Wedding Photography Survival Tips: The Preparation

Written by Christina N Dickson, portrait photographer and instructor for the Institute in Photographic Studies.

Weddings.
To the inexperienced photographer, the first wedding is that single most daunting event that stands as Mt. Everest in one’s profession. It is a feat that could define success or failure for the rest of one’s career. Much preparation is required. Much focus is essential. Much passion is critical.
Every detail of the day is important. The clothes. The favors. The people. Tensions are high. Schedules are tight. Emotions are charged. A wedding shoot is not the time to test one’s people skills or experiment with portraits. It is a day that an experienced photographer must practice everything he or she has ever known.
However, each wedding photographer has had a “first time”. On this day, the photographer discovers the key to thriving in the world of wedding photography: An ability to take the unpredictable in stride and thrive amidst challenges.
What does this look like to an inexperienced wedding photographer? How does a novice go about capturing beautiful shots in unpredictable and varied settings? With a little bit of hard work, these 8 tips will help you cover essential preparations for a successful wedding shoot.

Picture Perfect

The right photographer is the key; here is what to know before you hires from starting the search to signing the contract. Yes diamonds are forever but they’re not the only wedding investment that stands the rest of time. After the wedding dress is put away, the photographer remains as the tangible reminder of your special day. Most couples consider a good photographer a worthwhile splurge. In fact, it’s not unrealistic to spend $2,000 or more on this service, so choosing the person who will capture your memories on film should be anything but a snap judgment. To guarantee great photos, you need to keep a few things in mind.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Find a photographer you really love, but first set a budget because photographers encounter clients to be straightforward about what they can spend. Take caution against hiring an amateur or even a professional photographer from another field, such as journalism. This is not an event where it’s safe to bring in someone who’s inexperienced.

STYLE AND SUBSTANCE: A couple searches fist and foremost for someone who shares their vision about how their wedding day should be documented. Before you choose a photographer, decide what sort of shorts moves you. There are traditional poses, photojournalistic and candid, or those that look like from a fashion magazine. Get referrals from friends, check online portfolios, and scan local magazines for images so you can get some ideas. Once you feel confident, schedule appointments with five or six photographers you like.

IT JUST CLICKS: Once you find the perfect list of contenders, the bride and groom should sit down together to conduct interviews. Review the sample shots of each photographer, and don’t be afraid to ask for additional images. Request the full album from at least one wedding. Another suggestion is bring samples of photography that have caught your eye.

GET IT IN WRITING: Once you’ve found someone within your budget don’t be afraid to pounce. Good photographers tend to be booked early. Before you sign the contract read the fine print.

Wedding Food

Wedding food can have such a wide variety of possibilities that we could literally write a book about wedding food. A small wedding at home will often have the bride and her family planning and cooking the food. Often brides think they save money by cooking themselves but in the scheme of things sometimes that is not the case. Many caterers prepare fancy wedding food that is easily purchased and served as though you had prepared it yourself. If you are having your wedding at a large hotel, the wedding food can have the sky as the limit for fine dinging. Usually your wedding food selection is one of the bride and grooms favorite food and sometimes foods that they ate on their first date. Hotel wedding food can go from a simple hors d'oeuvres selection to an elaborate 7 course meal. Your wedding food selected will certainly be a meal you will never forget.

Wedding Photography

Wedding photography is, to my thinking the most important element to a wedding . After all you will live with those wedding pictures for a lifetime. So plese make certain that you get a good photographer that is reliable and comes highly reccommended. Don't hesitate asking for references and look at all of the weddings they have done. You can ask for the negatives but usually that will cost you more. Today everything is digital and much more forgiving for the wedding photographer. Plan, Plan, Plan.....for these fabulous wedding photography pictures.

Beach Weddings

What could be more romantic than a beach wedding ? I have been to Mexico and seen many brides getting married with beach wedding and they look lovely. Everyone from the beach becomes your guest and they even cry when the vows are said. When planning a beach wedding make certain you remember that you will probably want to go barefooted so the wedding gown should go along with that theme. Beach Weddings are a simple, informal way to tie the know at a glamorous location on a budget.