What to Look For in Wedding Photography Packages

There are thousands of wedding photographers offering thousands of different photo packages to make your wedding day complete. Some just charge a few hundred dollars to show up on the day and shoot, others charge thousands for elaborative packages with endless options. How do you choose from so many, and how do you know you're getting the best deal?

The average cost for a wedding photographer can vary based on several factors. Much depends on the quality of work of the photographer and expertise he delivers. Depending on your budget, the most important thing is to get the highest quality photos, with or without all the extra frills.

First of all, here is what they should offer as a basic minimum:

1) Full photographic coverage, an online album and ALL of your digital negatives. Most offer unlimited number of pictures taken but some packages may limit the number, check for this.

2) For optimum flexibility with pricing, you should be able to choose from different time range packages, starting from a minimum of 4 hours to complete full day, from pre-wedding photos until the party into the wee hours if you want.

3) You should have printing rights to all photos.

Extra touches in wedding photography packages can include:

1) DVD slideshow to music. This is something most people want, especially if they are able to choose the music, as it sums up the day in one beautiful presentation.

2) Extra 8x12 or 11x14 enlargements which the couple gets to choose.

3) A wedding album (ranging from 30 - 300 photos). Buying extra pages in your album is usually an option.

Above and Beyond Packages:

1) Pre-wedding photo session such as the bride and groom getting ready or an engagement photo session.

2) Includes an album from the engagement photo session you can show to your guests at the wedding.

3) Fancy extras such as coffee table art books, digital magazine style albums, hybrid albums, canvases, acrylics, or blocks.

A meet and greet engagement photo session is a great way to start your wedding storybook, and also to see the photographer in action before the big day. This is a sure-fire way to be certain you have made the right choice in photographer.

It is always a good idea to compare photographer prices in your area. If you live in a big city you may be paying more for a photographer based there compared to a smaller town. It doesn't necessarily mean the quality is better because they charge more. If you get an out of town photographer to try to save money, they may charge extra for the commute. Compare and research.

Keep in mind that additional photographer hours can cost up to $150. You can also choose to have a second photographer to capture impromptu moments with your guests while you are being photographed with your spouse. This can cost from anywhere between $300 - $600.

One thing to remember is that if you are able to buy the basic package first, then purchase add-ons later, make sure the photographer will honor the original package price and you are not penalized for adding the extras. As you have no idea how the photos will turn out until after they're taken and developed, it is a reasonable request.

Of course you can choose to create an album yourself with the online photo CD you will receive, but this can be extremely time consuming in the aftermath of a busy time. If you want to leave it to the professionals, all wedding photography albums should come with life-time warranty and be of top quality.

Some wedding packages offer complete services which include DJ, videographer and full photography package. It is worth comparing how much this all costs separately before going for the 'package deal' which may not be a deal at all.

3 Secrets To Capturing Real Moments and Emotions In Your Wedding Photography

Who wants ordinary snapshots from their wedding, right? Here's 3 secrets to capturing real moments and their underlying emotions -- and they're not what you think! I've been a professional wedding photographer for 30 years and I've invested a lot of time over those years with hundreds of brides and grooms, and their moms and dads, on their wedding days and afterwards.

So I've experienced what it is people, just like you and me, who wish their photography to embody all their tears, smiles and laughter, capture the relationships they have with their loved ones, and document their life's most meaningful moments, really desire to get out of their wedding photography when it's all said and done.

With all this first-hand experience if I were asked today to boil down how to have your wedding photography portray natural emotions and real moments to just its 3 most relevant keys, the most important factors of all, they would have to be these:

Secret #1 - Disconnect from the "Smile For The Camera" Mode Ever since you were a little child, your parents would take your picture telling you to look at the camera, hold still and smile.

That's how they took pictures, and in so doing, they trained you to "mug" for your pictures and "play to the camera". Today, you're all grown up, and you may be out on the town one night with your friends, and someone in your group pulls out their cell phone or camera and aims it at you and your friends, and what do you all do?

You "assume the position"! You all stare at the camera, staying motionless... smiling... waiting for the picture to be taken.

