One of the most important days of your life is approaching–choosing the right wedding photographer can be a daunting task! Certainly, you want the highest quality of wedding photographs without going broke. You are looking for a wedding photographer who is in tune with your wedding style as you imagine that day. You also want a photographer who is professional, experienced, talented, and a pleasure to work with.

Partnering with the right photographer is easy when you know what to ask. Start by doing a quick phone interview of each wedding photographer to narrow down your choices. Find out first if they are available for your wedding day—if they’re not, it narrows things down immediately. Ask about prices, who will be photographing the wedding, what style of wedding photography they use to shoot weddings (black and white, color, posed photos or candid shots).

After you narrow down your wedding photographer choices, you’ll want to set up a date to interview the photographer. In some large companies, the photographer you talk to might not be the one they send out for your event. Make sure you interview the photographer who will actually be at your wedding and see his/her portfolio, in order to evaluate their style.

You’ll also want to find out what happens if the wedding photographer you choose is fired before or right after your wedding date. It will put your mind at rest if you are assured that your wedding will be photographed even if your photographer is no longer with the company and that you will also have access to your photos no matter what the hiring status of the photographer.

Be sure to ask these questions when interviewing the photographer:

1) Experience Level.

On the most important day of your life, you want someone who is an expert at wedding photography to preserve your memories in a professional manner. Therefore, it’s very important to make sure you ask your wedding photographer questions about their experience.

Is this a job or a hobby for the wedding photographer?

Do they have formal training or education in wedding photography?

You might be tempted to save money by hiring a novice wedding photographer, but do you want stunning photos that capture your special day or just so-so ones?

Do they frequently photograph weddings?

Some photographers are better at static and posed studio photography than action oriented and “on location” wedding photography. Photographing a wedding involves capturing spontaneous moments, not just poses, so it’s important to have someone who is an expert.

Does the wedding photographer use professional-grade equipment, and do they have back-up equipment available, just in case?

Have they photographed weddings in your chosen location before?

Prior experience in a location gives the wedding photographer an advantage because he’ll know ahead of time what film, filters or flash he/she might need to get the best results.

2) Ask About Their Portfolio.

Photography is an art, so it’s understandable that you may or may not like the style used by the wedding photographer. To make sure you’re going to love the way your wedding is photographed, request to see a portfolio featuring their work.

To make an educated decision, you’ll want to view an entire wedding portfolio from start to finish, not the best few photos from many weddings. Ask what style the wedding photographer uses. Some photographers tend to like more posed shots while others have what is called a photojournalistic style, which involves more candid shots.

Ask if he/she likes to use color photos, black and whites or a mixture. Also, ask if they use a digital camera and retouch the photos to make them black and white, or if they use film.

3) Will They Dress the Part?

Your wedding photographer will be spending a lot of time with you on you on the most important day of your life. It’s crucial that his or her personality blends in, making it a pleasure to have him/her at your side.

If the wedding photographer makes you uneasy in a short interview then don’t hire them for your event!

No matter how charming he is, you’ll want to make sure the wedding photographer will dress the part and look professional while taking those important photos.

Finally, ask about any assistants. Ask if you can meet them and ask about how they will dress and conduct themselves to ensure your wedding goes smoothly.

4) Money and Technical Matters.

Though you don’t want to skimp on wedding photos, it is important to make sure this particular photographer isn’t going to break your budget. Find out ahead of time about how much it will cost to have him/her photograph your wedding.

You’ll want to know how much time you’ll be allotted, and how many rolls of film they’ll take during that time. If the wedding photographer uses digital cameras, ask how many shots they will take to ensure the event is well-documented.

Most photographers offer packages that specify a certain amount of pictures for a set fee. If you don’t see a size of photograph that you want, ask if those packages can be customized to meet your needs.

You’ll also want to ask about the cost of albums and copies, since you’re probably going to fall in love with a lot more of the photos than you bargained!

Ask about deposit and cancellation policies. In order to hold your date, what method of deposit is needed? What are the cancellation policies? If the wedding photographer cancels, will your deposit be refunded?

5) Ask If You Can Get It In Writing!

You’ll want a contract to protect you in case you’re unhappy with the services of your wedding photographer. If you end up going to court to settle matters, the judge will only be concerned with the conditions written in the contract. Therefore, it’s very important to make sure you get all of the details in writing.

The contact should include:

Expected services, fees, cancellation policy, fee schedule and all aspects of your photo packages written in detail.

