Uncle Bob, Big Cameras and the Year 2030

"Wow, getting married sure can be expensive."  You may have said it a few times and you may be nodding your head in agreement right now.  You may be thinking that it's time to cut a few corners or you are never going to make that honeymoon you have been dreaming about.  Surely photography cannot be that hard so why pay a professional to do it.  Perhaps you have a friend or an Uncle Bob (insert name of choice) who took some family vacation pictures that looked great.  He has a "big camera" and will be at the wedding.  You may be thinking of asking him to photograph your wedding.  Don't do it!!

I won't get into all the technical aspects of why you should hire a professional or the amount of work involved in post processing, etc. and why all of those things are worth the investment.  I just have a few numerals for you to consider - 2030.  Presuming you will be reading this the year it was written in 2010, this future year will mark your 20th Anniversary.  You will probably want to pull out your wedding album and have a look back at your big day.  Will you be looking at images that tell the story of your wedding in vivid detail and glorious color and black and white?  Will you be looking at professional prints (not retail store one hour photos) that have stood the test of time?

Wedding Photography is not the area to cut corners on.  On this anniversary and others, the expensive decorations that got discarded will not be remembered.  The extra filling not added to the cake will also be a distant memory.  However, the images will still be there to be enjoyed over and over again.

Uncle Bob's a great guy who means well and will fix your car in no time flat.  However, he does not eat/sleep photography 24/7.  Don't put him or yourself through all that stress.  Think about the year 2030.

Traditions

I like to come to the wedding rehearsals for my clients if possible.  This lets me see exactly how things are going to happen during the ceremony so I can be ready for the shot.  Sometimes these rehearsals can be so informal that it is difficult to tell whether something out of the ordinary is going to occur or if a longstanding tradition is going to be enacted.  

If you have something unique planned for your ceremony or if your faith requests certain symbolism be enacted, be sure to let me know.  More than likely I will be able to capture whatever it is on the fly, but it always helps to know in advance.  Last year I had a couple bring their kids up to drop 3 stones into an awaiting holder.  They told me it was going to happen and I even got a chance to whisper in the kids ear to "go slow" so I could get several different versions of this moment.

Also, if the person marrying you has certain guidelines that they need the photographer to follow (no flash, no close up photography, areas that are off limits, etc.), this is something to communicate as well.  As part of my preparation as your wedding photographer, I will be asking these questions but in case we miss something, it's never too late to speak up.  

It never hurts to be overly prepared!!

Adventures In Baby Wearing

I was out networking last Thursday night and met Stephanie, who runs a great blog called Adventures In Baby Wearing.  If you are already a parent or thinking of becoming one real soon, you will be entertained and enlightened with her musings on parenthood.

See what she has to say about guilt and taking kids to the dentist in this recent article at NWI Parent.

The image above is Tracie, Jeff (his hand anyway) and their son Justin from their newborn session at the studio last year.  A big thanks to them for being great clients!!

Help!! Wedding Troubleshooting

Some questions and answers from The Knot. Visit http://www.theknot.com for more like this or to ask your own specific questions.

What to do if guests do not RSVP?

Call to see if they're coming. You never know -- maybe they think they sent the response card, but it's really hiding in a pile of mail. If calling is a problem, assume they are coming and make sure there’s food and seats for them. It's better to have extra grub and room than to have neglected guests wondering where to sit!

Should we invite relatives we know won't come?

Yes -- you know you want your relatives to come to your wedding if they can. Don't assume they won't come just because they have to travel. If you'd like someone to be there on your big day, simply send an invite and let them take it from there.

What about inviting co-workers?

You're under no obligation to invite your boss, or anyone for that matter, to your wedding. To avoid any false expectations or hurt feelings, make it known to your coworkers and boss alike that your wedding is going to be limited to family and close friends only. The fact that no one from work is being invited will help everyone, especially your boss, from feeling excluded. It would also be smart to keep workplace wedding talk to a minimum.

Who should be invited to the rehearsal dinner?

It's really up to you. The rehearsal dinner guest list can include just the two of you, your immediate families, the wedding party, and the officiant and his/her spouse. Or it can be a larger event, including all your out-of-town guests (or at least all those who will have already arrived for the wedding). It's a nice gesture to include out-of-towners (especially when the rehearsal dinner is the night before) so that no one is left stranded in their hotel rooms.

When should wedding invitations be sent out?

Ideally, invitations should go out eight weeks before the wedding -- this gives guests plenty of time to clear their schedules and make travel arrangements if they're out-of-towners. If you mail your invites this early, you'll be able to set the reply-by date about three weeks prior to the wedding. That way, you should have plenty of time to get a final head count and make the seating chart before the wedding-week crunch begins. At the very latest, guests should receive their invitation six weeks in advance, and you should receive responses two weeks before the wedding day.