Why Use a Professional Wedding Photographer?

How to Avoid Booking a Bad Wedding Photographer

Free Wedding Planner

Wedding Money Saving Tips

1. Planning Your Wedding

2. Enjoying your Wedding Day

3. Wedding Emergency Kit

4. Money Saving Tips for your Wedding

5. Choosing a Wedding Photographer

6. Wedding Gift Ideas

Planning Your Wedding

Planning a wedding can be a stressful experience. There are a lot of things to keep track of and timing can be important. For these reasons it's a good idea to make a written plan wit a schedule. Many brides keep a folder with all the papers from various suppliers. At the front of this I suggest you keep a single page with the key dates and details. Note down when things need to be done by, for example when balance payments are due for suppliers.

Often the venue and the photographer are the first things to be arranged as these can be booked up for specific dates a year or more ahead. As time goes by update your schedule and tick off things that are completed so you can focus on the remaining tasks.

If all the planning causes too much stress consider hiring a professional planner to help, alternatively delegate some of the jobs to friends or family.

After all the planning it can be hard to enjoy the day without worrying about details. Try to remember what is really important about the day, focus on that and let the professionals or your helpers worry about the little details.

Don't be afraid to ask for help, bridesmaids for example are there not just to look good but to help the bride before and during the day.

Enjoying your Wedding Day

When the big day arrives everything can seem overwhelming. To help keep things calm and enjoyable you may like to consider the following:

1. Before the day prepare an emergency kit with things that you might need on the day.

2. Allow the bride to get ready first before the bridesmaids, that way she is less likely to be pushed for time and hence more nervous.

3. Try to plan the day so that you have time to do the things you need to, allow extra time just in case things go wrong.

4. Try to eat something in the morning, slow release energy food will help you get through to the wedding breakfast.

5. The bride may like to have a spare pair of shoes ready in case she is in agony by the evening

Wedding Emergency Kit

A great idea to help the day go smoothly. A bridesmaid may like to organise this to hekp the bride in case of problems:

toothbrush - toothpaste - dental floss - mints - pain reliever - antacid - hair brush - hair spray - emery board - clear nail polish - nail polish remover - white chalk - tissues - deodorant - tampon - plasters - hair pins - mirror - lint remover - sewing kit - scissors - safety pins - stain remover - super glue - double-sided tape - earring backs

Money Saving Tips for your Wedding

The average cost of a wedding is reportedly about £18,000. With this amount of money there is always scope to make some savings or to go over budget. Part of the planning process is to control costs so that you know what you are spending and on what. When considering the costs remember that it's your day and the main thing is that you are getting married, spending more or less doesn't necessarily mean you will enjoy the day any more or less.

The number of guests you invite can be the biggest single factor in terms of the cost of the wedding. It may influence the venue, room size and of course the amount of food and drink required. Consider who you really want to share your wedding day with, try not to feel bad if you can't invite everyone that feel you should.

Be prepared to negotiate with suppliers, most will have some room in their prices and may be willing to offer a discount. This is especially true if you are looking at an off-peak wedding. Don't only go by price though as this can be a false economy. Make sure the suppliers you choose are professional, capable and provide the type of work you want.

Grand wedding venues aren't essential for wonderful weddings, with good decorations for tables, chairs and so on, even  ordinary rooms can be transformed.

You may be able to use nearby public space for wedding photographs rather than using an expensive stately home as your venue.

Choosing a Wedding Photographer

Your photographer will be one of the most important choices you make. They will be one of the professionals that you need to deal with the most on the day and will be recording the event to give you memories and a record of everything else that you have arranged.

Make sure you feel comfortable with them and their work. Check their photographs from several weddings and look for quality and consistency.

Make sure they are insured, qualified and experienced, ask for testimonials from past customers. Weddings are a high pressure type of photography, things happen quickly and the photographer only has limited time and little control. Therefore they need to be able to stay calm and get things done efficiently.

I recommend using the three "P"'s to compare your shortlist of wedding photographers:

Photography - Personality - Price

The photography style is important, don't expect a photographer to be able to change their style just for your wedding. There can be a lot of difference between photographers with some taking a more informal approach and others aiming for a more contemporary or fashion look. Consider what style you prefer and how much time it will take to get the type of photographs you like.

The personality of the photographer is important, they should be friendly, polite, calm and efficient. As well as getting great pictures for you they need to be able to help you enjoy the day, organize groups and be polite to your guests.

Price is always a factor, make sure you know what it is likely to cost onece you include things like albums and prints. I recommend going for a photographer that has flexible options so that you aren't tied down to fixed packages. Look to spend about 10% of the overall budget on your photography.

Once you have selected your photographer, discuss with them what you are looking for and what pictures are most important to you. If they provide a guide to the photographs tick off those that you want and put any additional ones you require. On the day do make suggestions and remind them of things that are important to you. If you have selected a good photographer they will be willing to listen and work with you to get the photographs you want.

Wedding Gift Ideas

There are various retailers that can help manage your gift list and avoid the situation where you get three toasters!

Another idea is to ask your photographer whether guests can contribute towards your wedding album or prints.

To thank your guests you may like to send them personalised thank you cards, your photographer may be able to supply an image or even arrange for the cards to be printed and sent to you.