Find Inexpensive Wedding Photographer

Finding an inexpensive wedding photographer does not necessarily mean you have to hire an inexperienced photographer. However, it does require you to do some research and negotiating in order to get the best possible price from the photographer. Here are a few tips to get you started in your quest to find a reputable yet inexpensive wedding photographer.

1. You should get estimates and price quotes from several photographers in your area. This way you can have a little bit of leverage when you begin your negotiations.

2. Start looking online for coupons to your local photographers. Once you have a few coupons for different photographers you should get a price quote. Make sure you do not tell the company you have a coupon, save that for when you are signing the contract.

3. Negotiate with the photographer. If there are things in your package that you do not need, offer to relinquish those for a reduced price.

4. Keep in mind the number of years a particular company has been in business. Normally, you can expect to pay more money for a highly experienced wedding photographer. But don't feel that you can not negotiate with a veteran photographer to get an inexpensive wedding photographer.

When you are in negotiations with the photographer, you need to be realistic with your expectations. Do not think you are going to be able to get the price reduced by several hundred dollars. That would be offensive to even ask the photographer. They are providing a necessary service and should be compensated for it.

You have to approach the situation with class and style without making yourself look like you are trying to get something for nothing. However, you can approach the photographer without causing him or her to feel offended by simply leaving the ball in their court.

For example, let them know you are not interested in a particular part of the package and ask if there can be a change in price if you do not want the full package.

With these tips you should be able to find the perfect inexpensive wedding photographer for your wedding. Don't get discouraged if you do not get the massive discount you are hoping for, instead be ecstatic that you got a discount at all. At this point, every penny you can save on wedding related expenses is a penny more in your purse.

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20 Wedding Tips You May Never Have

20 Wedding Tips You May Never Have
Church and Reception Reservations -- Consider any events they have booked earlier in the day, so that there is enough time before your wedding to arrive, get ready, decorate and take pictures.

The Church and Reception -- You may have some special requests that are not mentioned or are prohibited that are in print within the information packet. Ask anyway; they may make an exception or their policy may have changed.

Mother-of-the-Groom -- You more than likely will want to have her involved in the wedding plans to some extent. It may be best to gracefully discuss in the beginning how you would like to have her participation and let her know that you do appreciate her input, but, you will want to be sure the final decisions are in line with what you and your fiance want for your special day.

Pre-Marital Counseling -- Be prepared that you will need to talk about private, sensitive issues (like money, sex, kids, weaknesses) with the counselor or couple-mentors.

Pamper Yourself -- Let the day of your wedding be slow paced and an enjoyable time with your mother and bridesmaids. Don't cram every moment with something that has to get done -- even if that is hair, nail and makeup appointments. Plan in the day some down time, power nap, or relaxing with a cool refreshment.

Both Mothers -- In addition to you eliminating any special responsibilities on your wedding day, make sure that your mother and the groom's mother also have delegated all of their responsibilities to others, so they are free to enjoy the day.

The Weather -- Your ideal dream wedding may be outside, but, for the enjoyment of your guests (especially the seniors), make accommodations for them to be comfortable should it be a hot day, a wet day or a cold day. Your venue should have a place for them to relax within a shelter until minutes before the wedding.

Your Guests -- This day is about you and your husband, but keep in mind the enjoyment of your invited guests. You are their hostess -- so having "Hostess-Helpers" or a "House Party" taking care of special requests will allow you to have an opportunity to enjoy your guests. Be sure to have instructions about the kind of help you would want them to provide. Generally 1-2 nieces, nephews, cousins or friends of the family (male or female) per 75-100 guests will be suitable, depending on how much and what kinds of tasks they will be doing.

Service Provider's Attire -- All of your family and guests are dressed exquisitely for the occasion. It is okay to ask everyone that is providing a service on site for your wedding to either be in a clean uniform or in wedding appropriate attire so that you have no surprises.

Delegate, Delegate -- everything you possibly can. Have your friends and family asked "Can I help you with anything?" You may not at the moment have an idea of how they can be of help, but assure them you really appreciate their offer. Keep their name and any ideas of what they enjoy doing (cooking, calling, physical work, baking, crafts, errands or even the one who will organize all of the helpers). The less you have to do, the more you are able to enjoy the time anticipating your big day.

Nourishment -- Have light nutritious snacks available during the time the girls are getting ready for the wedding (and the guys will want to have a snack tray also). This is a great item that your volunteers can contribute.

Bride's Special Entrance -- Assign someone to make sure the path is clear of guests from where you leave the bridal suite to where you walk down the aisle so your special appearance is grand.

The Guests at the Wedding -- Be forewarned that the church will be filled with people when you prepare to walk down the aisle -- but focus on your "True Love" and any anxiety should wash away.

Photographer -- Make sure she/he has the order of service, and also the timing that each part of the service will take so that they know just when to be at the right place for those key pictures. Also, it may not be necessary to have a picture taken of every combination of all of the relatives with the bride and groom. In ample time before the wedding, discuss the specific pictures that you would like to have taken.

