"Where Your Image Is Our Business" Photographing Weddings in Alaska since 1958
(907) 474-0333 FAX (907) 479-3055
So there's going to be a Wedding! I'm sure you have a number of things that you would like to know about Wedding Photography before the Wedding.
Please let me try and give you some suggestions that will help you and your photographer to record your memorable day in beautiful images. If I have not covered what you want to know, please give us a call at 474-0333.
#1A. You have hired a professional photographer to take beautiful and memorable pictures of your special day. It is important that the professional be allowed to do his very best. To this end, please ask your friends and family to be sure and wait until the photographer has finished taking his pictures before they start shooting. This is especially important during the formal pictures at the church in front of the altar and at the reception during the cake cutting. There are two reasons for this; first of all the photographer composes the formal pictures as well as those at the reception to produce the best images possible for your album. Secondly, in most cases, a professional photographer uses more than one flash unit both on the formal and cake cutting pictures. These other units are called "slaves" which means they light up just at the instant the flash goes off on the camera. The light from other people's camera flashes will also trigger the "slave" to flash. The "slave" is battery powered and requires a few seconds to recycle for the next flash. If the flash has just gone off from another person's flash, the photographer might miss a good picture or you will get pictures where his flash did not fire because it did not have time to recycle - thus a bad picture.
#2A. Well before your Wedding day, the couple should sit down with members of your Wedding party, family, and friends and draw up a list of pictures you want to have in your album and to give to others as gifts. In addition, family and friends will want to have pictures also. The photographer should have a standard set of pictures which he takes for most albums, but he has no way of knowing your special needs if you don't tell him. You may want formal pictures with certain people - a special friend or relative, for example, or you may want an informal picture at the reception with a special person. It's always best to give him a written list of pictures you want taken well in advance of the Wedding day so you can go over it with him. Some photographers will have a check off list which shows the pictures that they usually take. In addition, there should be space on the form for you to add your special requests.
Return to top of page#3. How much time should we allow for the taking of the formal pictures at the church?
#3A. This depends on the size of your Wedding. On average, I would say most photography of this type takes one half hour or more depending on the number of pictures wanted for your album and how many different groupings you would like.
#4A. To make this time as short as possible we suggest that right after leaving the Wedding ceremony you and members of your Wedding party get out of sight by going downstairs or into a side room. After the church is emptied, all those participating in the formal pictures then return to the altar area and the photographing can proceed very quickly. If you would like to have a receiving line, this could be held later at the reception.
#5A. Before the Wedding, assign a friend or family member to help the photographer locate the people who are to be in each of the formal pictures. It may be necessary to have 2 helpers; one for the groom's family and one for the bride's. Sometimes, someone - a groomsman or a parent, for instance - may leave the sanctuary and this can hold up the photography for quite some time while the search is on to locate them. The photographer is often accused of taking a long time to do the formals, when in fact it was the people being photographed who caused the delay. Please request that all those who are to be in the formal pictures, remain in the sanctuary, or, if they must leave, to let the "helper" know where they are.
Return to top of page#6. How can we have more informal, candid photographs at the reception for a minimal cost?
#6A. One way to get additional candid pictures of your reception is to place the little, one-time-use, throw away cameras with flash on each of the guest tables and ask them to take pictures. They return the cameras to you at the end of the reception, you have them developed and printed and then have more pictures than you ever dreamed of having. We have these cameras for sale at our studio. They are attractively packaged with a wedding design of ribbons, flowers and rings.
#7A. Special precautions at the reception for the background behind the Wedding cake will result in better pictures. Avoid shinny walls, mirrors, windows, exit or no smoking signs, coats racks, etc. The best backgrounds are plain walls or drapes.
#8A. Adding wall decorations or bordering the cake table with flowers can add a lovely frame and color to the cake cutting pictures. Wall decorations could include ribbons, paper bells, streamers, balloons or just a pastel drape - all of which define and frame the area. If you use flowers in the church that are arranged in pedestal baskets, these can be placed at the ends of the cake table, if there is room. They add to the occasion and bring in more of your colors to the several important pictures that are taken at the cake table. It is best to not have any balloons on the cake table itself because they will cast shadows onto the bride and groom from any side lighting that is used.
Return to top of page#9. What else should I remember to bring for the photographer's special photographs?.
#9A. At the reception, after the cake has been cut, we always like to set up an artistic arrangement to show your wedding rings on your hands. Included in this image are the bride's bouquet, the top of the wedding cake, the signed Wedding Certificate, the wine or toasting glasses, and any other small remembrances of the day. This results in a very popular picture for the album. Please arrange for someone to bring the Wedding Certificate to the reception so that it may be included in the photograph. This is a good assignment for the mother or father of the groom who can sometimes feel a bit left out as far as helping out on the Wedding Day.
