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Photographing Your Wedding Experience––from Bridal Shower
to Final Vows
(BNN) A picture can indeed be worth a thousand words,
especially when it comes to weddings. Most
brides-and-bridegrooms-to-be have undoubtedly booked
the best photographer their budget will allow to
capture priceless memories from their wedding day.
Many couples also realize that it is important to
capture the special moments leading up to and
following the big day– such as the engagement and
bachelorette parties, showers, the rehearsal dinner
and honeymoon.
Although a professional photographer may not always
be on hand for these happenings, newlyweds will
probably want to make certain that after the
honeymoon, they have a variety of photographs to
fill their albums. Here are a few simple tips to
help preserve the memories from this special time:
1) Capturing the Preparations. Some of the most
entertaining moments occur months, weeks or even
days before the actual wedding. Therefore, many
brides, relatives and friends find it essential to
bring a camera to capture the preparations, such as
dress-shopping excursions and hair/makeup sessions.
Photos of such memorable occasions can be part of
the formal wedding album, and also will help the
bride compare wedding-gown options and select those
she likes best. A bride’s stylist can then use these
pictorial reminders to assist them in re-creating
her desired look.
2) Power at the Ready! With the mainstream
popularity of digital cameras, shutterbugs take a
lot more photos than ever before, especially when it
involves a special event like a wedding. As guests
snap away during the ceremony and cocktail hour,
many will end up with a dead battery before the
first dance. That’s why it is always a good idea to
provide guests with plenty of disposable batteries,
whether at the favor table or in the vanity
baskets, to keep their cameras powered when there
is no time to recharge. Have a variety of battery
sizes readily available, such as Duracell Ultra
Alkaline AA batteries for digital cameras, Duracell
Ultra Photo Lithium 123 batteries for film cameras
and Duracell CP1 thin, disposable batteries for the
latest, sleekest digital cameras available. Because
professional photo proofs often take several weeks
to arrive, guests’ photos are typically the first
photos the bride and groom will actually see, so it
is in their best interest to keep their guests
stocked with batteries and ready to capture their
best moments.
3) Instant Albums. Another growing trend among
brides today is not only that of documenting their
wedding experience from the engagement through the
honeymoon, but also preserving those special moments
in personalized scrapbooks or "instant albums.” An
instant album is easily created by pre-decorating
album pages, then bringing a portable photo printer
to special occasions, such as the engagement party
or bridal shower. Friends and relatives can snap
digital photos, print them, and instantly affix them
to the album pages along with personal notes. With
this option, no time is wasted– each section of the
photo album will be complete before the champagne
runs dry!
4) "Say Cheese!" There are many options when it
comes to wedding photography. Should photos be
sepia, color or black-and-white? Digital or 35-mm?
One simple solution is to arm several members of the
wedding party with a variety of cameras, pre-loaded
with different types of film, and ask them to shoot
away. Not only will the new couple get more varied
and candid images of the event, but they'll also
have a greater variety of styles for their album and
for framing. Once the pictures are snapped, the
cameras can be given to attendants as parting gifts
– or used on the honeymoon. If you choose the
digital route, two popular new models are the HP
Photosmart R707 and the Canon PowerShot A400 (which
comes in four trendy colors: silver, sky blue, lime
green and sunset gold).
5) Cyber Brides. Many brides and grooms are
creating their own Web site to serve as both a
pre-wedding information center (e.g., for RSVPs,
directions, gift registry) and a cyber-album for
uploading photographs complete with captions, to
share with family and friends. Several sites also
allow guests to download images for their own
enjoyment. One of the most popular and modestly
priced hosting sites is
www.ewedding.com, which was
rated by The Wall Street Journal as No. l in
wedding Web site design.
With these simple suggestions, each memorable moment
can be made to last a lifetime.
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