Just as you were trained to do ever since you were a kid.

But those aren't the kinds of images you wish to have to remember your wedding with - unless you're an average bride who's okay with average photos, but we've already established that you're probably not that bride. So you may feel more strongly that the best photos of you have always been those where you're not aware of the camera.

You'd be right about that.

It's because those "candid" photos are capturing you being yourself.

When they're done well, that is, when they catch "definitive moments", they capture your personality, your essence. Were you aware people act differently when they know they're being observed?

Just like you may drive more conservatively than you normally would if you knew there's a police car behind you. This is why television shows like "Big Brother" actually hide their cameras, so they can capture people as they really are, being themselves doing what they do, rather than mugging for - or doing things affected for - the camera. You want to be photographed on your wedding day as the person you are - not be made into someone you're not. And not get a bunch of "smile for the camera" shots. Your guests will take plenty of those.

Unplug yourself from "playing to the camera" on your wedding day and you'll get real moments instead. Because you'll be having real moments of genuine, natural interactions that can be photographed -and those will make for some great memories. And great photos.

Secret #2 - Tell "Stories" With Photos. Not Just "Take Pictures" People become photographers out of a love for taking pictures. And when they get into wedding photography, typically they look around and say, "okay, what pictures should I be taking?" Then they see what other wedding photographers are doing. And they do the same.

(which is why you're seeing many of the same shots from photographer to photographer).

But the result is simply a compilation of random pictures from the wedding.

Emotional impact however, rises when one photograph builds on the next, and so on, compounding the depth and layers of the story being told.

You see, there's a difference between taking pictures - and telling stories with photos. Sequences of story-telling photos also fill in the moments between the bigger moments - and tell us more about what happened, how it happened, who the people were, and how they felt. They shows us Action and Reaction. Cause and Effect. And not having any gaps, the series of story-telling sequences reveal more about the story than if there were only one picture to tell us what happened. Your wedding isn't just one story, it's a compilation of many stories. They're stories within stories: There's the story of you and you new spouse, of course. But there's also the story of your mother and you. The story of you and your father. The story of you leaving the family home forever, the story of starting a new home, of you and your best friends... On your wedding day, what comes together, in one place, at one time, are all these stories of your life. Carry these [1] sequences of [2] story-telling images of [3] these stories and sub-stories over to your wedding album, depicting them therein in a story-telling format - and they trigger fuller, more complete memories of your wedding every time you look through your album - because they form stories. Whereas other wedding albums are mere scrapbook collections of pictures.

Secret #3 - It Takes A Certain Type Of Photographer To Take A Certain Type Of Photo Your photographer's empathy goes a long way to getting the type of heart-touching images you desire from your wedding. The camera doesn't know what photos to take. That task is obviously up to the photographer. Some photographers routinely use "shot lists". Those are ideas for photos they can get throughout the day. Those ideas might be based on what the studio likes to sell (i.e. "clink champagne glasses and smile at camera"). Or they might be based on what the photographer envisions your wedding to be. Their "artificial" moment, not your "genuine" wedding moment.

Being pre-conceived and contrived, all those shots aren't based on what actually happens at your wedding. You want photography that comes out of what actually happens at your wedding.

Otherwise, they're not real moments. And only real moments have real memories - with meaning and feelings - attached to them.

So say you found a photographer who agrees to document your wedding as it unfolds rather than use those pre-conceived shot lists. Terrific! That's a good start.

But now... what makes a photographer take one photo of "this", yet not a photo of "that"?

I've found that the best, most meaningful, height of emotion wedding photographs, are only captured when the photographer's "trigger finger" is directly connected to his or her heart. Something in the photographer's emotional chemistry tells them when a particular moment is significant to document. It's like second nature. It just happens.

They don't even have to think twice about it. Here's an illustration of what I mean:

Assume Photographer #1 is at your wedding. He or she's unmarried, doesn't have children, their biggest joy in life is partying.

Now, understand I'm not making any judgments here... other than how a person's "chemistry" influences what photos they're prone to take.

That photographer is likely to have a particular zeal for party shots. It's just them, it's how they're wired. To them, that's what a wedding's all about.

