Wedding Photography - How to Have A Well Balanced Wedding Album

A beautiful wedding album will give the bride and groom a keepsake of all the wonderful memories of their wedding not only for themselves, but for their future family.

The largest supplier of albums to professional photographers, studios and videographers is Art Leather of Elmhurst, NY and is not available directly to consumers.

The photographer should offer a variety of cover choices, sizes and mattes to make each album personal and unique. In this way, a couple can design their own wedding album to their own specifications.

A "well-balanced" wedding album means there should be a photo of the couple's parents, including stepparents and other close family members. The photos should tell the story of the wedding. Portraits should be mixed with candid photos and sweet moments. Album paper should be acid-free to protect the wedding photos.

Provide a list of photos to the photographer that should be taken on the day of the wedding. Include the names of people to include in them. A family member can be available to the photographer for help in identifying the guests.

Typical Portraits

Brides like to include in their photo package:

• Bride and groom
• Entire wedding party
• Bride, groom and family members
• Bride and her mother
• Bride and her father
• Bride and both parents
• Bride with new in-laws
• Groom with his mother
• Groom with his father
• Groom with both parents
• Groom with new in-laws
• Combination photos of the attendants
• Bride and groom with any special people in their lives, grandparents, godparents

Typical Marriage Ceremony Photos

• The bride and her father march down the aisle
• The bride's father leaves her at the altar
• The entire wedding party gathers at the front or at the altar
• The bride and groom exchange their wedding vows
• The bride and groom exchange rings
• The lighting of candles or other special ceremony
• The kiss
• The recessional
  

The photographer should take pictures only from behind the guests and from an elevated position - and without a flash, so as not to distract from the ceremony. (Make sure the rules are known to the photographer)

Candid/Informal Photos

Some of the best photos are the candid shots before the ceremony and at the reception. Photos before the ceremony include:

• The bride putting on her veil, putting on her garter, holding her bridal bouquet
• The bride and her maid of honor and bridesmaids
  
• The bride and her father as they arrive for the ceremony and exit the limo or car
• Guests arriving at the ceremony
• Each member of the wedding party as he or she walks down the aisle
• The groom's parents being seated by a groomsman
• Mother of the bride as she is ushered down the aisle
• The bride and groom during the ceremony

After the mother of the bride has been seated, the photographer should try to be as invisible as possible,

After the ceremony, a candid shot of the bride and groom getting into the car or limo that will take them to the reception is a treasured shot.

Reception Photos

• The bride and groom's arrival at the reception
• The bride and groom toasting each other
• The couple's first dance
• Any other special dances, bride/father, groom/mother, groom/mother in-law
• Cutting the cake
• Tossing the bride's bouquet
• The bride and groom's going-away dance
• The groom removing and tossing the bride's garter
• The newlywed's departure from the reception

Ideally, these photos will tell the story of the wedding and give the bride and groom a "well-balanced" wedding album.