Houston Wedding Photographer – Photographics

In addition to the other post I made regarding places in Houston to hold your wedding ceremony or wedding reception (post is here if you missed it), I have a few more that you can consider.  While most of these are located in Houston, there are some listed that are located in Spring, Texas and Tomball, Texas as well.  When looking for a venue, please consider the size of your wedding party, (not just the bridal party, but the number of invited guests).  you don’t want to get a place that holds 300 and you invite 500.  you also don’t want to get a place that holds 300 and you only invited 100 as that would be wasted space and wasted money and considering the current economy, that might not be a good idea.

Marriott West Loop by the Galleria

This room is actually on the second level and has a great view.  Since this room faces east, it might not be that great for an early morning wedding (10 or earlier), but it is ideal for any time after that.

Brenner’s on the Bayou

Brenner’s Steakhouse actually has two locations in Houston, Texas, but this one is off Memorial Dr and has a beautiful garden area, lovely gazebo and the restaurant area will hold a large crowd in its rooms.

McCormick and Schmick’s Uptown Park

I actually shot this room during a Christmas Party, but I loved the layout so much that I immediately thought how nice it would look for a wedding reception!

Hilton Greenspoint (formerly the Wyndham Greenspoint)

The Hilton has a very nice and very large ballroom downstairs as well as a “smaller” room upstairs.  Both rooms could accommodate both the ceremony and reception for your guests.  These are shots from the smaller room:

and this is the larger room where the bride and groom held the ceremony and reception in (they used a partition to split the room).

Chateau Crystale

I have had the opportunity to photograph this place several times and I absolutely LOVE this ballroom!  It has a large dance floor and it’s always well lit and there are plenty of places to shoot!

Spring Chateau

This place has several locations available, depending on the size of you wedding party, both indoor and outdoor locations.  This particular wedding was shot in the Fall (Halloween Night to be exact) and they used the outdoor gazebo.

La Tranquila Ranch – Tomball, Texas

I posted a few of these from a wedding I did there back in January, but here are a few more of the layout:

The Houston, Texas Metro area has a lot of great places that can be used for your wedding ceremony and reception.  Each one has a personality all its own and I’m sure you can find one to fit your style and your budget.

Top 10 myths about wedding photography:

Credit for this post goes to Brad Barr of Brads Creative Images Photography.   This page kind of goes along with the truth page. But since there is so much misinformation out there regarding wedding photographers I thought I’d break it down into some quick and easy top 10 style lists. Its also a work in process. Very likely it may end up with more than 10.

1. A family member/friend can take all the pictures we need.

This is possibly the biggest bit of misinformation in the wedding business. Many brides make this mistake each year and one only has to do a quick search on any of the bridal chat boards to see how devastating this mistake truly can be. A quick example, the lady that runs the DJ company in our office made this mistake. She has exactly one usable image from her wedding. Folks, even photographers that specialize in other areas i.e., commercial, landscape, advertising, etc etc don’t try to shoot a wedding. Most will defer to the specialist just as I would if someone wanted to do something out of my specialty. They are quick to recognize the pitfalls. They recognize there are no second chances. The experience of an accomplished wedding professional is simply too important. He will know whats about to happen. He will know whats going to go wrong often before it even happens. He can adjust for difficult lighting situations. He has the backup equipment to ensure your day is captured in all its glory. Most brides comment after their wedding that the best money they spent on their wedding was their photographer. Or perhaps it was the most expensive freebie they ever had!! There are places you can cut corners. This shouldn’t be one of them.

2. Photographers have it easy since they only work 8hrs a week.

Boy do we wish!! In actuality the number of man hours it takes from start to finish with each bride is really between 30-40 hrs. Nobody remembers the 3-5hrs spent in consultations, meetings, answering phone calls etc, then there is the 8-10 hrs on the wedding itself, of course you have to get there long beforehand; and then break down thats another 2 hrs overlooked. 8-10 more hours of post production time, another 4-5 on print production, dvd slideshows, archiving files etc, 10-12 for custom album design. The time racks up pretty quickly. Not to mention the fact that really we only can work at shooting on days when wedding actually occur. i.e. Saturdays, and the occasional Friday or Sunday.

