Helpful Articles from Professional Auburn Photo Booths
Questions to ask a Wedding Photographer Wedding General Party Tips
Tough Questions to ask a Wedding Photographer
Do you want to be able to tell the difference between the professionals and a wanna-be? Here is a comprehensive list of questions that will help you tell if a photographer is really qualified to be trusted with shooting your Wedding photos:
BEWARE: Don't be surprised if a Photographer you're interviewing becomes agitated after you ask some of these questions. Many cannot stand up to close examination and they become defensive. Just remember, You have a right to ask for detailed answers, after all, you are about to give them money and then TRUST them to capture some of the most precious photos of your life! If they are truly professional they will Welcome your inquires because it allows them to tell you why they are different than amateurs! Here is the list:
• Are you familiar with our venue?
• How many weddings have you photographed at our venue? (View Sample Pictures)
• How long have you been a professional WEDDING photographer?
• Are you a full-time photographer?
• Do you carry both Liability and Errs-and-Omissions Insurance (what dollar amount of coverage)?
• Do you shoot in RAW or JPG format? (This is a biggie! Ask them why they shoot in that format and compare answers!)
• Do you shoot with a FLASH during the ceremony? (Another biggie! Especially if they take lots of pictures from different positions! Camera Flashes can really distract and annoy your family and invited guests!)
• Are you willing to go to more than one location to shoot our photos? (Only ask this if you need it.) Is there an extra charge to go to more than one location?
• How much time will you spend at the ceremony and reception site?
• Is there a charge for "overtime" How much is it?
• Are you willing to spend the entire day of our wedding at our venue, or do you/will you have other obligations that may interfere?
• Do you offer coverage of the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner (Extra Charge)?
• Are you willing to shoot Formally Posed Group Portraits (How Many)?
• Are you willing to incorporate our ideas into your shot list?
• Experience of Photographers assigned to capture our event:
• Number (and Name) of Photographer(s) who will actually attend and photograph entire ceremony [if not you]:
• Number and kind of camera(s) that will be used:
• Do you bring any backup equipment? What do you have?
• Do you shoot Film or Digital? Why?
• Will the final prints be lab photos or inkjet prints?
• What types of finishes are your prints available in? (Luster, Glossy, Metallic, Linen, etc.)
• Approximate number of total shots taken all day:
• Approximately how many will we receive as proofs?
• Are images available in B&W or Sepia as well as Color?
• Who chooses if a given image is in B&W or Color or Sepia?
• What is the ratio of Color to B&W images you give us?
• What other photo services (ie. Photoshop enhancement, etc.) do you offer?
• What types of albums do you offer?
• Do you offer Parent Albums?
• What do you do if you become ill or injured and are unable to photograph our wedding:
• How long before our proofs will be ready:
• Will you post our images on a password protected website, and for how long?
• How long will we have before needing to place an order?
• How long will you keep the original files/negatives?
• Describe the most difficult wedding you've ever photographed
• What is your style of Photography: Formal/Traditional, Candid, PhotoJournalistic, Combination, Portraiture, Unconventional Composition, Freestyle, etc.?
• What is the balance (percentage) between candid and posed shots?
• Describe your philosophy and approach to wedding photography
• How much Deposit is due at contract signing:
• Amounts due and dates due:
• Cancellation and refund policy (this should be in Writing!!)
• Will there be additional fees for travel?
• In summary, what do you feel are the strongest reasons we should hire your company rather than another photographer?
Written by always focused on YOU photo of Seattle, WA
How to Prepare for your Wedding Day Wedding How To / Instructional
Tips from a Wedding Professional
We are a team of professional Wedding Photographers. As such we attend many weddings every year and we get to see what "works" and what disappoints. Getting prepared for a wedding can be overwhelming with all the little details to consider and decisions to be made. We would like to share some advice and tips with you that we have gleaned from our own personal experience, as well as from fellow wedding vendors.
Most Importantly:
The absolutely worst thing you can do is to become so focused on managing the details, that you miss out on the celebration and joy of this special day. Your frame of mind will determine whether your wedding is joyful - - - or overwhelming. To make it special, keep your focus on your love and caring for each other, not the superficial details of the event. So, ahead of time, design the plan as best you can, then delegate the responsibility and task lists to people you trust, and then vow to concentrate on one another and enjoying the beginning of your new life together.
Here are some of the tips we share with all our clients on things to plan ahead for so that they do not turn into "problems" on your wedding day.
1. Please program all wedding vendor phone numbers into your cell phone directory right away, so that you can always reach them. Trust us, you will want to call at some point.
