|
If you do decide to hire a professional wedding photographer, you will need to cut costs in other areas, because there's virtually no way to get a pro to do your wedding on a cheap budget. There are a couple of reasons for this: wedding photographers know that your wedding is a one-shot deal, and shooting a wedding is scary, stressful and a make-or-break deal for the photographer. Many wedding photographers are priced upwards of $1,000 for what amounts to two hours of work! In fact, the average amount spent on wedding photography and videography is nearly $1,500. But you don't have to spend that kind of cash to fill your wedding album with great photos of your wedding. The downsides to hiring a professional photographer are more than simply the cost. Wedding photos can be disruptive, with family shots being taken before the actual ceremony (when everyone's stressed out), or occurring after the ceremony when makeup is streaked with tears and everyone just wants to sit down somewhere and rest. There's really no good time to take traditional wedding pictures on the wedding day, but most people are unwilling to dress up before the wedding or to have the photos taken later. Furthermore, a wedding photographer who isn't paying attention can disrupt the ceremony by using a flash, by getting between the wedding party and the guests, or by tripping over cords and equipment. In fact, you could pay a lot of money and have a photographer show up late, make a racket setting up, then still not get the photos because of low light levels in the room.
Some couples throw out the whole idea of a traditional wedding photographer, deciding that they are more comfortable with candid shots taken by friends and family members. With more and more people purchasing digital cameras and video cameras, you may have a range of amateur photographers who are more than happy to take pictures all day and who will send you the photos for free. What's better than that? Although there is a risk that photos will have your uncle's thumb in them, or that whoever shoots the video will accidentally record over your wedding at the next kids' soccer tournament. These are the risks, and if you can live with them, you can have photography that's nearly free.
One smart idea that combines photography with the reception is to have one-time use cameras on each table at the reception. Encourage guests to take as many photos as they want, and make sure someone reliable picks up the cameras at the end of the night. You'll get photographs of all the things you couldn't have seen from the head table, and perspectives of many people. Even if you decide to go with a professional photographer for the wedding itself, you can cut costs by not having the photographer attend the reception. If all you want is a formal wedding shot, the kind that sits on the piano decade after decade, you may decide to skip the whole wedding photography thing completely. Book a date with a photographer the day after the wedding (or if the groom owns his tux, when you get back from the honeymoon), and have your photos taken at a studio or in a nearby park. It'll give you another chance to dress up, and you can avoid all the stress that normally goes along with having wedding pictures taken at the actual wedding. And it'll only cost a fraction of what it costs to hire a photographer for the day.
If you use a professional wedding photographer, that person will need to know about the location, the rules of photography in the church or temple (some members of the clergy don't allow photographs during the ceremony), the types of photographs you want, and the number of people who will be photographed. A good photographer will usually go to the chapel some time before the ceremony, to check light levels and plan the amount of equipment that will be needed. Most wedding photographers provide packages with a certain number of particular shots, and you can add on to the packages if you want something special.
In a best case and most affordable scenario, you have a skilled amateur photographer who will take digital or film pictures of the ceremony, the bridal party and the bride and groom for the cost of the film and a date with a bridesmaid. But if photos mean a lot to you, make sure to line up more than one amateur photographer. That way, when one guy gets drunk and the other loses his film, you'll still have backups.
Some people have their weddings taped on video or by digital video, and that's fine as long as it doesn't interfere with the ceremony. Again, the inexpensive way is to have a friend do the taping, and ideally that friend has some experience so you get more than a video of people's shoes and the ceiling of the church. This also has good potential for the father of the groom, whose main purpose in most weddings is to be his wife's whipping boy and chauffeur. If your fiancé's dad is wandering around without a job, chances are he's feeling unhappy and left out. If he has any affinity at all for a video camera, put him to work! (In fact, the crafty couple will present Dad with a video camera right after the engagement, as a birthday or Christmas gift, and encourage him to use it long before the wedding).
If videography is important to you, you can spring for having a professional service, but you will indeed pay for it. However, the essence of having the perfect wedding on a budget is in getting what you want and skipping the things that aren't as important to you, so if a professionally made video really matters, find something you don't care much about and eliminate it from the equation.
|
