natural, spontaneous shots which have become so fashionable. You must make sure the photographer's style matches the style of wedding album you want.

The Big Day

The "story book" approach to wedding photography has become increasingly popular in recent years, and it's now rare to see only shots taken outside the wedding venue and at the reception. Not everybody is comfortable with having a photographer around for every minute of the day but once you've relaxed about your choice, it can really add to the enjoyment of the proceedings. And of course your album will be a genuine record of your wedding day.

At the wedding service, you're likely to find that your photographer is already on good terms with the minister or registrar. Many wedding venues are prepared to let a discreet professional photographer take pictures during the service to complement the wedding party group shots before and after the ceremony. If you want special treatment for any of your guests, remember to tell the photographer.

The Happy Couple

Portraits of the Bride and Groom alone are the ones that you'll really treasure, and can be the hardest to organise amid the general chaos of a wedding. Although traditionally they are taken outside the wedding venue, better results can often be achieved in the garden at the reception, or at a local beauty spot. Again, your photographer is the person best placed to help with this.

Your reception will probably have a timetable for speeches, cake- cutting, giving of gifts to bridesmaids etc. This makes it easy for your photographer to record key moments and to know when he can fit in the candid, relaxed shots that really capture the atmosphere. Pictures of the Bride and Groom relaxing with their friends and family once the formalities are over often feature the biggest smiles.

A Sound Investment

Of all the costs involved in planning a wedding, the photography is a part you should not be prepared to compromise on. Cakes get eaten, champagne gets drunk and dresses get packed away in tissue paper; but the wedding album will be with you forever, giving you, your family and friends pleasure for years to come.

The more experienced the photographer, the more he will charge - but ask him to explain his costs. It's a cliché, but you generally get what you pay for and it would be a shame to find yourself wishing you'd spent a little more when it's too late. The price of your wedding photography is likely to depend on three main factors: how long the photographer spends in attendance, the number of pictures taken and the type of wedding album chosen. Bear in mind that opting for fewer photographs doesn't leave much room for manoeuvre and you may end up regretting it.

The developing and printing of pictures can vary enormously. Ask your photographer to print your pictures onto Crystal Archive paper to ensure that your photographs last longer. Your memory might blur, but Crystal Archive's unique image permanence features will keep the pictures as strong and colourful as the day they were taken.

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