Now say another photographer has children, maybe lost a parent. They may be more sensitive to child/parent relationships. To them, a wedding's about family dynamics.

Being different people, the two photographers have different outlooks on life, wouldn't that be fair to say? Both photographers are at the same party. At some point while people are dancing, your father comes over to you. He has a tear streaming down his cheek.

He knows the time has come to let go. It's been on his mind and in his heart. His "little girl" is off to start her new life. He's feeling it. He hugs her closely. No words are exchanged. The second photographer spies that and he just knows he needs to document those endearing moments.

The first photographer sees it too but its significance doesn't quite register with him in that magnitude. It's not in his "emotional lexicon" to "get" the significance of it all. He's involved with taking shots of some people dancing. And so he continues to do that.

The moment was lost on him, you see. And because of that, the moment was lost.

Forever. Because it wasn't documented by the photographer. Moral of the story: you could have the most meaningful, sentimental, personal moments happen - but if the photographer doesn't "get" it in his or heart, then he or she won't get it in the camera either - and then you'll never have it to remember your moments by.

For pre wedding photography services, check here.

Tips to Take to the Beauty Salon for Perfect Wedding Day Makeup

The day you get married is the day you want to look your best. Your hair, dress, shoes are picked out and the accessories are stellar. So it's time to focus on your wedding day makeup. You may think of doing it yourself, but it's a good bet that you'll be nervous and really busy on the day of your wedding. Instead, entrust your visage to the experts at the beauty salon; they know what to do...and who in their right mind would argue with the bride?

Researching the Perfect Look
If you're planning your wedding, you may have a bridal magazine (or 17) lying around your house for dress and decoration research purposes. Those magazines are also a great resource for hairstyles and bridal makeup. Cut out your favourite bride looks and bring them along with you to the salon.

Take a Hint
Your dress, your hairstyle and the time of your wedding should all be factors in your makeup choice. If you are having a retro-50's inspired wedding, a focus on your lips ( and your hips) may be in order. A daytime, out door wedding might call for a light, fresh, rosy glow, while an evening ceremony might inspire a sexier, smoky-eyed stare. Take your cues from all the planning you've already done. Also, make sure to highlight your assets: thin lips may need lighter colours and fuller lips can handle darker shades.

Try, Try Again!
Your makeup trial at the beauty salon or beauty school should be scheduled for about one month prior to your wedding. Take all of your pictures and ideas to your makeup artist. Don't be put off by the stylist having his or her own ideas about the way you should look, but be firm about the look you want and work with him or her to create the stunning look you deserve.

Go for the Glow
Every bride should be glowing on their wedding day - you're no exception. Regardless of the look you have chosen, try to let your natural beauty shine through and avoid caked-on makeup. As your stylist will tell you, your makeup will have to be a tad heavier than usual so the cameras can be your friend and not your enemy, but a heavy hand won't do you any good so be wary of too much makeup. For a stay-put, all day look, be sure to ask your makeup artist to use a bit of primer underneath your sheer foundation. Also, avoid using too much self-tanner or bronzer on your face before your wedding. Traditional bridal makeup focuses on shades of pink, plum and peach for an innocent look. The focus should be on either your lips or your eyes, not both.

Be Ready for the Big Day
Once you have chosen your look and perfected it with your stylist's help, you are ready to stun everyone with your beauty on your perfect day. Every blushing bride needs her secret arsenal of beauty product with her on the day of. After the ceremony, before pictures and during the reception, you may require a touch-up. Here's what you should have in your bag of goodies:

Water proof mascara
Oil-blotting sheets
Pressed powder and a concealer stick
A stick of mini deodorant
Lip-gloss
Breath mints
Your wedding day look makeup should be just as dazzling as your dress, shoes, decorations and everything else you've painstakingly chosen for your big day. Look through those magazines, book your appointment at the beauty salon, and breeze through your perfect wedding day makeup.

Makeup Styles for Every Occasion

You will find many different makeup styles in the media and the world at large.

