A blog dedicated to small and intimate weddings. Step inside for wedding venues, DIY wedding ideas and real weddings with 75 or fewer guests.
Not sure what you’re going to do with that boatload of wedding photos you’ll have post-wedding? Well, ladies, go raid your recycle bins for this super easy DIY wedding photo project. All you’ll need are some jars and bottles, photos, an exacto knife, a pencil, and ruler. I discovered this over at Design Sponge where you can read all about how to make these cool creations. Place them near a window and enjoy!
A picture says a thousand words – and an album full of them can cost thousands of dollars.
Couples spend about seven to 10 percent of their wedding budget on a photographer. Because it is a significant investment, it is wise for a couple to do their homework before making a decision.
Here are 15 wedding photographer tips you shouldn’t do without:
1. Start your search for a wedding photographer as soon as possible. Some say you should start as soon as you are engaged.
2. Choose a photographer you get along with. There are some photographers who are only concerned with the pictures. They really aren’t that concerned with making your day enjoyable. Spending 8-12 hours with someone who is overly demanding or inconsiderate can put a huge damper on your wedding day mood. In the end, you might get marvelous pictures, but will it have been worth it?
3. Ask to see a wide selection of the photographer’s work. Don’t just look through one album of pictures. Ask for as many examples as possible. Even if you are impressed with the photographer’s work, don’t make any hasty decisions.
4. Don’t meet just one photographer. Some experts advise that you meet with at least three photographers before making a decision.
5. Ask the photographer for references. Contact the references and ask them if they were delighted or disappointed with their pictures. Also, talk to friends and acquaintances that may have hired the photographer for their wedding day.
6. Don’t assume that the wedding photographer you are interviewing will be the one who is sent out to cover your wedding. Some larger studios have several photographers on staff. Also make sure that the work you are viewing is the work of the photographer who will be at your wedding. Some companies don’t even have samples of a photographer’s work before sending them out on the job – and that’s fine if people want to take a chance and get a bargain, but if photos are important, you should be looking at images from the photographer that will be at your wedding.
7. During your introductory meeting with a photographer, you will be given a price list that will include various wedding packages. Make sure you are clear about the prices, and that there aren’t any hidden costs.
8. Ask how your photographs will be ‘finished.’ When you see your proofs, they are just raw proofs. When you get your finished picture, they are all custom printed. You are getting colour correction, colour balancing, cropping, and retouching if necessary. Some places don’t do that.
9. An important question to ask a photographer is: ‘Do you have a back-up?’ Death, illness, or other unexpected circumstances do occur, so it’s a good idea to make sure you’re covered no matter what. Also, ask for samples of the back-up photographer’s work.
10. Ask the photographer if s/he belongs to a professional photographers organization like the WPJA (Wedding Photojournalists Association).
11. When you meet with a photographer, bring pictures that you like from magazines to the consultation so that the photographer will better understand your preferences.
12. Although photography is usually “way up there” on the list of wedding day priorities for couples, many make the mistake of calling around for prices first, instead of seeing a photographers work firsthand. The first question many couples ask is ‘How much?’ Sure you might get a great deal, but how will the pictures turn out?
13. Don’t cheap out. This is one of the most important wedding photographer tips. Although your wedding pictures might seem like a big investment, if you’re happy with them, you’ll cherish them for years to come. (You can cut back by buying a basic package, rather than the one with a truckload of images.) Once the vows are taken, the cake is eaten, and the tuxes are returned, what’s left aside from the great memories? An album full of pictures. Pictures that tell the story of a couple in love.
The following tips were provided by the talented Anne Ruthmann:
14. Ask to view an entire set of proofs from a wedding that will have similar lighting conditions to yours – for example, historic church and golf club reception, or outdoor ceremony and tent reception, etc. If you can view the entire set of proofs from one or two full weddings, then you’ll have a better idea of how the photographer captures and edits the entire wedding day- which will give you a more realistic idea of what to expect from that photographer.
15. Ask the photographer about the album process up front. Some will create a draft design of the album, which may be more pages than they’ve actually been contracted for in the hopes of upselling. Some will have the client select the images before starting the design. A client should be comfortable with the album design process and know what it will be up front. This is often one of the most elusive parts of the process.
