Freeze Frame - Wedding Day Photography & Videography
by Michelle Wagner
You will always have special memories of your wedding day. But as the years pass, you will cherish those precious photographs that bring all those memories flowing back. That's why choosing the right videographer and photographer for you is so important.
It's always a good idea to meet with your photographer in person before signing the contract so that you can get a good feel
for his or her style and personality. Your photographer will be with you all day long on your wedding day, so it's important to find someone with whom you feel comfortable. While you're there you can check out photo albums from previous weddings to see if you like her style.
Before you go, try to have an idea of what type of wedding photos you like. Some photographers tend to lean toward traditional photography, while others take a more photojournalistic approach. Flip through a few wedding magazines and bring photos that you like to the meeting. The best way to learn a photographer's style is to look at her portfolio and sample wedding albums. It's also a good idea to ask for references that you can contact to see if those brides were happy with their photographs.
If you long for the artsy, emotional look of black and white, but can't bear the thought of losing the gorgeous crimson-colored bridesmaid dresses to gray in all of the shots there's no need to worry. Many photographers can shoot both black and white photos as well as color shots to ensure that every vibrant hue is caught on film. If you're really into the old-fashioned look, ask your photographer if they can use sepia tone in some of the photos.
Give your photographer a list of people that you want to make sure get photographed. Give a little thought to this before you meet with her to make sure that you don't leave anyone special out. Also, make sure to discuss whether you want mostly posed shots, candid shots or a
little of both. Some photographers are more photojournalistic while others specialize in traditional posed wedding photography. Ask your photographer what they do best, and tell them what you like.
In addition to the photographs, a wedding video is a wonderful memento of your special day. With a wedding video you can see all of the parts of the day that you missed or were in too much of a whirlwind to remember clearly.
The choices in designing your wedding video are endless, and it's worth your time to interview the videographer and view their demo tapes to get a feel for their style. Video styles include traditional, which captures all the highlights of the day, or a documentary-style video that tells a story from start to finish. Couples may also opt for a more artsy approach and want special effects included, along with candid shots and lots of detail. Some couples even give the videographer childhood photographs and favorite songs to incorporate into the video.
Just like you did with your photographer, don't forget to give the videographer a heads up as to who the important people in your wedding are, such as parents, siblings, best friends and close relatives, so they can be sure to get video of them. If you'd like, you can ask the videographer to interact with the guests by sharing a favorite memory about the bride or groom or giving a piece of marital advice. Ask the videographer to get shots of the invitation, flowers, party favors, cake, and whatever else you think is important.
Once you've made your decision about whom to hire, it's sign-on-the-dotted-line time. The locations, addresses and starting times as well as the number of hours the person is going to work and the name of an emergency substitute should all be included on the contract. The schedule for delivering proofs or the video as well as the total cost and overtime fees should also be included in the contract.
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