You’ll also want their name and address, as well as your name and address on the contract. Be certain that the contract has a signature and date for both of you and that you receive a copy of both sides.

When it comes to Asian weddings, such important events should not be left in the hands of amateur photographers! Even if your cousin or your aunt takes excellent photographs, a wedding is just too important to ask someone you know and love to take pictures for you. It is very necessary to turn to the services of a qualified, trained, and professional asain wedding photographer if a soon to be married couple wants any assurance that the wedding photos will be nothing short of excellent. Friends and family should be enjoying the wedding, not taking photos of the ceremony and events. You don’t want one or two people left out of your wedding pictures because those one or two people were taking photos the entire course of the wedding and reception! UK asain wedding photographers offer superlative services for couples who intend to wed in the near future. When it comes time to locate one or more UK wedding photographers, the couple needs to examine the credentials of the photographers, the years of experience that the photographers have, the UK wedding photographers’ photographic portfolios, the packages supplied by the photographers, and the overall level of professionalism that the photographers exude. While it is only necessary to choose one photographer or one team of photographers out of all the UK wedding photographers considered, the weighted significance on a couple’s selection cannot be over emphasized. Since a wedding is a once in a lifetime experience which will be cherished for many years to come, the couple will want to hire the best of the best when it comes time to choose one of many UK wedding photographers. UK wedding photographers are certainly in abundance but that does not mean that every single photographer delivers the types of services a couple might expect. The bride and groom will need to clearly locate UK wedding photographers that are intimately familiar with the type of traditions one will maintain in a wedding and reception so that such traditions and moments of incredible importance can be properly captured in beautiful photographs. Here the style used by the UK wedding photographers will need to be thoroughly examined and questioned; a couple will want to know what type of photographic approach that the UK wedding photographers utilise when taking photographs at the wedding and reception. Understanding the significance behind tradition and familial values is part of being a good wedding photographer. For example, if the couple is having an Indian wedding ceremony, the photographer will need to be able to recognize some of the typical traditions and events that occur in Indian weddings worthy of photographic attention. Thus attention to the type of wedding ceremony being held is crucial for the photographer, and the couple will want to question the photographer’s experience when it comes to various wedding traditions and ceremonies. UK wedding photographers will vary in terms of the packages offered to couples, so what is included in packages will need to be carefully reviewed. In addition to formal photographs of the bride, groom, the in-laws and the wedding party, the couple might also have an interest in outdoor photos, photos of the wedding location, and the reception area, and of friends and family enjoying the ceremony and reception. Posed photos are sometimes desired by couples in addition to spontaneous or candid captures of the wedding. The UK wedding photographers’ portfolios will reveal the exact style that a photographer or studio leans toward and the couple can even suggest that they would like similar poses or captures identified in the portfolios they view. Couples may want to spend a bit of time on the Internet browsing different UK wedding photographers websites too. The web presence established by professional UK wedding photographers makes it truly convenient for couples to seek out qualified wedding photographers while relaxing in the home environment. This step should, however, not exclude the act of making sure you go to visit the studio of a photographer; a meeting should be had with the photographer in person so that portfolios can be viewed, packaging options can be discussed, and so the photographer can provide the couple with information about his or her services. At this meeting, the couple can then determine if the UK wedding photographer has the type of personality that is conducive to the wedding: one that will come across as warm, professional, friendly, and approachable. The couple will have a chance to review the images captured by the UK wedding photographers hired and to choose the images that are most appealing. Some UK wedding photographers offer wedding album compilations services as well; the images are all placed into a pre-selected wedding book for the bride and groom. This saves the bride and groom an extra step after the wedding of having to place all of the photographic captures into a protective wedding album. It also ensures that the photos will be in an album suitable to photographs: one that will look after the longevity of the images captured on the couple’s wedding day.

A photo shoot is often something we want to get over with so that we can get back to our guests and get the party started! With that being said, the photo shoot is not something you want to go through half heartedly. By investing time and effort in this you will create lasting memories of your Big Day (and the guests will wait for you – they are not going anywhere!). To survive your photo shoot I would suggest you pack yourself a goodie-bag that would carry you through your photo shoot and the rest of your day – you can ask your maid of honour or a bride’s maid to keep this bag of miracles close-by.

Tissues and wet wipes


A session like this can be quite time-consuming and as a Very Important Person (if not the most), you want to be prepared to get through this and still look like a million dollars! Tissues and wet wipes will come in very handy when it feels like you are melting away – a great tool for damage control!

