Top 5 things to remember when booking a wedding photographer.

1. How do you want to remember your wedding? Sure cousin Sandy has a new camara and says she will do photos for free........but do you want to remember your day with out of focus, unflattering light? or with no blurry backgrounds like you crave? Or do you want to remember your day with crisp tight correctly lit, creamy bokeh (blur) and fabulously edited photos? When it is all over and it is over before you know it. All you will have to remember the day is your photos. Make them professional and memorys that last.

This an example of uneven lighting...shadows and unflattering direct sunlight. Taking the photo from the other side of the vehicle would have been better...people who are not photographers would not think of this at the moment.

2. Tell your photographer if there is going to be any change in lighting. Will you be creating a mood with low lights at the ceramony and plan on switch them down just before the start? When you do the grand entry for the reception...will the DJ be cutting the lights? The photographer needs to know this to be prepared and discuss a plan with you on how to get the best photos in that situation.

Lights go out and the camara loses focus and exposure....also the bane of all photographers....laser lights save them for the party after the first dances or risk looking like you have colored chicken pox. Tell the photographer if you plan on killing the lights so that they set up for off camara lighting on entrance.

3. What is your rain plan? Sure it is great to think that everything will be sunny and wonderful on your day, but you would be surprised how many weddings I have attended that it rained. What is your rain plan? Do you have an indoor location incase? Or do you want to have outdoor photos in the rain with umbrellas? It is doable if the photographer knows in advance to rain proof the gear.

This is what happens when there is moisture in a camara.

4. Have you accounted for an additional hour into your formal photo time? If you want all of those must have photos with family, wedding party and by yourselves you need to account for the ceremony to run late or the recieving line to take longer then planned. 2.5-3 hours is best to have time to calmly get those photos as well as have fun doing it. Noone wants to run from place to place and not get to enjoy there day. Take that time for yourselves and to preserve the memorys.

5. Feed your photographer. Yes that is right we need to eat to.........and if it is a full day session we will be ravonous at supper. The day is generally 12hours + for a photogapher........because after shooting 10-12hrs they they also tend to upload and cull the pictures the same evening of the event. Also noone wants pictures of themselves eating. Mabye dishing up but not eating. So its also a good time for your photographer to use the restroom and eat as well.