Use your photographer wisely at your wedding

I am a small wedding photographer but I didn't start out that way. I used to be with the bride from the very beginning of her day until the moment she rode away with her prince charming. It was a grueling 12 to 14 hour day plus hours and hours of sorting and editing thousands upon thousands of pictures days and weeks later. I loved being a wedding photographer, but I didn't love the false assumption that you need every single detail of the wedding day documented. Now... for some brides this is a MUST and non-negotiable and that is perfectly ok. It just isn't my belief, so I decided to shorten the amount of hours I am available for a wedding and give my brides a timeline that will get them the most important pictures for less cost. 

I can not and will not speak for other photographers, but for myself, I found that when I was hanging out at the wedding from dawn to dusk, I would stand around a lot and not get significant pictures. The photo album or wall worthy ones. Instead I was catching the bridesmaids talking to each other while waiting on their hair to get done, or the venue hanging the backdrop or setting the tables and the end of the night reception pictures where its the same group of people on the dance floor, making the same moves, just to a different song. The photos that yes... you may want .. but are they really the ones you will put into your wedding photo album? I didn't enjoy catching the meaningless pictures but I thrived at catching the moments that you would cry over. I found myself really focusing on those type pictures throughout the day and ignoring the others. I started to tell my new brides this and found they agreed. They didn't want a 100 pictures of the same guy dancing on the dance floor at the reception. Instead they would rather use me wisely and catch the most memorable moments of the day. It was a win, win for everyone, so I decided to stick to that. 

It truly has been the perfect match for me because I have more personal time with my bride and I am not around for the chaos of it all. I am just there for the beautiful, heartfelt moments, that the walls in your home and the book on the coffee table crave.... and not to mention your wallet.
It has also changed my journey just a tad to more small, elegant, intimate, weddings like the one here in this blog. The Stones reached out about having a backyard wedding and thought I was the perfect fit and I agreed.  This little quaint backyard wedding was a dream! They hired me for 2 hours and received about 300 pictures of their special memorable moments. They had the backyard decorated so beautifully and you felt like you were in a fairytale as soon as you walked through the privacy fence.  Around thirty of their family and closest friends were there to celebrate them and I was able to speak with every one of them. I felt like I was part of the pack. This was the most laid back bride and the environment oozed happiness. If you are on the fence about having a small intimate wedding, don't be. 

How it works for me as the photographer: 
I always give my brides the option of  hours. From the least to the most I will cover. Once we sit down and decide which hourly package is best, I give you timeline options that will catch the most important pictures of your day. The good news is, you don't really have to choose between sweet moments with your mom getting ready or the reception. I do my absolute very best at giving you a timeline to catch it all. I, as most photographers do, also have little secrets to make sure the most important pictures that the bride and groom want are never missed. ​

So when planning your wedding and booking a photographer, think about what the most important moments of the day are to you, then make sure to have your photographer there for those moments. For instance, if your grandmother is coming to the wedding and you want a first dance with her, then focus your timeline around the beginning of the reception and make sure to get everything done before the photographer leaves. This way nothing that is important to you has been missed. If you have a photographer you absolutely love, talk with them about a timeline or specific photo's you want. They will help you to make sure those are covered and you get the most out of your time with them. 

Also, remember, if having a photographer with you for 12 plus hours on your wedding day isn't within your budget, don't fret. There are plenty of wedding photographers, like myself, who specialize in timeline weddings and offer hourly packages. You can have it all.