The Wedding of the Century

Hi everyone! I apologize for the delay in my response – the long July 4 weekend took over and I’m just now recouping from it! As I said in Part One, my name is Carrie Hachadurian and I’m the co-owner (with my husband, Frank) of Blue Frame Photography in Western North Carolina.

In Part One, we discussed several ways to make sure you hire the right photographer for you. In Part Two, we’ll talk about the photography contract and the things you can do (or tell others to do) on your big day to help your photographer get the amazing shots you’re after.

So, let’s get started.

Read the fine print.

No, really. There’s a reason it’s there. Before I became a photographer, I figured if I needed to know anything, my photographer would tell me himself. The reality, however, is simply that a wedding photographer probably has several brides and weddings to juggle simultaneously and may not remember to point out all the “legalese” in a contract. That’s why it’s so important for you to read the contract in its entirety and ask about anything you don’t understand fully.

For instance, had I read my photographer’s contract, I would have realized that not every photo the photographer took would end up on his Web site. In fact, most wedding photographers end up showing 20 to 30 percent of what they take that day. That means, if a photographer takes 2,000 shots that day, you may only see around 400, 450 of them. BUT, those 450 pictures you do see will be drop-dead gorgeous. The other 1,550 were most likely either duplicates of the same pose or action or they just weren’t up to the same caliber your photographer generally shows.

I was so bummed when I only saw 300 of my prints, but had I paid closer attention to the fine details, I would have realized that the photographer contains all rights to his/her images and will show them at his/her discretion. Had I been prepared for that, I wouldn’t have been so upset and I would have saved myself (and my photographer) some time and aggravation after the wedding.

Just because you purchase prints doesn’t mean you own the rights to them.

Unless you buy a copyright release form from your photographer, you don’t own the rights to your wedding day prints. In other words, it is illegal to scan your prints to put on a Web site or to reprint at your discretion, unless your photographer gives you permission to do so. Many photographers offer an option of buying a CD of images, which comes with a copyright release form. But even then, make sure you have full rights to your images – meaning you can legally send your Aunt Margie in New York prints if she wants them.

Make sure your family knows when to be where for formal pictures.

Most brides still want the tradition stand-and-grin photos of family and bridal party members. It’s impossible for your photographer to know everyone by name. So, you should designate someone in your bridal party or family to make sure everyone involved knows where to go after (or before) the ceremony for pictures. Also, if you want a very specific picture – say, a four or five generation picture – be sure to let your photographer know so that he/she can add it to the list. Most weddings are on a very tight schedule, so if your Uncle Louie goes MIA after the ceremony, it isn’t the photographer’s fault.

Be sure to ask your photographer if anyone else can take photos.

We live in a digital world, and most photographers don’t mind family and friends taking pictures during the ceremony and reception. However, you should also know that if people use a flash at the same time your photographer uses his/her flash, your pictures will turn out a little funky. So just let your family and friends know to turn off their flash function during the ceremony and the after-ceremony formal pictures.

Also, most photographers say in their contracts that they are to be the only professional photographers during the wedding. Make sure you tell your cousin Evan, who’s learning to be a professional photographer, to be respectful and stay out of the photographer’s way. Again, most photographers don’t mind if family or friends take pictures from their seats but most would have a problem if he/she has to tell people to step aside so that they can get a clear shot of you (the bride) coming down the aisle with your father. Again, you are paying your photographer to be there, so you should make sure your family and friends know the rules so that your photographer can cater to you.

After all is said and done, your wedding is your one special day, so make sure your are prepared for it so you can have fun and be relaxed during it. The best thing you can do for yourself is to understand as much of the style of wedding photography you are seeking as possible and to interview and understand your photographer’s style and rules. Your wedding photos and memories are worth it!

Carrie is co-owner of Blue Frame Photography and Design, www.blueframephotography.com . You can reach her directly via email: blueframephoto@gmail.com; via cell phone: 828-550-6508 or via Facebook: Blue Frame Photography and Design.