Photo: Anne Ruthmann Photography
Your wedding day is approaching. And that means that pretty soon someone is going to be snapping a boatload of pictures of you and your beloved. Are you prepared?
Having a camera aimed in your direction for hours on end isn’t something you’re used to – unless of course you’re a hotshot celebrity. Do you know how to look your best for the camera? To help you out, I asked wedding photographers across the country for some insider tips on how to look fabulous. Here’s what they had to say:
Just Be You
1. Be Yourself. Don’t try to look or be anything other than yourself. If you are self-conscious about a certain thing and it manifests itself physically, it will ultimately come through in the photography … Be your best self and you can ensure that the photos will indeed portray you as your best self. Jonathan Canlas, Canlas Photography
2. Relax. We’re often our worst critics when it comes to pictures. Remember that you want to be seen the way others see you too. While you want flattering photos, you want to make sure that it still looks like you in the pictures. Shane Snider, Shane Snider Photography
3. Laugh! It’s flattering on everyone. Melissa McClure, Melissa McClure Photography
4. Think about the moment. Capturing the romance of the day, the emotion, excitement & intimacy is what it’s all about. Don’t look at your photographer, look at your new spouse and savor it all. Your photographs will be amazing & true. Kate Harrison, Kate Harrison Photography
5. Forget the camera is there and try your best to be playful and warm. Sarah Rhoads, Sarah Rhoads Photographers
6. Have an engagement session. This is so valuable for client and photographer. The clients have an opportunity to relax and be in front of the camera and the photographer can get to know his or her clients. By the time I am at the wedding we are friends and this makes everyone more relaxed! Susan Adler, Susan Adler Photography
Get the Look
7. Practice in the mirror! Study your face and figure out the best smile (or maybe you like your serious face better) and angle for you. Melissa McClure, Melissa McClure Photography
8. Be comfortable. For engagement and portrait shoots, wear clothing that is flattering, but comfortable too! If your 6 inch stilettos are hurting your feet, it will show in your face! Melissa McClure, Melissa McClure Photography
9. Keep makeup and eyelashes normal and classic. Steve Dohring, Photographer
10. Mind the lens. Try to not allow one part of your body to be closer to the lens because it will make that part appear larger than the rest of your body. Corey Balazowich, Corey Ann Photography
11. Get in position. To make your neck look more elongated, drop your shoulders and raise your chin. Imagine that you are being pulled by a string from the top of your head. Corey Balazowich, Corey Ann Photography
12. Be prepared. If you are prone to have flyaways or random frizzies in your hair, have a toothbrush with hairspray on standby! One squirt and swoop will tame most frizzies and help your hair look super smooth for pictures. Corey Balazowich, Corey Ann Photography
13. Have white chalk handy. White chalk hides stains on wedding gowns. If you are worried about grass stains, general dirt or in case there is a spill on your wedding day, make sure to have some on hand! It works in a jiffy and no one will know but you! Corey Balazowich, Corey Ann Photography
14. Dab. If you are planning on getting married in the summer and want outdoor photos, oil dabbing strips are a MUST HAVE! Make sure the groom has a hanky too. Sweaty photos are not pretty! Corey Balazowich, Corey Ann Photography
Strike a Pose
15. Not head on. To look thinner, keep your shoulder to the camera and avoid facing the camera straight on. Hide behind the groom a bit or tuck into his armpit to slim yourself down. Steve Dohring, Photographer
16. Don’t look down. To avoid a double chin, have the photographer shoot from above the eye/face level. Tilt the head a bit sideways to hide the chin and have the photographer avoid shooting from the side. (I also remove as much of the double chin as possible in editing with Photoshop.) Henry Chen, Henry Chen Photography
17. Hand on hip. Every girl feels insecure about her bare arms in a strapless dress. The remedy? Instead of the arm laying flat against the torso and making it look wider, simply toss the hand on the hip. It will make the arm much more toned looking. Sarah Rhoads, Sarah Rhoads Photographers
18. Angle yourself. Balance your weight on your back foot and cross the other foot in front of the other in a T fashion. Pop a hip towards the camera but at an angle. This is universally appealing and slimming, especially when combined with hands on the hips. Corey Balazowich, Corey Ann Photography
See the Light
