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Wedding Photographer
The wedding photographer issue, when planning your wedding, is one
of the most critical elements you will need to consider. In his or
her hands is held the record of this most momentous occasion of your
lifetime, for better or worse.
Not only should you require at least two to three references from
your potential wedding photographer and follow-up by calling them if
you do not already know them, but you should be able to view a
portfolio of the work for yourself.
While you are at the wedding photographer's studio, discuss and/or
draft a proposal with them. They may have pre-formatted packages if
they are part of a professional organization, or they may not. In
any case, they may not include all that you want, and you may need
to work a deal for additional options.
You should then compare rates to other reputable wedding
photographers before signing any contract. You should take the
precaution of having a clause of your own that allows for a generous
settlement should the photographer fail to show up, be late, or if
the pictures are unacceptable.
This should also include an agreed upon length of time it will take
the wedding photographer's studio to produce the proofs, as well as
the amount of time until you have the final pictures. Agree as to
whether the package includes an album and if so, exactly what it
will look like. If you don't like the design of the album, but
everything else is acceptable, you can agree to supply an album that
you prefer.
Leaving anything 'up to fate', can result in months of aggravation
and possible long-term disappointment. This is one day that will
never be repeated, and your wedding photographer's hand-work will be
the only visual record you will ever have of the happiest day of
your life. You will want to treasure it always.
It is a good idea as well, to agree in writing how many takes of
each pose or shot the contract will allow. This is to ensure that if
someone does not photograph well, you will have a choice. With a
group, each take could have at least one thing that detracts from
the overall quality of the picture.
A package that includes the usual formal poses of the bride and
groom, the bride, the wedding party, the families, etc., as well as
an arrangement for the wedding photographer to attend the reception
and take informal shots, is probably the ultimate, if you can afford
it.
At the wedding reception, the wedding photographer might take
pictures of the first dance of the newly married, couple, the dance
with the bride and her father, the groom and his mother, etc. You
will want pictures of the cake and of the bride and groom cutting
the cake. You may also want to have pictures of the guests dancing,
or other elements of the reception, depending on your budget.
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