Touch-up make-up


Standing around with a permanent smile while the sun is beating down on you is no joke, but at least you can ensure that you look absolutely beautiful while doing it. Pack some touch-up make-up, especially lipstick and powder to take away any shine left by the weather (or your nerves).

Brush and clips


The weather (wind) or just going through the motions might have an unpleasant effect on the hair style you spent so much time on – more additions to your goodie bag would be a brush and extra clips or hairspray (if needed).

Props


A colourful sarong that can double up as a prop or a dark blanket to keep your dress clean while striking a pose would be a wise add-on. Ask your photographer whether he/she will be providing these items, if not pack them yourself. This will be used whenever you need to sit down (or get creative) in an open field, on a beach etc.

Bottled water and snacks


The bride is usually way to nervous to eat something before the ceremony and way to busy mingling to have something after the photo shoot. Pack some light snacks to have in between shots, like nuts, a banana and a bottle of still water (cheese curls and Fanta Grape would be a bad choice!)



With this life-saver goodie bag by your side, you are now geared for any unforeseen events. Take a deep breath, bum in, bosom out and smile!

Your wedding day goes by so quickly, it’s just obvious that you’ll do everything in your power to preserve your memories! I can’t think of a better way of doing this that with a Wedding Scrapbook.

Its important to decide what your goal is before you enthusiastically approach your first page. Would this book only tell your wedding day tale or do you want it to include everything from the engagement to the honeymoon? Decide on a look and feel (romantic, vintage, clean) as well as on the colour scheme before you start this exciting project.

The most popular way is to go with your wedding colours, but it might be interesting to add a bit of extra colour, for example if your wedding colours were white and lilac, you can add silver and a deep purple to this, even a slight touch of pink. As long as the colours don’t overpower your photos – the extras should be subtle in order to make your photos the primary focus (the majority of the memorabilia can be stored in a nice memento box). You wouln’t want to look at this in 15 years and shreak, therefore its better to keep it simplistic, which will definitely guarantee a timeless and elegant look.

It would be wise to do your planning before you hit the shops. This would include how many pages your album would be, what photos and memorabilia you’d like to use etc. To create a personal, intimate feel, use the more spontaneous photos for scrap booking, the more posed photos can be framed or sent to family members, the remainder of the photos can be stored in a separate album. It’s a good idea to print a duplicate set to work with – this would give you peace as you’re working, knowing that your originals are safe.

Memorabilia you might want to include:

- Wedding and bridal shower invites

- Fabric from your dress (as well as any other fabric samples)

- Receipts

- Bridal registry

- Napkins

- Any form of printed material (menu, song-list etc, congrats and thank-you cards)

- Honeymoon tickets and extras

- Congrats and thank you cards

The foundation of a scrapbook is the journaling, sit down somewhere where you won’t be disturbed and go back to that special day – What did you feel when preparing for this big day, when the minister declared you husband and wife, sitting at the reception looking at your guests? When writing, be real and be yourself. We so often forget these very special moments, this way your memories will be preserved as long as you both shall live.

Bring in some of your friends or family’s thoughts – ask a few people you are close to, to write down a sentence or two on what it was that stood out for them on this day (supply them with nice paper or a colourful pen). Start the book with a dedication page – why you are creating this book, why your wedding day was such a special day etc. Some other pages you can add is “what I remember” or “what I was grateful for” or even “what didn’t matter at this stage” – as women we often plan this day and want it to be absolutely perfect, but when we are in the moment, we realize that that’s so not the point of this day.

As you create your book, be real and true – don’t only choose the perfect pictures – being real when choosing your photos and writing your love story will show throughout your book. And most of all, enjoy making this book and enjoy this season!

For info on wedding photographers in South Africa go to SA Wedding Photographers

It’s always nice to know what you’re in for when you have your wedding photos done as this will prepare you mentally. Important questions to consider prior to your big day would be what style of photos you prefer as this can be either traditional, spontaneous, arty etc. Another question would be whether you’d prefer colour, sepia or black and white photos; with or without frames or a mix of everything. This all needs to be discussed with your wedding photographer before the wedding day – besides the fact that he/she needs to know what your preferences and requirements are, the photographer can give you some guidance and advice on must-have shots so that the photos you imagine can take on real life form.

Although there are so many hair styles to choose from, keep in mind that you’ll have to look at these photos for ever, so I would advise against anything very different or extreme (the kids will probably just tease you about this later!). If you want your wedding photos to be timeless, go for a classic, simplistic hair style that would be easy to manage throughout your photo shoot and day.