2. Get yourself a notebook and Write Everything Down, all the wedding details and Each Choice You Make, so that you can get it out of your brain, and not worry that you will forget, or overlook something. Divide the Notebook up into sections: Catering & Cake, Gown, Venue & DJ, Groom Prep, Bride Prep, Family, Photography, Videography, etc. It is important for your sanity that you get it written down and can free your mind to take things in smaller batches without having to handle all of it all the time. Also, create an email folder for all the emails you receive about wedding arrangements, that way you can refer back to it for the Details again, and not have to keep everything in your head. (With our doing dozens of weddings a year you can imagine that we would go bonkers if we had to keep it all in our heads. We go and look it up at the time we need it and we always work from LISTS!!!)
3. The most common mistake we find on the day of the wedding, is that the hairdresser takes more time than allotted to get your hair done "just right". If this puts you behind, then you become hurried, uptight, and nervous. Solution: Whatever time your hairdresser estimates they need to fix your hair, set your appointment for 1 Hour Earlier. If they finish on time, you can read a magazine and chat with your bridesmaids. If they run over, you have a buffer zone so that it won't make you late for the ceremony.
4. While doing your pre-appointment test-run with your hairdresser, try on your veil with your chosen hairstyle before your wedding day. Check all angles and make sure the veil is very secure, secure enough so that on your wedding day you don't have to constantly worry about it falling out. Remember, people will be hugging you and the wind will be blowing your veil.
5. If your wedding or reception will be held outside, make sure your bridesmaids (and both your mother and the groom's mother), check their shoe color outside in Daylight along with their dress. The color can look fine inside with room lights, and then on the day of the wedding, they discover that the shoes and the dresses they are wearing don't really match. Sandpaper slick soles to give more traction.
6. Make sure that everyone in the bridal party tries on their dresses with the actual shoes they will be wearing, so that hemlines will be set at the correct height, (and no one will TRIP during the ceremony!)
7. Will you be dancing in the same shoes as worn to the ceremony? If not, will your dress be hemmed to work with both sets of shoes?
8. Your final fitting for your dresses should be as close as possible to the wedding date so that they will have the best fit. Check the fitting with the same type AND COLOR of undergarments as on the wedding day to see if panty lines, etc. are obvious. Be sure to tell your bridesmaids not to wear colored panties, as they can show through. And be sure to check the dresses outside in sunshine to see if slips are needed.
9. If there is back lacing, or a train to be bustled, on the wedding gown --- “ BE SURE TO PRACTICE BEFORE THE DAY OF THE WEDDING. Too often people discover that this is harder than it looks and there ends up being a major delay while they try to figure it out. Have the vendor you bought the dress from coach your person through a dry run of the proper way to lace it up or bustle the train. And Practice until it flows smoothly. There are few things more frustrating to a newly married bride than to stand there for 20 to 30 minutes while people are fumbling through trying to get her train bustled up. She cannot see what the problem is, she cannot help, everyone is waiting on her, and it can be VERY STRESSFUL. So avoid this whole experience by scheduling a practice session in advance when you can work out all the glitches!
10. BE SURE TO USE THE BATHROOM BEFORE PUTTING ON YOUR DRESS!
11. Don't overdo the makeup, especially around the eyes. (Makes them look squinty). Keep things light and natural-looking. In processing your photos it is easier to remove a blemish than it is to make a thick coating of makeup look natural.
12. For traveling from where you are getting dressed to the wedding venue, pick a car that will give you enough room for your gown without crushing it. Have a clean bed sheet draped on the seat and covering the floor to keep your gown clean. Plan on a way (cellphone) to notify the groom that you are about to arrive so that he can stick his head in a closet (if you don't want him to see you before the ceremony).
13. Someone should bring a box of emergency supplies that you might need. We always bring: Sewing thread, Band-aids, Headache medicine, antacids, cough drops, men's black socks, shoelaces, shoe polish, tape, string, glue, hairpins, safety pins, an extra set of men's tux studs, spare garter, deodorant, pantyhose, feminine hygiene products, matches, Shout® stain removing wipes. You should also plan on bringing "Hard to Hold" hairspray, makeup, lipstick, hairbrush & combs, small mirror.
14. Put it on your calendar now to contact all your vendors one week before the event to confirm arrangements. (One of my brides discovered her limo was scheduled for the wrong day!) All arrangements and additions/changes should be in writing for your protection. Be sure you have all their Cell phone numbers!!
15. If you are going to have a Unity Candle Lighting as part of your ceremony, make sure that all the candles have been prepared beforehand by lighting them and letting them burn for a minute to burn the wax coating off the wicks. This way they will light quickly during the ceremony. Make sure the wick on the center candle is long enough to easily light.
16. Ask your baker to make sure the stand or base of your cake in NOT exposed aluminum foil which will reflect camera flash and ruin pictures of the cake. They need to cover the reflective surfaces with flower petals or greenery, etc.
17. Ask your caterer to make up a separate tray of food and utensils for yourselves so that you don't have to think about it while you are greeting guests at the reception. Remember to EAT -- don't drink alcohol on an empty stomach! And don't skip breakfast that morning, or you will run low on energy and it will affect your mood. Plan ahead to avoid dehydration and low blood sugar.