3. You need to give your photographer a shot list.

This one comes from all those bridal magazines mostly. Unfortunately these lists typically are not written by real world wedding photographers. Ask yourself this question: Would I rather have my photographer covering the action, or reading a list? We generally dont know who the people on the list are. Most of the suggestions on the lists are shots that will be taken by any experienced wedding photographer anyway. Ex: Bride with her Father (really??) The Cake (really??) Many more are simply superfluous groupings only listed to make the list look good. In reality, if you must have a list, the best way to utilize it is to simply give it to a family member or bridesmaid who actually knows the people on the list, and make them responsible for gathering them up. Not only will this save some time for you but this also will free your professional up to create the kind of images that attracted you to him in the first place.

4. Table shots.

Sounds great right? But the reality of it is this: The only time when everyone is at the table is during dinner. The images really aren’t typically chosen to be part of the brides album. The guests normally aren’t going to want them unless the bride and groom are in the photo with them, so really you need to go to each table with us to make the images mean anything. Now when we get there, they are all going to want to talk a little, and in order to see everyone, half the table will need to go stand on the opposite side; so you are going to average 3-5 minutes per table to get it set up. Now say you have an average crowd of 150 people. Tables are normally 8 each. Thats 19 tables at 5 minutes each which is an1-1.5hrs of your reception devoted to taking image of folks gathered around a cluttered table. Kind of a long way to go for shots like this. A much better idea here is the disposable cameras. They are perfect for these “grab and grins”, and free your professional up to do his job and capture the images that made you hire him in the first place.

5. Our Job is easy now that its digital.

I love this one. In some ways sure its easier. In a lot more ways its much more difficult. Heres why: When shooting film, the typical wedding took about 200 images. Now that has swelled to often more than 1000. When shooting film, the film process held about a 5 stop exposure latitude, which means that as long as you were in that safe zone, the lab could make a decent print. With digital we have about 1.5 stops. No problem if you know what you are doing, but sadly many struggle with this every week. Uncle bobs dont stand a chance here. When shooting film, we simply dropped our rolls off at the lab, and returned a few days later to pick up the prints. The “lab guy” did all the work and made us look good. Now with digital, we are the “lab guy” and often spend countless hours in post production doing what the “lab guy” used to do. Also, top of the line 35mm film cameras used to top out at around 1700 bucks and would pretty much last for 15 years or more. Top quality digital slr’s from those same companies are now often 5-8K each, and seemingly become “antiques” about every 2-4 years as technology increases.

6. We don’t even need proofs.

Well this one is unfortunately propagated by professional photographers. They say this because it eliminates a huge cost and lots of time. In truth, wouldn’t you really rather have 500 actual photographs to keep and share rather than having to load a cd or log onto a website and fool around with passwords, waiting for images to load up. What if your internet’s down?? or what if you’re not near a pc?? This one is a biggie. Consider that maybe 10% of your images are going to make it into your final bridal album. What about the others? If you have your proofs, you have them all right there. Besides, most photographers now give you the files anyway, so you can still do the pc thing should you want to. Key is you don’thave to.

7. Its best to find a company that does both Video and Photography .

We dont hear this as much as we used too now that video has faded from popularity somewhat. (20% of weddings according to a national study). But it is an interesting one. Heres why this isnt such a good idea as it may seem. Sure its easy to write one check. But…..most photographers and most videographers are good at doing one or the other. The methods of capture are completely different. Very few are actually good at both. The old saying “Jack of all trades; master at none” rings true here as well. There are even companies that suggest they can do it all…Limo, video, photo, dj, invitations, etc. I’ve worked with most of these companies. Fact is, they simply are ok at each of them. If they were really that great at any one, they wouldn’t need to be doing all the others. The best practitioners in any field are called specialists. Isnt that what you want for each vendor? Someone who specialized in just that field? You wouldn’t have a podiatrist do your eye exam would you? Or have a civil lawyer defend you if you got arrested? Of course not, you would want someone who specialized in exactly what you need. If you want a videographer, fine, find a good one; but be wary of the guys trying to sell you a package deal.

8. Photography is overpriced

This is one again that we hear lots of discussion about. It seems like a logical statement, as good photography is not cheap. Actually considering that the resulting images become some of your most treasured keepsakes, its actually priceless. Similarly, the regret faced by those whose job botched, makes what we charge seem like a pittance. Remember, the average wedding professional will spend 30-40 hrs on you and your job. Similarly, the national average net “salary” for wedding photographers in the USA is 28K per year. Why? Because of all the expenses, overhead, and the limited number of events we can work in any given year. Please read “The truth about wedding photographers” page for more info on this. Bottom line; not very many rich photographers out there.

