Expectations and ideas about photography: for the wedding planning checklist

Congratulations on the courage to learn more about how to make your wedding perfect. To be a bride this year or next year, even two years from now and starting to do research means your wedding has a chance to be perfect.

A prepared bride is the main candidate for a dream wedding. And it’s the same in every other aspect of life too: information is power and the power that comes once you know what to expect will leave you more relaxed, more confident and cheerful to live the moment.

This blog, I hope, will help you learn more about:

– Key moments in the couple-photographer relationship

-When to contract a photographer and what to look for in his portfolio

– A list of the necessary photos

– What to expect from a photographer on the wedding day

-Why is the waiting period until you get the wedding photos is not a short one

-And some FREE phone apps, to help you with the planning

Wedding checklist: Before, during and after the big day you can expect …

  1. Before the wedding day
  • Did you choose the date of the wedding and the venue? It is time to start looking for and contracting service providers. Many times, like the venues, they are all booked even a year prior.By the way, if you are not decided on the restaurant to choose, look here a top of them in Brasov.To write on your wedding planning checklist:
  • Make a list of photographers with a style that suits you – see this blog for my style.

  • get a quote
  • After receiving the offer, if you are interested in working together, we will set up a meeting to get to know each other. What we’ll talk about:

– what made you choose me * about how you’ve meet, your story, how long you’ve been together (all of this to help me know you know and inspire me for your photo style) * I’m going to talk a little again about my photojournalistic style, natural and unscripted  (the main reason why couples choose me is this, because they like natural moments, snapshots) – I explain that there is no need to do anything special for me on the wedding day. Just be yourself! Think you do not have a photographer at the wedding and enjoy your moments.

  • We decide if you want something else from your wedding photography and what that is. We decide whether you want group shots and when we do them (usually they take place after the end of the religious ceremony, before going to the restaurant)
  • You see a wedding album, a story told in wedding day photos.

  • We discuss how you see the day’s development.
  • We set up if you want a Save the date photo session, which can give you that feeling of closeness and make you more relaxed in front of the camera so we can then coordinate better on the wedding day.

 

PRE WEDDING Photo session

  • After the meeting, on the same day or immediately thereafter, I will send you the contract and bill for the downpayment
  • A few days before the wedding we talk again to set up the program.
  • Of course, we can meet up for coffee anytime, or you can contact me for any questions, but in the week before the wedding you need to send me the day’s schedule.
  • We make the last changes if necessary (for example, if you are not sure if the groom can get 30-40 min for dressing or any other things like this, I can help you out of my experience)
  • We decide whether there will be another important moments in the wedding that should not be missed (for example, if it’s the birthday of a special guest and you want to make a surprise during the party, or if you invited a couple of dancers with an artistic moment – all for me to be ready for them and make them memories)
  • We determine if there are people with whom you want a certain photo (an uncle, an aunt from afar, a friend from high school, etc.)
  • I help you with other recommendations for the wedding if need them: for flowers, music, cakes, etc.
  • I try every moment from the beginning to win your trust. So you can see in me not only as a wedding photographer, but also a friend to whom you can ask different questions and who is there to help you with all his dedication and experience.

Tips & Tricks from me to you, to add to the wedding planner checklist:

  • The bride should take some extra time for make-up and hair-style, often the initial set times are a little off, but this happens if you go to a salon where there are many appointments on that day, or because the bride who had a schedule ahead of you has been delayed. So I recommend you to arrange for a make-up artist and a hair stylist tot he location. You’ll be more relaxed and not waste any time on the road.
  • I recommend that you make your appointments in advance to choose the best available times (not having to go very early or too late)
  • It is recommended that the time between the church and the restaurant get together should be no more than 1 or 2 hours. Because the guests present at the church should not have to wait a lot or walk by just waiting until the start of the party.
  • One and a half hours should be enough between the church and the restaurant and we will have time for group photos as well.
  • I recommend you give different tasks to your friends, brothers and sisters. Let each be responsible for something. So you do not stand as a groom and take calls while you dress up. Or you as the bride to be stressed that you do not know where the cakes are for the guests, or you have to change 2 seats at the tables at the restaurant and you do not have time.
  • I recommend you wear your shoes a few days before the ceremony day – this is a life saving advice, believe me.
  • Discuss the importance of pre and after wedding sessions, set whether you want one or not. Why I do not recommend to have a photo session on a wedding day? – it may ruin the dress and get it dirty, the shoes and also you are not as relaxed, the time is short, the heat or cold can be a factor, the time is not suitable for natural light, etc.

You just have to live the moment. 

  1. What to expect from the photographer on your wedding day

On the wedding day I will try to make you as relaxed as possible, make to laugh, joke. You may be stressed that you are late for church. Relax, there was never a pair to remain unwedded, the priest waits for you. Even if it sounds selfish, it’s your day and you have to enjoy it, a small dose of selfishness is even recommended. I did not tell you that, okay?

During the party, I will constantly seek new moments, special ones, going up on chairs, going down to the floor, all for original angles and for the most special memories.

  1. What to expect from the photographer after the wedding day
  • Be sure I’ll dedicate myself very carefully to editing and sending you the most beautiful photos you expect.
Why does it have to last what seems to be so long to get the photos after the wedding? – I think the most important step is the editing and selection one. The result is that the final experience is a proof of quality. And the process is not fast and quantitative, but takes time and experience to be perfect.

Only after the wedding,  I think, begins the work for a professional photographer.

How the precess looks like, so that you can be sure that the memories are not lost:
  • Immediately after the wedding, RAW photos are copied to 2 different locations, external hard drives to be backed up and avoid losing files from various non-photographic causes.
  • A Lightroom work project is created for each wedding.
  • Then each photo is subject to changes in contrast, crop, white balance, vignetting, burning and dodging, sharpening, noise reduction, HSL adjustments, conversion to B & W. For perfect memories.
  • At the end of the editing, the photos are exported and converted to jpeg format, and they are also handed over to the collaborators.
  • To make the wedding album, the photos are imported into another program and I start working to create the story in the collages that will make up the final album. Before sending your album to print, I will send you a digital copy for you to give your OK. If any change is required, you want a particular photo, we can make the change without any problems.
  • Decide if you’ll have a wedding album or not for the special memories. My advice is that it really deserves the investment in these palpable memories!

And here’s a list of some photos that we’ll be sure to surprise. You can add some if you have other preferences.

BONUS: Below you will find some phone apps recommended by brides or wedding magazine specialists (brides.com) to help you with your planning.

  • WeddingHappy – application that helps you with the number of days to the wedding, the things you should take care of, the list of expenses.

  • iWedPlanner – a similar application where you can make arrangements at the table, you can keep your confirmations up to date and you can keep the collaborators’ data.

  • Wedding Countdown – Stylishly keep the pace with every day that brings you closer to the wedding. This app puts your countdown on the screen and you can customize it to show heartbeats or kisses.

 

I hope these ideas will make it to your wedding planning checklist and will help your day be THE day. 

Request an offer!

Andrei Dumitrache, a thousand images for the same word: YOU

0740 031 086

office@andreidumitrache.ro