Whether you're going to a big party or the grocery store, there is a makeup style out there that is perfect for your lifestyle.
Here is some information about popular styles to choose from so you can select the one that is best for you.

Natural Makeup
This style is made for women who just want their makeup to provide a light facial enhancement. Rather than transforming the way you look, the natural approach involves simple changes in the way your skin, eyes, and mouth look on their own. The colors here are similar to the ones that are already existent on the face, but adding them can still make a difference.

Evening Makeup
If you are planning on wearing evening makeup, you already know that bold and sexy is the way to go. While natural makeup is great for everyday looks, sometimes it needs a little flirt and pizazz. That's where the nighttime makeup styles can come into play.

Prom Makeup
Prom makeup has a tendency to be more elaborate than many other forms of makeup because prom is supposed to be a night where teens stand out from one another. The fancy dresses and up-do's require some bold makeup to make everything flow well. Fake lashes, thick mascara, and dark eye shadow can be pretty popular for this makeup style.

Bridal Makeup
Bridal makeup is usually pretty soft and natural to mimic the soft sophistication of the bride's dress. While some brides will still go for bold looks with their eye makeup, most go for natural colors and then enhance them with fake eyelashes. During a wedding though, most brides just want their natural beauty to shine through.

Gothic Makeup
Gothic makeup is one of the most extreme styles of makeup you could come across. This is usually full of dark eye shadows, eye liners, lipsticks, and more, all of which pair well with the dark clothing gothic people tend to wear. It is safe to say that gothic makeup is not made for everyone, but it could be right for you.

Anti Aging Makeup
In the battle against aging, you can actually use the kind of makeup to wear to help you look and feel younger. Many makeup products out there actually contain chemicals that are meant to help older skin, and these products likely will reduce wrinkles and the appearance of them as a person wears that. If you are worried about looking too old or you think that signs of aging are forming on your body, you can use that to counteract the trends.

Celebrity Makeup
Celebrities are usually on the cutting edge of makeup styles. Access to the hottest designers and stylists and constant exposure to cameras and paparazzi has made most celebrities place makeup high on their list of priorities. Find out what these fashion leaders are wearing on their faces these days.

Airbrush Makeup
Airbrush makeup is any makeup that is applied with an airbrush rather than with the traditional tools that you might associate with makeup application. Instead of using your fingers, brushes, or sponges, you instead have a professional spray gun to give you more even, precise, and flawless coverage. Airbrushing is easy to remove, long-lasting and is hygienic.

Permanent Makeup
Also known as cosmetic tattooing, permanent makeup has become hotter and hotter over the past few years. It used to be used as a technique mainly by models, actresses, or others in the entertainment business who wanted to shave lengthy hours sitting in the makeup chair. However, more and more women are learning that they too can shave off this time in front of their mirrors.

Mineral Makeup
Although mineral makeup has been around since the 1970s, it has really taken off in popularity in the past few years. There are many different reasons to look into using mineral based makeup, including the fact that it is less likely to clog pores, and might actually improve skin health with regular use, since you are applying nutrients and minerals directly to the face. It's loved because it is light, natural, and gives a long-lasting glow that can be seen all day, so you don't have to keep reapplying it over and over again like you might with regular pressed powder.

Fresh Wedding Makeup Ideas

To achieve the flawless radiance that every bride wants, you need to have great makeup. The trend right now going into autumn is for slightly more dramatic eyes than in the summer or a bolder lip color. The results are a sophisticated elegance that will make you look incredible. Find out how to pull it off with these fresh wedding makeup ideas.

Choosing the cosmetics for your wedding is likely to come way down on your to-do list after choosing your wedding dress, veil, hairstyle, modern or vintage bridal jewelry, and so on. That said, everyone will be looking at the bride's face, so makeup is really quite important. The key is to select the colors and style that suit your complexion and the overall flavor of your wedding attire and location. The general trend for fall is makeup that is timeless and sophisticated, rather than beachy or bohemian.