9. Photographers charge ridiculous prices for reprints.

On first glance it may seem so, with many charging 30 dollars or more for 5×7 or 8×10. Even a little 4×6 can run 10-20 dollars. Why should it cost so much since we all know what walmart charges right?? Well, frankly speaking, you arent buying the paper, you are buying a smaller version of the image that was captured by your professional. The print is merely the container for that image. Your professional is also skilled at making each print look its best, and the time it takes to prepare a print is the same regardless of whether its a 4×6 or a 24×36. Many photographers nowadays will include the files in your packages and as such you are free to print them as you see fit and make this complaint a moot point; however, many still prefer to have the professional do it, and not have to hassle with sorting, organizing, print optimization, and cropping issues to name just a few. Simply put, most find its well worth the extra price to get it done right.

Some thoughts on the typical public perception of wedding photographers:

Credit for this post goes to Brad Barr of Brads Creative Images Photography as well.  This page is going to be dedicated to dispelling many of the myths and misconceptions regarding wedding photographers. I will be updating this as necessary, but the real purpose of this page is simply to educate the public, and present some real factual information regarding this business of wedding photography. Much of this initial posting was written by a fellow photographer from Cleveland Ohio named Rob Rife.

Guest And Their Cameras, how does it affect my photographer

I’ve heard much discussion recently about photographers who limit or restrict guests from taking pictures. Different photographers have different policies regarding this…with some being more restrictive than others. Here is a factual look at why most photographers have such policies in place. Its really not about missed sales opportunities to the guests, far from it. Actually, it’s more about the photographers ability to provide the best images that they can for their client. Most photographers care very deeply about the images they produce, and when a great image is compromised by a guest with a camera…or missed altogether…it’s frustrating to the photographer. And it’s been know to cause brides to be very angry with their photographer over missed pictures, when in fact, it was completely out of the photographers control.

Here’s a few real world examples of what can go wrong…

During the bridal and family photographs…some of the subjects may look at someone with a camera other than the photographers…so you end up with family and bridal portraits that have some of the people looking in different directions. That doesn’t make for a very appealing image. And while these can usually be retouched to some degree, it may cost you significant money.

Your photographer got no emotionally charged images of the father/daughter dance…because the entire time there were friends and relatives calling your names and tapping you on the shoulder to turn and look at them so they could take your picture.

That wonderful moment when you when you were dancing with your brother would have made a great photograph had it not been for that big orange glow on his face coming from the focus assist light on someone’s camera.

I know a photographer who once was unable to get any images at all of the ring exchange. The priest had restricted him to the very back of the church, and although he could see down the aisle just fine with a telephoto lens, his view was completely blocked by the three guests with cell phone cameras who got up and stood in the aisle near the front.

I could go on…but I think you see my point. Wedding photographers in general understand that guests want to take pictures. They expect it. They know that many guests bring cameras, even if it’s a cell phone camera. They certainly don’t want to deny anyone the chance to take a picture. Most photographers will tell you that they want the guests to take as many pictures as they like.

But they also hope that they’re given the opportunity to produce their best work for their clients. They don’t expect a client to tell their guests to leave their digital and cell phone cameras at home, but they do hope that you understand that sometimes an otherwise well intentioned guest will compromise their best efforts.

All they want is the chance to give their clients the best possible work that they can. They want their clients to be thrilled with the images…not unhappy because something got missed or ruined.

Why Does Wedding Photography Cost So Much?

One topic that comes up fairly often is why photography costs as much as it does. I’m going to attempt to break it down here and hopefully give you the information that will help you more fully understand the answer to that question. These figures are average and will vary from one photographer to another. Also, keep in mind that a single unmarried photographer will probably have a lower cost of living than one supporting a family of five. Individual differences between photographers such as this, among others, does impact what a photographers needs to charge to survive.

Let’s assume the photographer lists a price of $2700.00 for 10 hours of coverage, an engagement session, a book of 500 proof prints and a 30 page coffee table album.

Out of that $2700.00 you need to consider the photographers expenses. First, there are the annual expenses that take a part of each weddings income. Among those expenses would be insurance, advertising, updates and maintenance of their website and sample albums, advertising, accounting and legal expenses, repair or replacement or upgrading of very expensive cameras and computers, continued education, wear and tear on their automobile, and for some…studio rent, electric and telephone. All this may come to $300.00 per wedding.

Next, there are the fixed expenses for each wedding. Include in this figure…proof album and proof prints, consumables such as DVD’s or CD’s, and the cost of the coffee table book. This figure may come to $800.00.

