Interviewing Wedding Photographers - What to Ask

With wedding planning season in full swing many brides are searching for that perfect photographer to capture the memories of their special day. It can be quite a daunting task trying to figure out what questions to ask when interviewing a wedding photographer. To help with that task, here's a list of what questions should be asked in the consultation and also some very important factors to consider when scheduling time for your wedding portraits.

Consider purchasing a package in which time is not a factor. Packages with full day coverage allow you to space events out comfortably and allot enough time between the wedding and reception so that your photographer isn't rushing to get your portraits done. You also won't have to worry about rushing through your reception or having to pay your photographer for additional time. You should also consider having your photographer come early to take some wedding party photos before the ceremony starts if possible. Some brides and grooms are even electing to see each other before the wedding so that photos can be taken while hair and makeup is still fresh. Not having to rush through your wedding photos will create a more relaxed and enjoyable environment.

Here are some important questions to ask when interviewing a wedding photographer:

How long have you been a professional wedding photographer?

What style of wedding photography do you offer? Traditional, Photojournalistic, Contemporary?

Will you be my actual photographer or do you contract your services out to associate photographers?

Can you show me some examples of complete weddings you have done?

What type of editing will the images receive?

Do you offer the images in black and white, sepia or other image effects such as selective coloring? If so, is there an additional charge?

How will my family and friends be able to see and order images? Do you offer online galleries with your packages?

Do you offer full day coverage with your packages? If so, are there any scheduling limitations?

Do your packages include one or two photographers and is there an extra fee for a second photographer?

Do you have backup equipment that you carry with you in case something breaks?

Do you charge a travel fee and/or how far will you travel to a wedding before charging a fee?

Do you charge a fee to take pictures in locations other than the wedding and reception locations?

Do your packages include a CD or DVD of the wedding images and what type of usage rights are allowed with them? When can I expect to receive the CD or DVD after the wedding?

Are you able to create customized packages to help keep us within our budget?

What types of albums do you offer and are they included in the packages or can they be purchased separately?

How much input would we have in our album design and approximately how many images would be used?

Do you have sample albums you can show me?

When can I expect to receive my album after the wedding?

Happy New Year!

May this year be filled with many, many blessings and lots of joy and happiness for everyone!

Niceness is Still Alive!!

Hey, guess what… Niceness is not lost!!! This morning we wanted a late breakfast and so I was off to Bojangles. It was raining cats and dogs, which was a blessing in itself. As I pulled into Bojangles, I immediately saw that the drive-thru was backed up. After pulling around the building to get in line, I noticed a girl with a huge umbrella standing at one of the cars talking. I thought to myself , “Why is she holding up the line talking in this pouring rain?”. Then I realized she was talking into an earpiece and taking orders. I’ve seen them do this before, but I thought it was especially nice today because the girl was getting close enough to the cars and placing the umbrella over the car windows to keep the customers dry as she took orders. The line was moving quite quickly, so when she started my order the line moved a bit ahead of us. There was at least a car space between us and the line. As she finished my order, another car pulled up and around us and got in front of me. She told her order taker to switch the orders because the car ahead of me had jumped line. My first reaction was that of extreme annoyance, but then I thought about my new year’s resolution which is to be more patient and kinder, so why not start now. So I dismissed my annoyance and proceeded to the window. The lady ahead of me that jumped line received her food, paid for it and then left. When I reached the window I handed the guy my money and he says, “Your food was already taken care of by the car ahead of you!”. I was so surprised I replied, “All of it?...It was a $13.00 order, are you sure?”, and he said “Yes, you must have done something nice”. I was so pleased that I said a quick prayer of thanks and asked God to bless her for her kindness. If that was one of those Pay-It-Forward deals, I had just broken it. I was so excited, I sped around the corner to see if I could stop her and thank her. She was quickly gone in her little grey Geo Prizm. So, Nice Bojangles Lady if you read this blog entry...Thanks and God Bless You!

Merry Christmas!

One of my favorite Christmas treats has always been sugar cookies. I love to bake around the holidays but just never had the time. Well, this year I've finally found the time. Here's a quick and excellent sugar cookie recipe for all those new and future brides out there that want to impress your sweetie with a sweet holiday treat. I found this recipe online and tweaked it a little to fit my tastes. Since I'm a big coffee fan I added a little extra ingredient, 1 tablespoon of Coffeemate Pumpkin Spice Creamer, that gives them my own signature taste. The original recipe can be found here. Enjoy!