19. Natural light is your friend! Getting ready in a room with windows makes for great pictures. Not only is the light beautiful, it is also flattering and makes your skin look amazing. Opening the shades whenever you can will add a lot to the pictures in any situation. Will and Lauren Aves, Aves Photographic Design
20. Make sure your reception is well-lit. The best wedding receptions seen in magazines have lighting covering the dance floor and on the cakes and table arrangements. Consider hiring a lighting company to light your reception or ask the venue/band/DJ to light your reception for you. The pictures will be amazing and you won’t regret it! Will and Lauren Aves, Aves Photographic Design
21. Don’t let it get TOO dark during dancing. DJs and bands love a dark dance floor to entice people to get loose. Photographers, of course, want this too and want to get fun dance shots of the crowd, but we need a little light to focus on people. Ask the venue ahead of time not to turn off the lights entirely. Also, during your first dance, have spotlights! Will and Lauren Aves, Aves Photographic Design
22. Use spotlights. If you are planning a candlelight ceremony, be sure to have a spotlight shining on the area where you will be saying your vows. Will and Lauren Aves, Aves Photographic Design
23. Prevent the squinty look. If the sun is really bright, close your eyes and ask your photographer to let you know when s/he is going to take the picture. Open them when s/he tells you and that will eliminate the ‘squinty’ look. This also works if you typically wear glasses and do not want to wear them for portraits. Corey Balazowich, Corey Ann Photography
Love Yourself
24. Love yourself. After photographing hundreds of brides I can tell you that every single bride is beautiful on this day, regardless if they consider themselves plain, overweight etc. The transformation is always astounding. Accept it, believe it and be confident the camera will see it. Steve Dohring, Photographer
25. Be happy. Happiness is beauty! Susan Adler, Susan Adler Photography
Photos: Amanda and Phil, Geoff White Photographers
Photo One: Amy and Michael’s Intimate Wedding
Photo Two: Elizabeth and Ryan’s Intimate NY Wedding
Photo Three: Katie and Darren’s Cuisine-Inspired Wedding
Today, I saw a tweet by Modern Photographers with the words: “We’re all going to die.” Of course I had to click on it. Wow. Inspiring and interesting work from an amazing Danish photographer. It really makes one think about ‘the big picture.’
I was reminded of how art really stops us in our tracks. Makes us think. Jars us out of our little realities full of tweets and texts, and reminds us of the big stuff. Finding a partner to accompany you during life’s mysterious journey – and making a ‘forever’ commitment to that person – that’s big stuff. The favors, the shoes, the save-the-dates – just details. Little details. Remember the big stuff.
I keep seeing eye-candy wedding inspiration boards all over the web. “How do I make one?” you ask. That’s what I wanted to know, so I started poking around and found BigHugeLabs.com. It makes it easy to create a photo montage of your favorite images. I made this simple one with a few of my mini-paintings in about five minutes. Another website that is popular for creating illustration boards is Polyvore.com.
BigHugeLabs.com is easy to use and lets you make a huge variety of photo creations. I made this quickie poster using an image from Amanda and Casey’s wedding.
You’re hiring a photographer to cover the wedding, but what about all the great shots that your guests are going to take with their digital cameras? There’s a good chance you won’t end up seeing many of the photos that your guests take, and that’s a shame. That’s why I loved reading about the invention of a computer-based kiosk that allows wedding guests to insert their camera memory cards and upload photos on the spot. The New York Times online writes:
“{Rush Hambleton’s} invention is a computer-based kiosk for events like wedding receptions. As guests leave, they are invited to insert their cameras’ memory cards into the device. The kiosk stores the photos on a thumb drive that the bride and groom can take home. (His research showed guests didn’t want all those photos.)
The kiosk, the size of a small cabinet, has been to 11 weddings so far as well as summer camps. The next step is to raise half a million dollars to pay for miniaturizing the kiosk — he wants it small enough to be packed and shipped.
What if you don’t live in New York and have no chance of renting this device? Create your own. That’s what Nikki, who hails from Calgary, Alberta, did at her May 2008 wedding. She and her groom didn’t want any of their guests’ photos getting away, so they set up their laptop at the reception and had Nikki’s aunt man the ‘download station.’
