One Shot at the Honey Pot

Dating back as far as 1826, wedding photography remains one of the foundations of the wedding event. Today, most wedding photography services offer a choice of traditional (classically posed) and photojournalistic (spontaneously unposed) photographic styles. Ultimately, the job of the wedding photographer is to capture the atmosphere of the wedding day so that viewers can share in its unique story after the event.

The arrival of digital photography and easy access to the Internet mean that many people can now offer their services as wedding photographers. But it’s important to bear in mind that wedding photography is high pressure – the wedding photographer literally gets only one chance. Wedding photography is also an art in composition, blending, colour and light.

Insist on a thorough consultation with a prospective photographer. This should be a free, no-obligation meeting. Ask for references and to see examples of his or her work. Ideally, one should view full wedding albums, rather than samples of different weddings to get an idea of consistency rather than mere highlights.

Most wedding photographers offer a variety of packages, from basic to all-inclusive. Each package will contain a combination of variously sized photos of your choice. Many packages also include wedding albums for you and your immediate family.

Your wedding photographer should offer formal portraits, indoor and outdoor wedding photos and digital prints. To help you select exactly what photos you want well in advance of the big day, consult the following list of traditional wedding pics:

- The bride and groom during the ceremony
- An official portrait of the bride and groom
- Bride with her mother
- Bride with her father
- The entire wedding party
- Bride with her immediate family
- Bride and groom with bride’s immediate family
- The groom with his immediate family
- Bride and groom with groom’s immediate family
- Bride with her brothers and sisters
- Groom with his brothers and sisters
- Bride with both parents
- Groom with both parents
- Bride and groom with groom’s parents
- Bride and groom with bride’s parents
- Bride and groom with all parents
- Groom with his mother

- Groom with his father
- Combination photos of bride and groom with attendants
- Each member of wedding party walking down the aisle
- Bride coming down the aisle
- The wedding party at the altar
- The exchanging of rings
- The saying of vows
- The bride and groom’s kiss
- The bride getting ready for the wedding
- The groom getting ready for the wedding
- Bride and groom arriving at the reception
- Toasts
- The cutting of the cake
- The bride and groom’s first dance
- The tossing of the bouquet
- Bride and groom departing the reception

Sharing pictures over the Internet has become very popular. Ask your photographer if he is able to post your photos to the Internet for your family and friends to view. Photographs taken by your wedding photographer are copyrighted and you do need permission to display them online. Most photographers will be thrilled at the opportunity to show off their work.

In terms of saving money, wedding photography offers its own ways and means:

Minimise the service time
The longer your event, the more it will cost to document it. Since many photographers charge an hourly rate, a shorter wedding celebration will help contain your photography spend.

Avoid the frills
Choose a photography package instead of purchasing all of the items separately. If there is something you want that isn't included, ask the photographer if you can swap it for something else without increasing the price. By paying for the photographer's expertise only, you will ensure great images - and you'll buy yourself some time to save up for the fancy album and prints after the wedding.

Get the proofs
Choose a photographer who will let you keep the proofs. You can print them in any manner you please or save them for printing once you've saved up some cash.

With the right photographer and the appropriate preparation, your wedding photography will provide a timeless remembrance of one of the happiest days of your life. Get it right and it’s for keeps!

One Shot at the Honey Pot | Wedding Articles