ALMetro360

of the camera. Having a photographer who can make you feel at ease, and directs/poses you well, is so important! ALMetro360: What can a bride expect in terms of cost? Darren: That is the “Sixty-Million Dollar Question” that no one knows how to answer, or wants to for that matter. There are many resources out there that give national averages based on markets. Those can be useful as they give you some idea where to start. The only issue is that the market has become so broad in the services and products that it makes it difficult to compare. Some photographers offer service only for the same price that an- other would offer services and products (prints or books). Packages are still the most offered option by most photographers today. Just do your best to compare the items in the packages to see how they stack up with one another. There has been instances where the budget for photography was based on a percentage of your wedding budget. Not sure if that one holds true in today’s world but again it is another way of maybe helping to find out what you should expect to pay. Hannah: My wedding packages are priced by hours of coverage needed on the wedding day. There are also add ons you can add to your wedding package like an engagement session, bridal session, rehearsal dinner coverage, wedding albums and prints! ALMetro360: What are some helpful pointers for the Bride to make sure she gets her money’s worth? Darren: When it comes to photography time is the most im- portant thing to have but it must be balanced. Too much time be- fore the ceremony and you get photo fatigue and too much time on the back half you run out of light or just want to get to the party. Having a detailed timeline for photos helps but don’t count on it being the main thing. Photographers often shoot with both sides of their brains so even though the next shot on the list is pic- tures with parents, your photographer might want to nix it to get the perfect sunset photo with the couple. Time is good but timing is better in this case. Remember what I said earlier, “trust your photographer” to make the best decisions because they are working with dual objectives, capturing as many memories as they can while also seeking being creative. I have a 50/50 rule when it comes to image capture. 50 percent of what she wants and 50 percent of what I would like her to have, but 100 percent of both. Hannah: Time management is crucial on a wedding day! I highly recommend hiring a wedding planner or coordinator so that your wedding runs as smoothly as possible. I recommend having detailed planning meetings with your planner and pho- tographer to organize your timeline down to the minute, so that you can maximize your time and get as many photos as possible! Making a shot list for family portraits is also so important to make sure you get every family combination. ALMetro360: How important are things such as location and time of day? What about colors for the wedding — what principles should she use when choosing? What is ideal and what should she avoid? Darren: If a wedding is going to be outdoors location and time of day can be somewhat of a challenge. Since photographers work with light ( natural, artificial or both) the amount, direction and quality of it really matters. As wedding photographers, we knew 44 AL/ Metro 360 www.almetro360.com A beautiful location — such as The Elms of Coosada in this photo — will make for a stunning backdrop for your wedding pictures. Photo by Darren Freeman