Well, autumn is in full swing and winter is almost upon us and while weddings are less frequent, they have far from stopped. If you are planning a winter or autumn wedding here are some helpful words and tips to make your day as comfortable and enjoyable as ever.
Location and Props
With the increased chance of inclement weather its a good idea to choose a photo location that offers some protection from rain. Usually good locations for this have buildings or verandas that can be utilised to take some great effective and beautiful shots while keeping you dry and giving you some protection from the wind. Ask your photographer for some suggestions, they usually have a few ideas.
Also, get yourself some pretty umbrellas, they can make great props while also being very useful in keeping you dry.
Dress
Most wedding dresses are high on the pretty factor and low on the warmth factor. This is great in summer, but not so wonderful in winter or autumn. Its really hard to photograph someone who is freezing and eventually you just have to give up and let everyone seek warmth. One of the pleasures of winter is the ability to have pretty boleros, coats or fur stoles added to your bridal outfit to give you warmth. They look gorgeous and elegant in photos, and really, how many opportunities for a bridal jacket are you going to get? Seize the opportunity if you can!
Timing
The days are shorter, and currently the sun is setting at about 5:50. So with early sunsets its worth scheduling your ceremony earlier in the day to allow for enough time for photos. I would recommend around 3:00 at the latest, and preferably closer to 2:00pm. This will allow for time for your on-location shoot without rushing (hopefully). It will also, allow you take up the warmest part of the day before it starts to quickly cool.
Autumn ad winter can be a challenge for a wedding, but with careful planning you can have the wedding you always dreamed of!
Yesterday evening we received the sweetest surprise!
A gift basket filled with many scrumptious goodies, from Nikki and Adam, a really lovely couple (and I am not just saying that because of the gift basket) whose wedding we covered recently. They were married in Queen’s Garden with a reception in Palai 85, over looking the Swan River and Perth City skyline. We had lots of fun working with them and truly enjoyed sharing their special day.
We showed a lot of restraint in allowing the basket to remain intact until the photo was taken, but suffice to say we will soon raid it for its myriad of goodies!
Thank you so much Nikki and Adam 🙂
Recently I received the following enquiry:
hello,we are obtaining quotes for photography of our special day.so far the best quote we have been given is $1200 for a photographer to cover the whole event (from bridal party getting ready to reception end), wedding album, a CD of all images taken and a range of different sized photos printed.could you please give me a quote for the exact same thing.thank you
Congratulations on your upcoming nuptials! Â We have number of packages but we are unlikely to be able ‘beat’ or match $1200. Â Having said that I just want to offer some advice which also explains variability in the pricing of wedding photography.
I think a wedding day is so important that, even if we are simply out of your budget, to search around for not the cheapest photographer but the best photographer you can get for the money. I understand being on a budget, but your photos are the only momento of your day that you will have beyond your wedding – everything else will either get stored away, wilt or just disappear.
As I am sure you are aware not all photographers are created equal and from your description I could not assess the quality of the products that you list.
While there are some brilliant up and comers I council you to just consider the following:what experience does your photographer have?what level of post processing for the images does he offer?what is the quality of the album, is it magazine style (coffee table style and lower cost/ quality option) or matted (high quality, durable, but correspondingly more expensive)?what equipment does he use?are the prints and album of archival quality i.e. will last years and years, or standard quality (usually will last a decade or so depending on light conditions)?Is it one photographer or 2 covering your day?
All of our packages include the following:
2 photographers present throughout,pre-wedding photoshoot (1hr) and a pre wedding meeting to discuss your day.quality matted album from the highest album collection of our album makervarying levels of coverage (dependent on package)other extra dependent on package.6″ x 4″ sized digital negatives with limited personal copyright presented on disk and online.Using only the best canon lenses and cameras, printers, that are valued in the 10’s of thousands, with plenty of backup equipment.
To maintain this quality of service it would be impossible for us to work below the price of our silver suite.
Good luck in all your wedding planning and best wishes,
Kind Regards,Filip WelnaPhotographerFilip Welna Photography
Getting the best out of your wedding photography entails a few, but significant, considerations.
First, you have to choose a good wedding photographer, one that you have a good rapport with and whose style you like and appreciate. This is key to getting photos you like on your wedding day. Once this is done, you are about 70% of the way to getting great pictures of your day. The other 30%, however, is crucial to ensuring you (and your photographer) have a great day resulting in great images. Part of that 30% is simply scheduling enough time and coverage for your day.
1. Ensure enough coverage
I know that in the age of per hour wedding photography this can significantly impinge on a wedding budget but I strongly believe that a wedding day requires more than 3 or 5 hours coverage. At Filip Welna Photography we don’t do packages by the hour, but rather by the event. So if your getting ready at 10:00am in the morning, we will be there clicking away.
On average, we are at an event for about 8 -12 hours. As I have told many couples usually our best pics do not happen during the major formal events, but in the in-between moments.
For us, since candid photography is our primary style, it is essential to be with a couple for more than just during their ceremony or on location shoot.
2. Ensure enough time for the on-location shoot
Many couples will spend thousands on a great photographer and then create a schedule where they have barely 45mins to do their on-location shoot. Even the best photographers cringe at the idea of a 4:00pm ceremony and a 6:00pm reception (particular if travel time is needed). Consider that a ceremony will take 30 mins, congratulations, 20 mins, family photos 15 mins, and that’s 1 hour gone, factor in 20 minutes travel time and suddenly there is only 40mins for photos. If the day runs late (and it often does) that could get even shorter.
I have heard couples say they don’t want to keep the guests waiting, but I have always thought that if there is one day worth keeping people waiting its your wedding day! Honestly, guests are very good at taking care of themselves, give them an extra hour to freshen up or relax and give yourself the gift of time and great memorable pics.
That’s it for this post, Tips for the Bride will be an ongoing series so stayed tuned for more.
Filip Welna Photography is now a proud advertiser in Australian Bridal Options.
Bridal Options is a great magazine that allows brides and grooms see local services that will help make their day very special.
It should be hitting news stands by the end of the week, so keep an eye out.
What our Couples say….
Thank you very much for being our wedding photographer. You and your beautiful wife have done an amazing job. From the onset of our first meeting we were very confident in that choosing you as our photographer that we had made the right decision. We applaud your work, from the way you conduct your business, the countless hours and effort you put in, right down to the fine detailed spectacular finished product. Please know that as well as monetary gain, you also have our copious appreciation.
We will recommend you to everyone we know, and probably even people we don’t.
Mark & Sarah