Wrist Corsages -- They seem to be fragile because of the movement and bumping they receive on an active wrist. Attaching the wrist corsage on the wrist that is not the dominant hand is recommended.

Carrying Your Bouquet -- It is easy to tense-up when you walk down the aisle to your husband-to-be (and also when you walk back down the aisle with your husband). The inclination is to pull your arms up toward your chin. OOPS! You are hiding your beautiful gown. Take a deep breath, get calm and let your arms relax on your hips.

Eat During the Reception -- It may be easy to stay busy during the reception and never take time to eat -- especially if there is a buffet. One of the Hostess Helpers can be assigned to make sure you and your Husband try some of the food and have some refreshment from time to time during the reception, so that you do not have a low spot between the wedding and your final destination that evening.

Wedding Goodbyes -- If you are imagining a big farewell by your guests, be sensitive to when family and other guests will want to leave in the evening, and plan your big Get Away before the attendance winds down.

Wedding Planner -- There are many details to tend to concerning a wedding. You can liken the experience to training for a new occupation. If you think you could use some help, consider the services that a wedding planner can offer. Often she knows the best service providers and can pass on to you special pricing she has negotiated with them. The wedding planner can be secured for the entire planning process or just for 'The Wedding Day'.

It's Your Wedding -- It is okay for you to eliminate a tradition or to add a new tradition. Expect that some may be dismayed about your selections, but, making your wedding unique for you and your fiance is more valuable.

Posted with permission from The Bloomin' Texan, March 2007 issue, Texas State Florists' Association, P.O. Box 140255, Austin, TX 78714 www.tsfa.org

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Wedding Gowns – Getting the Best Out of Your Photographs

One of the most important things to any bride is the wedding photography that captures the magical day, for years to come. Most wedding gowns are made to make the bride look absolutely stunning; however, not all wedding gowns photograph as well as they should, so it is important to consider what your short listed wedding gowns will actually look like, in the photographs.

Wedding Gowns and the Accessories that Make Photographs Special

The types of wedding gowns that will look best in your wedding photographs depend largely on the style of wedding photographs that you have chosen. If you are opting for the contemporary style of photographs that are not staged but actually follow the day, on a more informal basis, then you need to be aware that your choice of wedding gowns will be viewed from every angle.

On the other hand, if you are opting for a small selection of formal photographs purely from the front, then your choice of wedding gowns should focus on the detail at the front of the dress. If you have chosen to have only black and white photographs, it is worth considering what your chosen colors of wedding gowns will look like in monochrome.

Top Photography Hints for Wedding Gowns

Never forget how important the detail on the back of wedding gowns is. During the ceremony, your guests will have little to look at other than the back of your wedding gown. Therefore, it is important that all wedding gowns have some special detail and unique look; it is also a great opportunity for the wedding photographer and a picture from the back of the ceremony venue can be stunning!

Bear in mind that accessories can look a little strange in wedding photographs so it may be worth investing in accessories that are detachable from wedding gowns, so that you can choose whether to have them in a given photograph or not. This is a really good idea when the accessory is particularly detailed as it may be superb as part of a close-up picture, however, it may just look like a stain from a distance!

Another good idea is to have a cardigan or jacket as an accessory for your choice of wedding gowns. This way you can vary the photographs and the look that you present, throughout the day. Wedding photographs can appear a little repetitive; therefore it is a great idea to have a range of accessories and additions so that you can vary the photographs and make it look like you had several wedding gowns and not just the one!

Remember, your choice of wedding gown is going to be captured in your photographs for years to come. When you are choosing your perfect dress, consider its ‘photograph ability’ as well as what it will look like in the flesh – they are both equally important!

by: Elsie Gilbert

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Wedding Video - Selecting a Wedding Videographer

Selecting the right wedding videographer is very important because wedding videos hold special moments from your wedding day. Just like you need to find the perfect wedding dress, it should be without question that you need a quality wedding videographer.

Now I don’t mean a wedding videographer that asks Aunt Gretchen to say a few words about her little niece Sharon who is all grown up. And I don’t mean a wedding videographer that likes to force everyone to smile in the middle of dinner time because he is always in your face with that video camera. Run from those wedding videographers.

The Right Wedding Videographer
Albert Ling of Encore Weddings, was the right videographer for me. He was unobtrusive (we hardly knew he was around), he didn’t use crazy special effects in his previous wedding videos and he had a demeanor that made it easy to feel comfortable around him. Don’t worry, the right wedding videographer for you is out there. And once you find him, hold on tight because he is an important part of your wedding budget and he (along with the wedding photographer) has your once in your lifetime moments in his hands. Make sure your wedding videographer is experienced. You wouldn’t believe how easy it is for someone to just call themselves a videographer. Do you really want to be one of their early wedding video mistakes? Albert had hundreds of video that my husband went through with him during the consultation but even though he had done so many wedding videos, our wedding video was still different from all the others.

