Posted on 02/11/11, filed under Fresh News | No Comments
Top 5 tips for finding the perfect wedding photographer:
Choosing a wedding photographer, especially in Sussex and South-East England, can be a bit of a lottery. Your wedding day will go in a flash. After months (or even years) of painstaking planning, the day itself flies by and your photographs are the only physical proof that you had a good time! So choosing the right photographer to help create beautiful memories of your special day, is vital.
Innovation images’ insider guide to wedding photographers, will help you navigate your way through the wedding-snapper maze and find a wedding photographer who truly captures one of the most important days of your life.
Tip #1: Rapport:
Your photographer is responsible for making the bride look like a goddess, the groom look like Adonis, and the mums looking radiantly happy! If you don’t get on and feel a connection with your photographer, then the chances are you will feel awkward and uncomfortable and your photographs will show it! Many people don’t like having their photograph taken, so using a wedding photographer with an engaging personality and a easy-going, calm manner, is essential to get those all important relaxed, beautiful and natural looking wedding photos.
Tip#2 : Experience:
You want a professional, who can handle any situation and (almost) any weather condition without getting in a flap. It’s vital to choose a wedding photographer with either a professional qualification in photography and/or one who has membership of a professional body such as The Master Photographer‘s Association. They will need to have a quick eye, they’ll need to spot unique photo-opportunities and they’ll certainly need to be on the ball to make sure they capture key moments that occur throughout the day. Years of experience certainly helps to make sure they capture that first kiss between a new husband and wife, or the look of pride from a doting parent.
Tip#3: Try before you buy:
By choosing a wedding photographer who offers you a free, no-obligation test-shoot, you are giving yourself a head-start! You will find out how your photographer works, whether you will get on well during one of the most important days of your life, and most importantly, if you like their photographic style. This will make the decision-making process that much easier and give you peace of mind that your day will be captured the way you want it.
Tip#4: Questions, questions, questions:
Write down everything you want to ask before your meeting with a potential photographer, no matter how small, and fire away. Don’t worry that you may seem demanding; this is a hugely important part of your wedding expenditure and a good photographer understands that. Questions you might like to include are:
- Is there a wet weather plan?
- What if they are ill on the day?
- What exactly is included in the price? Are there any extras?
- Are travel/accommodation expenses extra?
- Are the final images subject to copyright?
Tip#5: Be Flexible:
By all means have an idea of your ideal ‘wish-list’ of pictures but try to be flexible. Your professional wedding photographer should have the skill, experience and creative vision to help you capture the best shots on your big day - so relax, enjoy and let them work their magic - after all, that is what you are paying them for!
Posted on 17/10/11, filed under Fresh News, News, Wedding planning | 1 Comment
If you have young nieces, nephews, cousins or children of your own, and you want them to help celebrate on your wedding day, then it’s a good idea to make a few provisions to keep kids (and their parents) happy during your wedding ceremony and reception. To get you started, here are Innovation Images’ top photographer’s tips for child-friendly weddings in Sussex:
Tip#1: Keep ‘em busy: “Idle hands do the devil’s work”! Giving children jobs to do at a wedding can help alleviate boredom and get them to ’buy in’ to the whole wedding day deal. Even the youngest children get a sense of pride at being entrusted with a special job, and will generally rise admirably to the occasion, eliciting many ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ of admiration. Dish out jobs according to age and ability and not only will you have an army of helpers, you will have angelic little cherubs all keen to impress on your big day.
Innovation Images Top Tog Tip:
Brides who want having formal photographs taken with younger guests might want their wedding photographer to do their shots first, before the children get too restless, cranky or (god help us all) hungry.
Tip#2: Family Planning!: Spontaneity goes out of the window once you have children. Boring though it is, children (especially young ones) need regular feeding, and nap times throughout the day in order to function angelically. By letting parents know the general running order of your wedding in advance, they can plan for their child’s needs accordingly so that everyone enjoys their day.
Tip#3: Make it a happy meal: Not of the golden arches kind, obviously, unless that’s your wedding cuisine choice of preference, but it pays to offer some child-friendly wedding-food options. And if the kids’ menu is less than gourmet, don’t worry - better to have well-fed children, than uneaten plates of haute cuisine and toddlers in a hunger-induced melt-down.
Tip#4: Divide and conquer: It’s often worth investing in a separate playroom for young children. Toys, games, xbox/wii, films and snacks will offer a welcome distraction, maybe under the watchful eye of a CRB-checked childminder? Of course, some kids (or indeed their parents) won’t take to the care of a stranger, but there’s a good chance that many mums and dads will leap at the chance to enjoy some grown-up time with others who are capable of blowing their own noses, safe in the knowledge that their little cherubs are happily causing havoc on someone else’s watch!
Tip#5: That’s entertainment…: If tip#4 doesn’t appeal, consider hiring a balloon modeller, puppeteer, circus show or magician. The beauty of this is that such entertainers can often turn their hand to more sophisticated entertainment for adults later in the evening - which makes it a very cost effective option. If that’s still more than you want to shell out, try some cheap and cheerful fun: A few tables with activity sheets, pens, games etc can sometimes be all you need to help keep boredom at bay. If you have older children attending, why not incorporate a themed treasure hunt, complete with clues, within the kids’ party bags. Older ones can help younger ones, and it will certainly keep them occupied during the boring bits! You could even use a roll of lining paper to create a huge graffiti wall that the children can all add to throughout the day - and it would make a great memento.
Posted on 11/09/11, filed under Fresh News | No Comments
Last weeks fayre at the Amex Stadium in Brighton went really well with couples queueing outside the building to get in. Looks like its going to be a very popular venue for weddings as well but I think that’s largely down to being the home of Brighton and Hove Albion. There was a suspiciously high number of grooms there but I think that was so they could have a look at the ground.
Today I’ll be at the Alexander House wedding fayre at Turners Hill in Sussex. This is a beautiful hotel and spa and should be on the radar of anyone planning there big day in the area. Doors for the fayre open at 11am and close at 3pm.
