Authored by Katharine Foust in Photography
Published on 11-05-2009
Learning how to save money on wedding photography can be a major step towards having the wedding of your dreams without completely draining the savings account. Many people overlook some of the simpler ways to save money on wedding photography and end up spending more than they ever wanted to on it. Below are some really simple tips that not only help to save money, but also make the guests and family feel as if they are participating in the wedding rather than observing.
Look through your family photos and try to remember or find out who took some of the best photos. Contact that person and compliment their skills. Make them feel appreciated. Then, talk to them about taking some photos at your wedding. Talk not only about the fact that you would like to save some money, but also about how much it would mean to you to have that family member be the one to take the photos. By doing this, you help the family member to feel appreciated and not feel as if they are simply a way for you to save money. Get together with them and discuss what type of photos you are looking for. You can even make a cheat sheet for them to work off of so that they know they have obtained the type of photos you want. Be sure to buy them an extra special gift for their efforts!
Set up video cameras on tripods to record the event. This is a great way to make sure you get the photos you want since you can stop the video and select specific scenes to be made into photos. Many digital cameras come with the video feature as part of the package. Make use of this feature. If you don’t own a camera that has this feature, contact friends and relatives that do own one. Make sure you have more than one on tripods so that you can get various angles. If you still can’t find a camera, try checking with a rent-to-own store. They often rent cameras and you can rent it for more than one day. Then you can use it for great photos on the honeymoon as well!
Make your reception interactive. Place disposable cameras on the tables and allow the guests to take their own photos. In this way you can not only get photos of the wedding party, but also of the guests that attended the reception. Create tags to place by the cameras so that the guests know that you would like for them to use the camera to take photos for your wedding album. Request that they drop the camera in a basket that you have set out before they leave. Be sure to thank them for coming and participating in the wedding photography. Make an announcement before the reception begins to point out the cameras and how you would like them used.
Using these tips ensures that you will not only have a wide variety of wedding photos to choose from for your album but you will also make your guests feel as if they are part of your wedding experience!
