How many final photos should we have for our wedding day?
As a rule of thumb you should allow one picture for every guest you have. As an absolute minimum we suggest 40 photographs. With reportage style photography becoming increasingly more popular it's not uncommon to have photo albums containing 100 images. With Storybook packages it is possible to have over 300 images! It really depends on how much detail you wish to have to remind you of your wedding day.
How much should we budget for photography?
Again it depends on the importance you place on wedding photography and your budget of course. Just remember that apart from your dress and possibly your flowers the only tangible reminder you have of your amazing day will be your photographs and wedding video (if you choose to have one). A good guideline for wedding photography is between 4 and 9 per cent of your total budget.
How long should it take to have our pictures taken?
A good and well organised photographer should be able to take their pictures in around one hour, based on 50 guests. Allow 15 minutes more for up to 100 guests. Please allow a further 30 - 45 minutes if you have chosen a larger venue where there is scope for some individual pictures to ensure your photographer can make the best of the options available. In general allowing 90 minutes from arrival at the reception venue to your line up or sitting down to your wedding breakfast should suffice. However it's always a good idea to sit down with your photographer before your wedding to go through the planning and timings to make sure that all runs smoothly on the day.
Can we have black and white photography?
Black and white images are becoming increasingly more in vogue, especially with the advent of reportage photography. Your photographer should be able to offer you black and white, and sepia options at no extra charge, especially if he or she is using digital equipment.
I don't like having my picture taken - any advice?
Most photographers don't like having their picture taken either! To reassure you experience shows that on your wedding you will be so happy that your smile will come naturally and so will the photographs, especially the natural reportage style ones. A pre-wedding photo shoot is often an option available for those couples who want to get an idea of how they will look together before the big day. It's also a good idea to meet up with your photographer before the wedding so you can get to know them a bit better and feel more relaxed in their company.