After these expenses, the photographer is left with $1600.00. Federal, state and local taxes, social security and payroll taxes will take, on average, 40% of that $1600.00, or $640.00. This leaves the photographer with $960.00 in earnings for photographing your wedding.

Wow, you say…a thousand bucks for a few hours work on a Saturday sure isn’t bad. If it was that simple…you’d be right…it would be pretty good money. So, let’s look at the time investment for each wedding.

2 hours for meetings, emails and phone calls as you interview the photographer.
3 hours for the shooting and editing of your engagement session.
12 hours on your wedding day.
10 hours to process your images, get proofs printed, etc.
10 hours designing and producing the final album.
5 hours for misc. meetings, phone calls, emails, planning sessions, trips to the lab, etc.

All this and you still need to add in the hours each week needed to run the business.

All told…a photographer invests 40-50 hours in each wedding. Also consider that the wedding photographers season in this part of the country is about 40 weeks long. There are relatively few weddings in December, January, February and August or September.

The national average income for wedding photographers is approximately $28,000.00 per year. So if it seems like wedding photographers make huge amounts of money…they do not. On average their incomes are pretty much in line with the rest of the employed public. Some make more and some make less, depending on experience, talent, the actual type of product being delivered, and overhead costs specific to that photographer.

I hope this information is helpful in understand why your photographers prices are what they are.

Chain and Multi-Photographer Studios

There has been much discussion lately regarding whether or not you should retain a large, chain studio to photograph your wedding. Part of what generated this discussion was the closing of a long time studio in the New York area…one that employed dozens of photographers. They recently closed, leaving more than 600 brides without their wedding photographs, a photographer, or their money.

The case is currently being looked at not only by the bankruptcy court, but by law enforcement agencies to determine if any criminal wrongdoing was involved. Many brides put their faith in the large studio thinking that they may be more stable and reliable that a smaller independent operation. Sadly…they were wrong. Over the years, many chain and large multi-photographer studios have closed, leaving brides to fend for themselves…it seems to be the nature of the business.

Some questions you want to ask if you are considering using either a chain studio or a studio with a large stable of photographers…

1) Who exactly will be my photographer? While all the albums and photographs they show you will no doubt be beautiful…is it the work of the person who is going to show up at your wedding? Or, will the photographer who shows up be someone with no experience and no idea what you’re looking for?

When you meet with an independent photographer, you can pretty much be assured that the work you see is truly indicative of the work you’ll be getting. You’ll know your photographers qualifications, you’ll know their personality…and they’ll know yours. This personal relationship goes a very long way in providing the insight they need to fully understand how to photograph your wedding and caption the essence of who you are.

2) Will you be an actual bride and groom to them, or just a name on a file folder? The shear number of brides a chain deals with dictates that you’ll be a number. They won’t recall your personality or all the small things you may have said about what you wanted. The independent photographer will remember you when you call, they’ll know your personality and they’ll remember the little details that will eventually make so much difference in creating wonderful photographs of your wedding day.

3) How will your album be designed? Will it be done by someone who never met you, doesn’t know you and simply sticks your images in a template like all the other brides? Or will it be done by the person who actually photographed your wedding and understands what some of the details and nuances in the images mean to you? Will your album look like all the rest, or will it have that personal touch that makes it YOUR album?

4) Where will your photographer come from? I know it sounds like a silly question, but there are some large chain studios that will bring in a photographer from another city if they can’t find anyone local. Will this photographer know his way around town? Have they been to your church or temple and do they know your priest or minister or rabbi, and will they know how to deal with the light and layout? Do they know where the best spots in the park are? Do they have the personal relationships with the limo drivers, florists, wedding planners, videographers and catering managers that will help things go smoother?

The independent photographer will have insights into all these things. They’ll know where your priest is going to stand, and which window the sun will come through at 2:00PM. They’ll know about that giant willow tree in the park and how the sun will shine through it’s branches at just the right angle. And they’ll have a backup location in mind if it rains.

5) If your photographs are important to you, and more than just a stack of pictures, then it makes sense to have a photographer that you can communicate with and who knows you. It makes sense to use a photographer who can make you wedding photographs special because they know how you smile when your groom holds your hand, and how that tear on your dad’s face is the first one he’s ever let you see. The unnamed and unknown photographer will have none of this insight. And while they may take nice pictures, they’ll lack the depth and insight and meaning that would have truly set them apart.

Insurance

Every professional photographer should be fully insured…not only to protect themselves, but to protect you as well. It’s just the responsible thing to do as a business.