1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup powdered sugar
4 eggs
1 tablespoon CoffeMate Pumpkin Spice Creamer
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
5 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs, creamer and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour (or overnight). Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Roll out dough on floured surface 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into shapes with any cookie cutter. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 6 to 8 minutes in preheated oven. Cool completely.

Tip: The dough will be easier to handle if you keep it chilled at all times. That means dividing it into small sections then rolling and cutting one section at a time. Keep the other sections chilled in the refrigerator until ready for use.

Christmas Tradition or Christmas Obsession?

So when does a Christmas tradition turn into a Christmas obsession? Over the past few years I've collected a small assortment of Christmas village items which I've put on display each year. Well, it seems I can't get enough of them. Every year it just gets bigger and bigger. Since moving into a larger home I now have gobs of space for it. My hubbie even built me a nice new display table this year. Of course that wasn't good enough for me, I had to add an extension to it just to fit everything.

I usually start looking for new items in November and get this incredible sense of excitement just thinking about shuffling off to Lowes, Michael's and Garden Ridge to see what's new. My favorite brands are Lemax and Carole Towne which I think are now one and the same. I always have to add some sort of new building which is a Post Office this year. But what's really exciting to me is finding those small detail items. Now, I'm adding anything I think is interesting. This year I found a neat little fence with Christmas garland and a set of shrubbery from Wal-Mart, their brand of course. I'd really like to be able to add a few Dept 56 pieces but they're a little out of my budget right now. I think my Christmas tradition, for now, may someday get to the point where I am easily willing to shell out the big bucks but right now it's just whatever's interesting and on sale. So what Christmas traditions do you have that may be tetering on Christmas obsessions?

No village is complete without a Post Office. How else will Santa get his letters from the little kiddies?


I love this gate and fence I found at Wal-Mart.








I also found these lighted shrubs at Wal-Mart.




Of course the gas is free in Christmas Towne!








And my favorites piece of all. The Coffee Shop!


Here's my little town all assembled. My next find? A gorgeous background!

Hey! It Was Free!

Well, it was that time of year again. No, not the holidays, but time to renew my wireless plan with Verizon. As I walked into the Verizon Wireless store yesterday I comtemplated whether to continue on with my two year agreement or switch to a one year. Well, in the walk from my car into the store I must have subconsciously made up my mind. What is it about walking into any electronics store that just makes my mind go beserk?

The really nice salesman at the door smiled and greeted me. He had to have seen the twinkle in my eye as my brain took in the smell of new phones. I couldn't sign in fast enough at the kiosk without clammering and mispelling my name in an effort to get to the phones. Then the salesman came over and ushered me back over to the sales desk to work out my plan. Little did he know I'd already worked it out. I'd chosen the green LG enV which to my chigrin turned out to be free! That's right, absolutely free! While I love those little gadgets I'm not particularly in love with dishing out the dough for them. I've had my plan with Verizon for years and every two years I get a $100 credit towards a new phone, provided I renew my two year contract with them, which I did. There's always a catch. That credit coupled with a $50 rebate Verizon was also offering made my $149 phone free. I could'nt have been happier. It will absolutely serve its purpose and yesterday "life was good".

Weddings and Me

I love weddings and everything about them. Maybe the thought of two people taking the time to meticulously plan a celebration for the first day of their lives together is the thing that gets me. All the anticipation, the excitement, the happiness, the joy; it's all just amazing to capture. Then, to be able to give that all back to them in the form of images is just the best feeling in the world.

What is Photography?

Great photography is simple. It is merely to discover, collect, arrange, create, anticipate or provoke exquisite subject matter; and then to choose, invent, or patiently wait for that properly illuminating and perfectly enhancing light, in order to utilize the proper electronic and mechanical equipment, and the optical and chemical principles and processes, which will isolate, immobilize, and capture the combination forever in a visually meaningful and aesthetically interesting way. It takes only a camera and an eye. It is almost as simple as writing, which needs only pen and paper; as sculpting, which requires only chisel and mallet; or as orchestra conducting, which demands only a thin stick and an evening coat. --Source Unknown (With additions)