Its important to have a trial run with your make-up to avoid last minute disappointment. You know what you feel comfortable with, again, this needs to suit your personality. You want to mingle with your guests feeling comfortable and self assured. Your wedding make-up should compliment you, not change you – rather keep it natural and fresh.

Keep the main thing the main thing – firstly you need to feel comfortable and most importantly be yourself so that your unique personality would reflect on the photos. But a girl needs all the help she can get and if a few props will help you to relax and have fun – why not! Take some props with or ask the photographer to supply some interesting objects that you can use during your photo shoot, for example a hat, colourful sarong (that will double up to keep your dress clean in case you have to get down and dirty), a wedding invitation, your garter, a cigar for the groom etc . Give your photographer some healthy attitude and the right tools to be creative.

We so often invest our precious time in things that won’t last – yes, its important that you look absolutely breathtaking but besides looking beautiful, the photo shoot takes priority as this is what you would take with you long after the champagne has lost its bubble. You can either shy away and lose out on stunning memories or you can forget yourself, go beyond yourself and have fun!

South Africa is the dream wedding destination.  Whether you are a South African bridal couple or investigation South Africa from abroad, South Africa caters for all.  With a kaleidoscope of natural splendour and unmatched cultural diversity, South Africa brings you four seasons in one.  With the following savings tips, you can now have your dream South African wedding on a shoestring.

 

1 Wedding style, wedding date

The first important decision to make is you wedding date.  South African summers are sunny, hot and humid.  For a summer South African wedding, opt for a late afternoon or sunset ceremony and evening reception.  Autumn is a beautiful time in broader South Africa.  But be aware that an autumn South African wedding means decrease in temperatures at sunset.  Especially areas situated near large rivers in the Highveld areas can make an autumn wedding a pre-winter one.  Yes, winter weddings are becoming more fashionable. Why not, it is romantic and cosy.  South African winters can be cold and dry.  Opt then for Kwa-Zulu Natal for an ideal beach wedding or a romantic, cosmopolitan Western Cape wedding.  Winter in the Western Cape is cold and wet but beautifully green.  Finally, a spring South African wedding is picturesque.  Take spring and summer rain into consideration when planning a garden wedding.  South African spring can be cold even deep into September.  October is viewed as one of the most beautiful months for weddings in South Africa.  Rather spend a bit more time in the selection of the correct wedding date and you can save a lot on emergency planning.

 

2 Wedding venues

Now that you have selected the wedding date, you need to consider the area in South Africa.  South Africa is divided into nine provinces, each with own beauty and unique features.  The selection of area for your wedding is dependent on both your wedding style and your wedding date.  Opt for a more traditional wedding in a smaller town in the North-West province.  An unforgettable country wedding is the ideal in the Free State.  For a romantic, misty wedding, opt for the higher mountain areas in Mpumalanga.  Select the Limpopo province for a traditional African wedding.  The Cape provinces provide a Mediterranean, cosmopolitan wedding whilst the wild at heart can enjoy Kwa-Zulu Natal for a beach-front wedding.  In each province are a great majority of wedding venues.  Now you can save time and co-ordination stress by visiting the Wedding Venue Hub.  This hub provides you with a directory of wedding venues listed per town or city and per province.  Another fashionable alternative for a wedding venue is a stylish tent wedding.  Marquees and free form tents are ideal for unforgettable wedding receptions and enjoyable by guests.  Visit the Tents and Tent Hire directory to view tent event options suitable for your ideal wedding.

3 Wedding dress

Now that you have made the correct decision about your wedding style, date and wedding venue, make sure your wedding dress suits the above.  Visit the Wedding Dress Hub and make contact with a wedding dressmaker in either your area or the town/city were your wedding will take place.  The Wedding Dress Hub is a directory of wedding dressmakers listed per province. 

4 Wedding photographer

Finally, you need to select the correct wedding photographer to capture this memorable day forever.  Visit the Wedding Photographer Hub to select a photographer in the area of your wedding that will not only save on travelling expenses, but will also ensure a photographer familiar with the area were your wedding takes place. 

 In summary, you can have the dream South African wedding on a shoestring.  The secret is to spend more time to make the correct basic decisions on your wedding style, wedding date, wedding venue, wedding dress and wedding photographer.  By investing in these choices, you can select services in a specific area that are cost effective, you will save on travelling costs and you will select service providers familiar with the area.