For most people, the wedding day is a once in a lifetime experience, so it’s essential that you capture all of those unique moments at the time. From the father giving the bride away, to the first kiss, first dance, cutting of the cake and speeches at the reception, you will want to make sure you’ve got a brilliant way of remembering it all.
Traditionally, people hire a photographer to make sure that all of those fantastic moments are captured forever so that you can treasure them and maybe even show your children or grandchildren one day. But, there are also other ways to ensure that you have a record of every special moment at your wedding. Below is a short guide to some of the best ways to be sure that you won’t be disappointed with your wedding memories.
Hire a Photographer
Hiring a photographer for your wedding is a well-established tradition and the typical way most wedding moments are captured. Hiring a professional photographer is a great way of preserving all those unique wedding moments throughout the whole day. However, you might want to consider hiring more than one.
Although one photographer will suffice, if you had another one you are more guaranteed to get good coverage of every aspect of your wedding. This is particularly useful in the morning when the bride and groom are getting ready for the wedding in different locations. One photographer can capture the bride’s last moments of singledom, while the other captures the groom’s.
Understandably, employing two professional photographers can be a little expensive, especially at a time when you have to pay for so many other things at once. So why not hire one professional and ask a friend or relative who is fond of photography to also take photos? That way, you will get a variety of images, from different angles and taken in different styles; you are sure to capture all those special and unique wedding moments.
One of the best things about hiring one or more professional photographers is that many will publish an online photography gallery for all your guests to look through and often order prints from.
Hire a Photo Booth
Another fantastic way of ensuring that you capture your beautifully unique wedding moments is by hiring a photo booth. Although a photo booth won’t capture the typical wedding images such as walking down the aisle, it will capture some very unique guest moments at the wedding reception and evening celebration.
There are often in-between moments at wedding receptions and evening parties that can leave guests feeling a little awkward as the DJ sets up or while you’re having a break from dancing. Hiring a photo booth is a fantastic investment as not only does it provide an alternative form of entertainment for your guests, but it also is a great way of collecting wedding memories.
Some couples even like to hire a photo booth as an alternative guestbook, particularly if they have a chalkboard that guests can write personal messages on and include in the photo. Whether you choose to hire a photo booth as a guestbook, or simply for extra memories, you are sure to capture lots of laughs and fun moments that you’re guests enjoyed at your wedding.
Gather Guests Photos
Today, most people have a digital camera, or even a camera built into their mobile phone. Many of your guests will have known you for years and so your wedding day is as big a deal for them as it is for you! They are sure to be snapping away and taking lots of photos of the beautiful dress, fresh flowers and the moment you say ‘I do’.
Another easy way to ensure you capture all of your important wedding moments is by gathering your guests wedding photos. Whether you give them your email address to send them, or ask people to upload them to a personal wedding website, collecting images from your guests is a great idea.
Many of your guests will most likely take photos of your wedding on their smartphone.
Another fantastic idea is to set your guests photo challenges. On the table at the reception you might want to put a photo challenge card as this will offer extra entertainment for your guests as well as doubling as a great way for you to get more wedding photos.
This might include challenges such as ‘capture the best photo of the bride and grooms first dance’ or ‘capture a photo of the cutest couple who are not the bride and groom’. You can give a means of sending the photos to yourself, such as an email address, for judging and even offer a prize if you want!
Conclusion
There are many ways to ensure that you capture all of the unique and special moments at your wedding. Whether you decide to hire a photographer, photo booth, gather your guest’s photos, or do all three, capturing the memories is very easy.
Image credits: Alexis Lamster, mikebaird and Frederick Md publicity