18. You might ask your caterer to package up one bottle of champagne and two slices of cake to go with you to your hotel.
19. Please plan to have the cake cutting table out, at least 5 feet away from any walls -- (distracting shadows will be cast on any walls that are close by). You will probably need to plan with your caterer ahead of time to be able to move the cake out at the proper time.
20. If you have a tent, the tent poles need to be wrapped so that they do not reflect camera flash and ruin those pictures as well. It is often necessary to use flash under a tent, even in daylight (in order to eliminate strong shadows on people's faces.) People often use tulle and ivy to wrap the poles. Some companies have pole covers available for rent.
21. Provide your DJ with a list of people who will need introducing, with phonetic pronunciations on hard names in advance of the reception. Ask him to be sure that he can access the special music you've chosen (ie. first dance, etc.) without having to spend time searching cds for the songs.
22. Make sure your florist delivers the flowers at least 30 minutes before any photography is scheduled. Ask them to LABEL each personal flower for who it goes to. If you are selecting flowers ahead of time and wonder what a certain flower looks like, Google the name of the flower along with the words "photo" or "jpeg".
23. If the stems of your bouquet flowers are exposed, be sure to have a handkerchief to put around them to protect your dress from stains.
24. Make sure someone knows the correct way to pin a boutonniere on lapels without breaking off the heads of the flowers. (Ask your florist to teach them how when flowers are delivered).
25. Remind the guys that when they pick up their tuxes, they should check to make sure all the studs, ties, shoes, and accessories are really there. COUNT the studs!! Make sure the vests all match. Also, many guys think that SOCKS are included in the rental. On the day of the wedding, they discover there are no socks and the white ones they wore will not work with their tuxes. Tell the groomsmen they need to bring the right color socks.
26. The wedding rings (both bride & grooms) should be kept together until just before the ceremony. Please note: one of the most common delays in starting the ceremony on time is because someone has misplaced one of the rings. Give the responsibility for holding both rings to someone reliable.
27. Please plan ahead to make the rings available to the photographer before the ceremony (during the getting ready time), for special photos so that you don't need to take them off after the ceremony.
28. Designate someone other than the bride as a "go-to" person with a cell phone who will receive phone calls on the day of the wedding for people asking directions to the venue, saying they will be late, etc. and who will handle questions and problems as they come up. (Brides are not allowed to be the "go-to" person on their wedding day, or risk ruining their weddings!!) Give your appointee the seating chart, the arrangements with the florist, caterer, baker, etc. and let them manage things. Give them a printed list of important cell phone numbers for ALL the vendors, the venue contact person, and people in the wedding party. Be sure to include the limo driver's cell, in case someone needs to get a hold of the bride & groom in transit.
29. Recruit a "go-fer" person (not a member of the wedding party) who will be available to go get things for the couple.
30. Reception Hint: If you schedule your "First Dance" (and dance sets with parents) for very soon following the grand entrance, you won't be searching for everyone later on, AND it will allow other people to enjoy the dancing at the reception for a longer period of time, (while you are eating, or visiting with guests at their tables, etc.) It makes for more fun for everyone, and things flow more smoothly - People who are dancing are not just standing around drinking!
31. Please accept the fact that EVERY Bride-to-be thinks she will be strong enough to deal with the stress. Most brides fail, and it can beat them up and cause a major rift in their relationships with their fiances during a time when they need to be unified. If you realize that stress will be a major factor in the months ahead, then you can proactively take steps to control it instead of reactively letting it turn you into BRIDEZILLA. Don't say "It won't happen to me", or it will.
32. Finally, between now and the wedding, Please make SURE you take care of yourself. Get enough sleep, eat healthy meals, take a multi-vitamin, and don't try to go on some drastic diet for the sake of vanity. The best, most loving thing you can do for your fiance is take good care of the person he loves most in this world: YOU!!! Don't make excuses for getting all stressed out. Instead, pace yourself and remember, your wedding is NOT A STAGED THEATRICAL PRODUCTION, you are not actors, you are not trying to impress or entertain everyone. Just relax, figure out what you really want, write down your choices, and remember that during the wedding planning stage, you don't want to give your man the impression that the event is more important to you than he is!! Take some time to go out and have fun together where you don't even THINK about weddings. After all, isn't he the most important thing in your life?? Focus on that and the stress will diminish.
Our dynamic team of photographers wants our brides to have as carefree and FUN a wedding celebration as possible. We provide you with sample Wedding Day TIMELINES based on your ceremony time, as well as continuous support and help during the months when you are busy making the choices for your special day. We can help you prepare so that the only thing you need to think about on your wedding day is to Smile and say "I Do". When you are relaxed, happy, and having fun, it will make our photography look so much better!! Our family invites you to thoroughly examine the Hundreds of images on our website and to read our FAQs to see why we offer that special difference. We also put all our prices plainly on our site so that you will know what you get for your investment before you even contact us.
Written by always focused on YOU photo of Seattle, WA
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