A very chic look for brides right now is red lipstick. It is a timeless color, very ladylike, and also a bit bold. Nothing exudes confidence more than a great red lipstick! Start by choosing the perfect shade of red for your skin tone. Typically people with warm undertones look best with an orangey-red color, while women with cool undertones should opt for a blueish-red. Go to the cosmetic counter at your favorite department store and work with a beauty consultant to find your perfect shade of red. The trick to achieving staying power with a bold lip color is using a neutral lipliner to color in your lips (not just around the edges). Then apply the lipstick, blot, dust lightly with powder, apply lipstick again, and gently blot. The result will be sultry red lips that last through lots of kisses.

Purple is an absolutely huge color for fall 2011 weddings, and this is even true for bridal makeup. A gorgeous look is to create a smoky eye using shades of purple instead of black. Shades of plum look great with almost any eye color. Rich purple hues will bring out the green in hazel eyes, set off baby blues, or enhance brown eyes. Keep the plummy tones above the eyes to avoid accidentally creating the look of purplish circles under the eyes. Pair it with a wine colored lipstick to complete the look. This is a beautiful color palette for an evening wedding. It would also look wonderful for a bride wearing a Jazz Age gown with vintage inspired bridal jewelry.

If dark lipstick isn't your thing, then head for the other big trend for wedding makeup: lots of eyelashes. You can create a look that is both chic and understated (and perhaps even a bit French!) by emphasizing your lashes and wearing a neutral lipstick. The trick is to line the eyes with black liquid eyeliner. Then have your makeup artist fill out your natural eyelashes with false eyelashes. Believe it or not, false lashes do not have to look obviously fake. Glue single lashes in place along the outer edges of the eyes rather than using a full strip to achieve a fabulous yet believable effect. Finish with a couple coats of your favorite waterproof mascara. Your eyes will look incredible in the wedding pictures.

One more lovely look for brides is a soft gray smoky eye worn with pink lipstick. The gray tones are less harsh than a black smoky eye, and when paired with feminine pink lips, the effects are almost angelic. This is a lovely makeup plan for the bride who wants to achieve a youthful yet sophisticated look for her wedding day. When you have the perfect makeup, you will look simply gorgeous for your wedding.

11 Useful Tips For Wedding Makeup

Every woman knows how important the bridal makeup is. The choice of make-up should reflect your taste and style as it is not only about wearing an ivory evening dress, but it is also good to give some space to the specialist you are entrusted with. It may be that the makeup will give you more value than you imagine.

However, it happens to see women with fashionable, overlooked and unnatural maquillage: unforgivable mistakes, especially in the day of the wedding. Shaking your own style is never a good idea.

If you are also getting married, here's some useful advice on getting a perfect wedding makeup for "yes"..

Get started soon
Once the wedding date is set and the location is chosen, in addition to the quest of the wedding dress. It is also necessary to focus on the tattoo and wig specialists. Better not risk, even better ones are booked several months in advance. If you do not know how to choose then ask some friend who has recently got married.

Do research
Before presenting yourself to the beauty salon, look for some inspiration in fashion magazines or photos of some red carpet or special event. Perhaps a Hollywood look seems to you to be exaggerated, but it's always good to have a starting point for your wedding make-up.

Present yourself to the test dressed in Ivory color wedding dress
It seems trivial, but it is not a detail to which everyone thinks. Appearing to the wedding dress with ivory dress (possibly of the same shade as the chosen dress) is crucial, as it will help you understand how the make-up will work for your big day. If you have the veil, bring that one or one of the test to see the general effect that can also be viewed in Ivory lace dress for wedding.

The test of bridal makeup? With her hair picked up
Even if you think you do not collect hair for your wedding, you need to go to the test with your free face, to better understand the effect on your facial features. In this regard, we suggest you go to the make-up artist with curly eyebrows and fresh face of anaesthetist.

Do not forget your favorite products
Do you have a lipstick preferred? Take it to the make-up artist and ask to use it or keep it as a reference for your bridal maquillage.

Fake eyelashes? Yes thanks
Even if you have never used it throughout your life, let yourself be tempted by fake eyelashes. Provided they are not too vivid and of great quality. And the mascara must be strictly waterproof, to withstand a tear river and be perfect throughout the ceremony and above all for the photographs.

