In an era where the availability of wedding photographers seems to be at an all time high it becomes critical to have a plan to choose the RIGHT wedding photographer for YOU!

If you follow the 5 tips below, you stand a FAR better chance of loving your images now, and in the future.

1) Seek association and more importantly certification. That means looking on websites such as the Professional Photographers of America and utilizing their filter to find photographers in your specified area and specialty that are certified. While only a very small percentage of the PPA’s members are certified, it gives you an excellent starting point to find a wedding photographer who has passed an extensive exam, maintains educational credits and must pass a portfolio review and show that they have a strong grasp of their craft. Does this mean any photographer who is not certified is not proficient, talented or professional? It does not! However, like selecting a good mechanic or a doctor, certification is a means to start your search from a group that meet a designated standard.

2) Style and Priority. It should go without saying, but do make sure you love the photographer’s work. If their wedding photography doesn’t speak to you on an emotional level you likely already have found someone who is NOT for you. Think twice before asking a photographer to shoot in an entirely different style than what they seem to be known for. If they can’t offer images for you to review, and it should be an entire wedding album, then tread cautiously. You should also work with the photographer to make decisions on what are your priority for images on your wedding day. For instance, if you love the detail images more than the story being told with people, both you and your photographer should know this PRIOR to the big day. Even with multiple photographers shooting, sometimes decisions have to be made what is getting covered. Having those priorities on your wedding shot list BEFORE the big day will go a long way to ensure successful wedding photography.

3) How many photographers? Even the best of wedding photographers  cannot capture everything at the same time. Having a studio that offers at least two wedding photographers can deepen your coverage and ensure wedding photography success.

4) How are your images handled? How long does delivery take? While it may seem boring to ask how your wedding photographer handles your images, it is very, very important! Your wedding photographer should be able to detail how he handles the images AFTER the wedding is shot.  The process should include backing up to multiple storage locations and include off-site storage as well. For instance we back up to two external hard drives, a cloud backup and a portable drive that goes wherever I go. Once known you should also identify how long your images are kept, and how! Storage costs, so it may seem trivial but having your wedding photographer agree to store your images is a smart insurance policy to prevent priceless wedding images from being lost forever!

5) Make sure your wedding photographer carries liability insurance. While this may seem like just another boring business detail for the wedding photographer to deal with, it is wise to ensure this is carried and up-to-date for the unforeseen incident. Professionals carry these types of business expenses while the weekend warrior may not realize the importance.

In closing, keep in mind when choosing your photographer one critical observation, if you value photography then good enough in wedding photography is the enemy!

Congratulations!!!

You’ve decided on a rustic, barn wedding! It is elegant, unique and offers wonderful scenery and picturesque backdrops!

Like any wedding, there are some key things you can do to make sure your barn wedding is a huge success! Here they are…

1) Venue.

The venue becomes critical for a rustic barn wedding. While you can find barn venues in various areas of just about any state, the exact location can play a role so make sure you investigate and think out the precise venue location. For instance barn weddings just totally rock in a mountain environment….a great example of that is seen here from our friends at the Barn at Tatum Acres.

http://www.tatumacres.com/

A great example is just enough of a change in the location and can totally alter the ambiance and feel as seen here with the good folks over at Antique Acres.

http://www.antiqueacresga.com/

While considering exact location think about the logistics of getting your guests to and from the venue. Look for backdrops and areas of open shade for your best imagery. Whatever your choices, let them be ruled by YOUR personal tastes and preferences.

2) Your approach.

Your thinking my WHAT??? Actually, your approach to how you handle your barn wedding is integral to the final success. By approach we are emphasizing and suggesting, strongly, that you certainly plan and strategize but that once that is done you also embrace the little things that can make your day uniquely yours. Stressing over being off on your timeline by minutes or the flower girls somewhat fallen hair can not add a thing to your enjoyment of your day. A wedding has so many moving parts all made up of various individuals. The chance that you will avoid some kind of variance is wise to consider, but hey, that’s what makes it YOUR barn wedding and not your girlfriends!

3) Accessorize.

The details will be more front and center in a barn wedding so plan accordingly. Mason Jars, Burlap. Lace, Honey, special stations etc. all will add depth and your unique personality to your barn wedding

4) Logistics.

Who gets where, how and unique support that may be needed are to be considered for your barn wedding. For example does your venue have enough bathrooms to accommodate your guests? If not, consider bringing in some luxury portable restrooms. Do you have seniors attending your wedding that may require transportation or additional time to travel to the venue, or even around the venue from ceremony site to reception? Do you and the venue have a backup plan for inclement weather? Logistics and planning are critical to a barn wedding success story.

5) Hire a Planner.

No, really, HIRE A PLANNER! It doesn’t matter how much of a professional you are in your daily work-life, a wedding is a very different beast…and a highly unique blend of personality, firmness, communication with vendors with an eye towards your final success of your barn wedding is far better off in the hands of a trained professional. Folks like our friends here at Winey Blonde Events are awesome…you can check them out here!

http://www.wineyblondeevents.com/

So there you have it, 5 awesome tips for rocking your barn wedding.  We hope to see YOU at a barn wedding soon!

Where in the world would we be without the advent of 35mm Photography! Whether digital or film, much of the evolution today we see in Photography likely would not have been possible without one man taking a courageous risk….we are so glad he did! Jump in and take a read on this bit of history from our friends over at Leica!

http://blog.leica-camera.com/photographers/interviews/knut-kuhn-leitz-about-ernst-leitz-ii/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+LeicaCamera+%28Leica+Camera+Blog%29