“We set up the laptop near the door at the reception. The hall we rented had a coat check area right at the door with a counter that had the necessary plug ins,” she says. “My aunt took care of the station. She did everything, I just gave her the laptop and card reader (which I bought at Walmart for $25) and she took care of the rest.”
The MC and DJ let guests know about the download station throughtout the evening, reminding them to copy their photos before they left the reception.
The result?
“It was SO worth the effort. I would have missed some amazing shots as well as some group shots of friends. I ended up with close to 700 extra photos. At no cost!,” she says.
Her advice?
“I would highly suggest having someone take care of the station for you, that way you aren’t worried about it. Also, as my aunt loaded photos, she had a slide show rolling for people to watch. There was always at least two people standing around and watching the pictures. It is also so much easier than asking everyone to mail you a CD or trying to track people down to get certain photos of people. I now have enough candids to fill in the parts of the day/night that the photographer missed,” she says
If you are considering a ‘download station’ at your wedding, here’s some other things to keep in mind:
Photo: Anne Ryan, zrweddings.com
Anne Ruthmann, a brilliantly talented wedding photographer based in Lowell, MA (she travels worldwide to cover weddings) recently shared some great wedding photography tips with me. She read my article 13 Wedding Photographer Tips You Shouldn’t Do Without and wanted to add a few more helpful tips to the piece. Here’s what she says:
I feel like the 7% figure ($2100) seems low on a $30,000 wedding. (My wedding was around $18,000 and we signed a photographer for $2500). I actually find that my clients who have the smallest weddings tend to spend more than 10% on their photography. Of course it’s completely up for interpretation, but I just thought I’d share my experiences and perceptions of the market over the last three or four years.
I like to suggest that clients ask to see an entire sets of proofs from a wedding that will have similar lighting conditions to theirs – for example, historic church and golf club reception, or outdoor ceremony and tent reception, etc. If they can view the entire set of proofs from one or two full weddings, then they’ll have a better idea of how the photographer captures and edits the entire wedding day- which will give them a more realistic idea of what to expect from that photographer.
Oh yes – and very important that the work they’re looking at is the actual photographer who will be at their wedding (you elude to this in regards to meeting the photographer, but not necessarily in the part about viewing the work.) Some companies don’t even have samples of a photographer’s work before sending them out on the job – and that’s fine if people want to take a chance and get a bargain, but if photos are important, they should be looking at images from the photographer that will be at their wedding.
I think that it’s important for brides to ask photographers about the album process up front. Some will create a draft design of the album, which may be more pages than they’ve actually been contracted for in the hopes of upselling. Some will have the client select the images before starting the design. A client should be comfortable with the album design process and know what it will be up front. This is often one of the most elusive parts of the process.
Thanks so much Anne for taking the time to share your wisdom with brides-to-be!
Photo: Anne Ruthmann Photography
Maybe you are looking for the perfect photographer for your wedding day, or maybe you have already found one. Either way, this wedding photography advice from brides who have been there could help you avoid some major (or minor) wedding photography disasters.
Wedding Photography Advice
I would take pictures in front of the house. I would take more pictures with my friends.
Amanda
The only thing I would change is I would have taken a few more specific pictures.
Therese
The only thing that I wish I had done, but did not do was get a picture of my mom, my grandmother and me. That was supposed to happen before the wedding, but we ran out of time and after the wedding, I was so tired and hungry I chose not to do it. Big mistake.
Mellinda
There is only one thing I would change. I would make a list of the pictures I wanted the photographer to take. Because my in-laws are divorced and remarried, there are some combinations that are missing.
Carla
I would …have someone watch to make sure my little nephews didn’t grab all the disposable cameras and use up every roll on their parents’ stomachs!
Jane
Wedding Videography Advice
The camcorder didn’t work due to the high dew factor on the beach so (my parents) didn’t even get to see the ceremony on video … If I had to do it over again, I’d get a better camcorder.
Paula
I would have tried harder to save for a video. We didn’t quite have the money so we didn’t have a video. I wish now that we did.
Jennifer
I would have paid to have a videographer. It was left in a family member’s hands and we ended up with no video of the day! Very disappointing!
Maggie
Photo: Ralph Heinze Photography