I just popped in my wedding DVD (that’s right, I didn’t get my wedding video on VHS) in order to give you some important tips on what to look for in your wedding videographer’s portfolio. Yes, you need to see the wedding videographer’s portfolio.

The Wedding Videographer’s Portfolio
You need to make sure he hasn’t done 1,000 wedding videos that are exactly the opposite approach you want. It also matters if he clearly understands what you want from him. Can he produce that? And has he done that before? You don’t have to see all his videos but you don’t want to see a video montage of what he thinks are his best clips. You want to see what he has done from start to finish. See if the videos were steady if he uses a hand held video camera instead of a tripod. Watch for editing – do they make sense? Are you going from the wedding ceremony to the reception or from the reception decorations to the ceremony? Has he captured all of the members of the wedding party? Was he too slow and didn’t get the “here comes the bride” entrance? Where the close ups “too close up”? Are you having an outdoor wedding? What if it is windy? Does he have unobtrusive mikes for the wedding party? Or will you end up with the sound of wind on the wedding video and muted voices? You also want to be able to speak with happy clients from the wedding videos you liked the most.

One Videographer or Two? One Video Camera or Two?
For my wedding, we had one videographer with one handheld camera. Having a second camera can help obtain extra points of view which may be needed during editing and sometimes if the first camera man is unable to get a shot, the second camera will hopefully be able to pick it up. Our wedding videographer was experienced so we didn’t feel like we needed a second camera or videographer.

Wedding Video on DVD or VHS?
After watching the wedding video once, most people don’t sit through it in full many times after. They usually fast forward to parts that they like which over time wears out your wedding video. If you choose to have your wedding video on DVD, you can easily jump to the parts you want to highlight instead of having to sit through a few hours or constantly fast forward and rewind your videotape.

And speaking of wedding videos that last a few hours - please spare your friends and family. You don’t need every single moment from your wedding day on the wedding video. My wedding video is 30 minutes long. It was set up like a story book with scenes from throughout the day highlighting the wedding ceremony, my father’s speech and the cutting of the cake. The other scenes were played with one of four songs we chose.

Special Additions to Your Wedding Video
The wedding videographer will probably offer you a few additions to your package. I personally felt they were unnecessary but you may feel differently. You may include a prelude of some wedding planning, commentary about the couple from their family and friends, photo montages and video from before the couple met and special effects (slow motion and fading in and out).

Wedding Videographer Cost
You can expect to pay anywhere from $1,000 to $10,000 for your wedding video. The wedding videographer will be one of your biggest wedding budget expenses.

And now some advice that was given to me that I want to share with you.

My matron of honor gave me some advice when I was planning my wedding … even if you are on the fence about a wedding video – just get it! You may never watch it or your grandmother may be the only one that watches it but one day if you want to watch it and you don’t have a wedding video, you will feel incredibly sad about not having one to watch.

One last thing! Make sure you include your wedding videographer (and camera man) on the list for a meal at the reception or else you risk having them take an hour break so they can get some lunch/dinner. (Remember they are working straight close to 8 hours if not more! Feed them! No exceptions.)

by: Shawn Hickman

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Wedding Photography That will last a lifetime

Having pictures that you can look at in the years that follow your wedding is just one of the things that you want to invest your money in. But if you’re on a constricted budget, then there are also options for you.

Things to consider

One of the main things to consider when it comes to photography is what you want from your pictures. Do you want pictures of your while family or mainly of the two of you? If it a larger wedding or is a more private celebration?

You and your soon-to-be spouse should sit down and list all of the pictures that you would like to have in your wedding album—that is, poses for pictures. With this list, you’ll be able to see if you should invest in a professional or consider other options.

Where do you want your pictures taken? Some couples like to have outdoor shots, so they will need to find a photographer that does that as part of their services. The length of time you would like the photographer to be at the wedding will also factor into the price.

Look at photographer samples to see if your styles match. If they don’t, the photographer may recommend someone else. They want you to have good pictures, even if it’s not with them.

When you’re on a budget

If you’re nervous about spending a lot of money on your photographer, but still want a lot of pictures—you’re in luck. With the new and improved digital cameras, you have a better shot (no pun intended) to get great pictures.

Have a good friend (who isn’t in the wedding party) volunteer to take the pictures. Since digital cameras show you what the picture looks like instantly, you can take as many as you need in order to get it just right. And the quality is just as good as many professional photographers.

Another way to get a lot of chances for good pictures is to place disposable cameras at every table. People love to take pictures of other people, so you’ll get a lot of candid shots of your relatives and friends. Plus, the quality is pretty good, so you’re not wasting your money at all.

It doesn’t matter who takes your pictures as long as you get the ones that you want. If you want to have someone else do it, then invest in the professional. But for the budget conscious, having a friend or relative take charge is just as good. (by: Amy Spade)

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