The are two main type of insurance that every photographer should have. I will address each one and why it’s important to you, the bride and groom, that your photographer have such coverage.

1) Theft or Loss. Theft insurance will help the photographer replace equipment that gets stolen or damaged. Equipment does get stolen. Equipment does get dropped. While most photographers are very careful with such expensive gear, once in a while the unexpected does happen. And why the photographer having theft insurance is important to you is this…what would happen at your wedding if the photographer had his gear stolen or damaged in the days leading up to your wedding and they didn’t have the cash on hand to replace it? You’d be left without a photographer, or at the very least, one with hastily rounded up used or borrowed gear that may not be up to the task. Ultimately, your photographs may be effected. If the photographer had insurance, all the gear is replaced and you’re safe.

2) Liability. This insurance covers many issues. Suppose your grandmother trips over the photographers tripod and gets hurt? If the photographer was at fault, the insurance will help with the medical bills. Suppose the photographer is at your home and accidentally knocks over that expensive vase you have, his insurance may help to replace it. And finally, many houses of worship and reception venues will require your vendors to have liability insurance before they’ll be allowed to work in the building. The church or hotel or whatever wants to be sure they’re financially protected should the vendor damage anything or cause an accident.

In short…you should insist that your photographer be fully insured. This is for your protection. Not only if something happens on your wedding day, but to be sure that if something happens at someone else’s event, your photographer will still be in business when it comes time to photograph your wedding.

A true professional will have insurance, the amateur or wannabe wedding photographer may not. Always check to be sure, and if they don’t…cross them off your list.

Backup Equipment

One thing that you should always ask about, and insist on, is that your photographer has sufficient backup gear should something stop working. Cameras do fail unexpectedly. Flashes do short out when you least expect them to. It’ll happen to every photographer sooner or later.

Any good photographer will have an absolute minimum of two camera bodies, and preferably three or more. And I don’t mean one good camera and a cheap point and shoot as a backup. I mean good, sturdy cameras designed for wedding use. They should also have two or three extra flashes and enough batteries to power all of them…and a few more batteries in reserve.

If your photographer has only one camera or one flash…what are you going to do if it stops working or gets dropped and broken? The wedding will continue of course, but you’ll have no photographs of it. Is this a risk worth taking?

I’ve heard numerous stories over the years from brides who had a budget photographer with no decent backup gear, and sure enough, something broke and the bride ended up with very few photographs, or very poor ones because the photographer didn’t have any backup gear…or cheap gear not up to the task. One thing that separates the true professional from the amateur or wanna-be photographer is their gear. The pro will have the right gear and plenty of it. The wanna-be will have just enough gear to get by…hopefully.

Copyright release

This comes up often. The client wants to have a copyright release to be able to use the image files they received from their photographer. Generally speaking, few photographers will release their copyright. Most likely, the photographer will grant to the client “Personal Usage Rights”. Copyright Release and Personal Usage Rights…two different things.

What this means is that the client can take that disc of image files that they received and make prints for themselves, their friends, use them in thank you cards, make their own albums, etc. Basically, any personal use. What they can’t do is sell them commercially. In other words, the bride wouldn’t be able to sell an image to David’s Bridal for example for them to use in an ad campaign without the photographers permission.

99% of the time Personal Usage Rights are all that the client will ever need. And should the need arise that somehow the client does need the full copyright, most of the time that can be negotiated with the photographer.

Feeding your photographer

Some photographers state in their contract that they must be fed, some make no mention of it at all. There is no hard and fast rule about it. Even photographers can’t agree on how it should be handled. But here’s a few things to keep in mind…

Even if you decide not to provide a meal for your photographer, they will appreciate a break sometime during the day to feed themselves. Remember that they’ll be on their feet for 8-10 hours or more, and carrying twenty pounds worth of equipment. Some photographers will request a hot meal, and most reception facilities are happy to help out by setting up a “vendors table” off to the side somewhere. If you are feeding your photographer, it helps if they’re taken care of towards the earlier or middle part of the serving time. If they do go at the very end, chances are they won’t get any chance to eat, as by that time you’ll be done with your dinner and be up and about, so they need to be up as well. Unless a meal is contractually required, the final choice is up the bride and groom. Just let your photographer know what to expect so they can plan accordingly.

I know what you’re thinking – “But you’re the photographer, I thought that was YOUR job”.  Well, part of it is, but these are some things you can do before and during your wedding day to make those wedding photos the memories you are expecting.

