| | Photographers appreciate couples who permit them to incorporate their creative flare, experience, and expertise when photographing your wedding. Often a combination of poses, special effects, lighting, high-quality camera equipment, in-depth technical knowledge and experience can enhance your photos and result in consistent images that will make your wedding extra special.
It’s quite normal for couples to allocate 20 to 25 percent of their total wedding budget towards photography, with costs dependant on image quality, the presentation of your photos, and the wedding package you choose. Photographers offer many different packages from digital prints to designer albums, and can tailor packages to suit your individual style, needs and budget. Wedding photography packages can include an engagement shoot, a wedding album, parent albums, and/or wall prints, and should cover the cost for the photographer’s time to photograph your wedding and prepare your album.
When discussing your package requirements with your photographer, it’s a good idea to also discuss payment options. Some photographers may let you pay off your wedding photography package in part-payments, allowing you to select a photographer that provides you with memorable photos.
Most wedding photographers will want to do a photography timing plan with you. This plan will set out the timing of your wedding photographs in and around the other aspects of your wedding, including hair and make-up, pre-wedding at home photos, the ceremony, location photos, and your wedding reception. Ideally, the plan needs to be arranged four weeks prior to your wedding day when you should have a good idea of your wedding agenda and timeframes. Wedding plans can change more than four weeks before, and inturn can alter your photography plans. When finalising your photography plans, you and your fiancé need to consider lighting and sunset times, especially when choosing the time for your ceremony. Occasionally brides and grooms often find out their ceremony time is too late, especially in winter, and run out of light to take photos. In this situation, if the ceremony time can’t be changed, brides and grooms need to decide if they would like their photographs taken prior to the nuptial when lighting is ideal and therefore allowing the groom to see the bride before the ceremony, or alternatively consider a night-time photo shoot.
As a guide, most photographers will commence the wedding photo shoot at the bride’s home about an hour prior to the ceremony, then will move to the church or ceremony venue to photograph the groomsmen, before photographing the ceremony and family. After this, the bridal party will accompany the photographer to a pre-arranged location for about two hours. The photographer will then accompany you to the wedding reception, stay for the cutting of the cake and bridal waltz or take staged photos of these prior to your reception, allowing them to leave earlier. This schedule is only a guide and will depend on your personal arrangements with your photographer.
Sometimes on wedding days, unexpected things can occur, like rain. Professional and experienced photographers can assist organising an acceptable contingency plan and addressing unavoidable circumstances. They are often familiar with wet-weather plans and time-constraints. Talking over your photography options with your photographer will ensure your wedding runs smoothly, on time, and that you and your fiancé receive desirable results and photos you will be delighted with. |