"Must Have" Photo shots for your wedding day

To follow up on our last post about choosing a photographer, I thought I would include some MUST HAVE shots of your wedding day to help you begin making your list.

TIP - When taking your formal photos, arrange to have the largest group shots first, so that the families can be dismissed as soon as possible.

Portrait shots:

• Couple with Bride's extended family
• Couple with Groom's extended family
• Couple with Bride's immediate family
• Couple with Groom's immediate family
• Couple with Bride's parents
• Couple with Groom's parents

Getting Ready:

• Mom helping the Bride with one last detail
• Groom getting ready with Dad and friends

The Ceremony:

• Bride and Groom separately making their way to the ceremony
• Empty shot of the ceremony location
• Close-ups of the decor
• Ushers escorting parents to their seats
• Grandparents walking to their seats

The Reception:

• A shot of outside the reception location
• Close-ups of reception details such as place cards, centerpieces, guest book, etc.
• Bride and Groom's first dance
• Grandparents dancing
• Parents dancing

For a more detailed list of must have wedding shots, feel free to contact me!

Choosing a Photographer for your Wedding

After all the hard work of planning your wedding, what remains are the memories, and hopefully and incredible collection of them in the form of photos and/or video. Here are a few tips on hiring a photographer and/or videographer for your special day.

Before you begin: Know your wedding date and your ceremony and reception locations.

Some questions to ask yourself:

1. What style of photography do we want? (traditional, photo journalistic, or a combination of both)

2. What events/moments do we want to cover?

3. Do we want color, black and white, or both?

4. What's our budget?

Begin by gathering names of potential photographers and videographers and research them through their websites. Notice the overall quality and style of their work. Once you have narrowed down your choices, start making appointments for interviews. Not every photographer will have a studio in which to meet with you. You may hold a meeting in a coffee shop if you are interviewing an independent photographer. Be sure to take note of the photographer's personality as well as the quality of their work. This person will be spending most of the wedding day with you, and will be capturing some of the most intimate moments of your life!

Feel free to contact me for more information on choosing the right photographer, and for my recommendations of photographers.