1. Plan in time for a “photo walk”. Its that 30 minutes or so after your formals, but before your reception starts. We need this 20-30 minutes of alone time with you and your new husband to create some of those relaxed romantic portraits that everyone loves. Its from this session that 90% of our enlargements are made. Its where your thank you card shot will come from….this is the number one way to ensure great images. Give us the time to take them. So please, plan it into your schedule.

2. Plan in a realistic amount of time for your hair and makeup. This is the number one time line killer at weddings. Remember, that they will likely have more to do than expected with all the girls there, and Mom’s too. Everyone will want a little touch up done, which can easily put you behind schedule. Nothing adds stress to your day like running behind.

3. Don’t overdo the makeup. This is especially true for those of you that normally don’t wear much. You want to look like you would normally look to go out for the evening. Many brides think that they need more makeup for the “pictures”. This simply isn’t true. Some makeup is fine, but you don’t want to appear drastically different than normal. Same goes for sun tanning. The day before you get married is not the time to get a tan; and the spray on kind will make you look orange.

4. Drink responsibly . Sounds silly, and we aren’t trying to sound preachy here, but moderation is the key, you don’t want to get so sloshed that you cant remember the day. (Or the night ). We have had many a bride that did or said things they certainly wouldn’t have had they been less intoxicated. No one looks really good when they’ve had too much to drink. And as a corollary to this, you should make it a point to eat something, as it helps you hold what alcohol you do drink, and keeps your energy level up all day too.

5. Make sure all your important family members know they are supposed to go immediately following the ceremony for the formal photographs. If all the players are there, we can do the formals in less than 25 minutes for most families. However if we have to hunt down Uncle Harry…then all bets are off.

6. Its your party, ENJOY it!! We see lots of brides that are obsessed with getting to “see” every single guest that they miss their own reception. That’s a shame, especially considering the money you are spending on it! (oh yeah, it does give us much better photo ops too )

7. Here’s a big one. During your key dances…i.e. your first dance, and parent dances…LOOK AT EACH OTHER!!! This is the time you have been waiting for. Go ahead, get emotional, get mushy, and forget about all the guests. Forget about me. If I need you to look into the camera I’ll ask trust me, but what I REALLY want is you two looking into each others eyes on this most special moment. Same goes for your parents dances. Remember this is a HUGE moment for them too, so acknowledge the stature of the moment by sharing it with them…look them in the eye…you wont be sorry!!

8. Be on time. This goes without saying of course, but like I said above, nothing ups the stress levels quite like running behind. Some things are gonna just seem to run late, and that’s no problem; however a little pre-planning in these problem areas can ensure that your day runs smoother and your blood pressure remains much lower. I know several of these tips have centered around time, but it truly is the one mood killer. Its hard to stop and smell the roses….when you’re running late already. The first thing that gets cut when you are behind is always the photo time, (see #1) which should be the one area that is never touched. Nevertheless, it is.

9. Delegate all the tasks for the day. That’s why you have bridesmaids!!! Their whole job for the day is not to party, its to help you!! Sure they get to party….but job number one is to make sure that you are attended to. (thus the term attendants). The less stuff you have to worry about on your big day the better. Delegate and relax.

10. Plan your exit strategy. This avoids you incurring overtime charges from your DJ and caterer, and brings the event to a nice emotional closure. (which of course makes for great pictures too). That way you can get out of dodge, and the guests will know its over, and not feel obliged to stay, and by doing #9 above, all your stuff will be attended too while you whisk off to your honeymoon!!

11. Ok I know this is an extra, but Schedule an engagement portrait session. You’re probably wondering what this has to do with wedding day images. Truth be told, an engagement session not only results in some great images that you might want to use to build a custom guest sign-in book out of, but it allows you to get comfortable in front of the camera. It also gives both you and the photographer a chance to learn how to work together. When the big day comes around you’ll be more at ease while having your photos made.

It is likely we may expand upon this list, but if you do your best on these 10, you and your photographer will be well on your way to great images!!!

Often, as a wedding photographer, it’s great to shoot the big fancy “platinum weddings”, who doesn’t like seeing those?  But what is just as special, if not more special to me are the nice, quiet, sweet, intimate ceremonies, where the couple and a few close family and friends share.  this was the case with Ceci and Tim.  Tim has family here and they came to Houston to renew their vows (they are both Active Military and got married a few years ago right before he was deployed).  After the ceremony, we took a few family shots and then the couple and I went to the Museum district in Downtown Houston and took some portraits.  This was a great couple and I enjoyed my time with them!