The choice of the brush
One way to understand which blush nuance is best suited to you? Choose a shade that suits your lips. Additionally, a good advice is to apply a greater amount than you need. The reason? It does not stand out in the photos. Then retouch it during the day.

Glorify the lips
Red lipstick is not banned by the colors of this season's bridal look. If you want to dare, do it. For all the other, the top shades for a bridal look remain the same, the soft and delicate ones like pink and bare. To give a touch of light choose the glossy variant that goes well with your ivory lace cocktail dress for any occasion.

Take photos and take notes
The emotion of the test of bridal makeup could play bad jokes. That's why it's best to document as much as possible the make-up session, with photos and notes of each used product. Very important: look and photograph both with natural light and inside a room.

Put everything black on white
To avoid any nasty surprises, ask the makeup artist to sign a contract or write in writing all that you need and especially the agreed price. It will help you to have no bad surprises on the wedding day!

Just think about yourself
Some makeup / makeup might try to convince you to use a makeup that you do not like. Remember that the final choice is just for you and that it does not count on modes or excesses, the important thing is that you are beautiful and the end result is elegant and refined.

Hair and Makeup Tips For Summer Brides

Summer is one of the most popular seasons for weddings, thanks to the long sunny days and balmy evenings. All of that sunshine and warmth, however, can wreak havoc on your hair and makeup. These are some tips about how summer brides can look cool and fresh even as the temperature and humidity rise.

You have to plan strategically for a summer wedding, especially for an outdoor event. Your everyday beauty products may not make a graceful transition from an air-conditioned office to a hot and humid garden or beach wedding. When you are going for your pre-wedding hair and makeup trials, be sure to let the stylist know that you need products that will withstand warm weather.

The biggest problem with summer hair is frizz. This can be true even for brides with straight hair, and frizz can be an absolute nightmare for curly haired brides. The best way to combat frizz is by prepping your hair with products that are designed to keep it looking smooth and neat all day. There are smoothing serums and pomades available for every hair type, and they can be a bride's best friend on a hot summer day.

Choosing a sensible hairstyle will also help you stay looking fresh as a daisy. Keep it simple and unpretentious, and remember that elaborate hairdos are prone to wilting in the heat. Unless you know that your hair will not go flat or frizzy on a hot, sticky day, wear it pulled back to keep it off your neck and under control. Another tip is to choose pearl or crystal bridal jewelry for your hair instead of fresh flowers which will die in your updo. If you love the idea of wearing flowers in your hair, look for bridal jewelry such as hairpins that are designed in a floral motif. Not only will they wear better over the course of your wedding day, but you will be able to use them again for other special occasions.

Summer makeup should look light and fresh. A heavily made up face just doesn't look right on a summer afternoon in the garden or on the beach (this goes for the guests too, by the way). When makeup is applied with a lighter touch, it will also be less likely to melt in the heat and make a mess of your face. Of course every bride wants to wear a little makeup to enhance her features and conceal flaws; the key is to choose the right products.

Preparing the face is the most important step for summer bridal makeup. If you are prone to looking shiny or oily, start with a mattifying or oil absorbing gel. You can apply it all over your face, or just in your t-zone, as needed. Brides of all skin types should use a primer before their foundation. This gives your makeup a perfect surface over which to glide, and it will also give your foundation better staying power. If you plan to wear eye shadow, an eyelid primer will help to prevent your makeup from creasing or disappearing.

When it comes to foundation for a summer wedding, less is more. Even if you use a fairly heavy formula in the winter, for the summer months it is important to lighten up. Often a tinted moisturizer is the ideal weight for a hot day. A good rule of thumb is that you should still be able to see your freckles through the makeup; that way you will know that your look is fresh and summery. Attack any trouble spots like undereye circles or blemishes with concealer, while allowing the rest of your face to have a more natural (yet polished) appearance.

Finish your wedding day makeup with a cream blush for a natural flush. Choose a lipstick in a pretty and soft color; give it staying power by lining your entire lip with a neutral lip pencil before applying the color. With these tips in mind, you will look like a fresh and radiant bride for your entire wedding day.