Budget Wedding Photography Tips

Wedding photographs make up one of the most important aspects of planning your nuptials. You’ll most certainly want to have these visual reminders of each other, the families, and all the other guests to look back on with fond memories in the future.

But like any other professional service, when you are trying to budget wedding photography into the mix, you will soon discover (if you don’t know already!) that pictures don’t come cheap – especially when taken by a pro! Fortunately, there are ways of planning the picture-taking part of your wedding that can help take the strain off of an already-tight budget. Read on to learn more. …

Packages

Most professional photographers realize that not everyone getting married can spend a fortune on their pictures and must budget wedding photography accordingly. Different types of packages are offered to couples that consist of a certain number of pictures of different events during the wedding in different sizes. Some photographers even offer the services of more than one photographer.

Packages usually consist of a number of photos, for instance, combinations of candid pictures of events leading up to the ceremony. Some of these may include the mother of the bride or the maid/matron of honor adjusting the bride’s veil; bridesmaids looking on as the bride affixes her garter; a picture of the soon-to-be bride looking in the mirror in her dressing room; pictures of the mother, father, and siblings of the bride and groom; group and individual shots of the bride and the groom with their bridesmaids/best men; and other prior-to-the-ceremony events the couple may wish to have saved for posterity.

Pictures During the Ceremony

During the ceremony, pictures include such shots as mother/father of both bride and groom coming down the aisle; bridesmaids, flower girl, and ring bearer’s entrance and walk down the aisle; the bride and her father making their aisle walk, and, of course, the bride and groom with the minister during the exchange of vows and the traditional kiss. Some of these could conceivably be eliminated for budget wedding photography.

After the Ceremony

Photographs taken after the ceremony include the receiving line, the wedding cake and the bride and groom cutting/eating the cake, the bride and her father and then the groom dancing, and so on. Most of these types of shots are must-haves and impossible to exclude during budget wedding photography cuts.

Establish Open Communications (Be Frank!)

Be very upfront with your photographer about your budget wedding photography situation. He or she may be willing, if you ask, to give you negatives of some of the more casual shots so that you can have them developed yourself. Another way to save money with wedding photographers is to pass on them putting together your album(s) and making the albums yourself.

Budget wedding photography can be done, but you do have to think about it and plan in advance. And most importantly, make it a point to discuss your needs with each photographer you are considering hiring. You don’t want any wedding-day disasters because of a simple misunderstanding! So with those thoughts in mind, take your time in your quest for the best pictures on a day that may only come once in a lifetime.