How to find a great photographer

Selecting a photographer is one of your biggest decisions. During this process, it can be very easy to become overwhelmed. To make things easy, start by determining your desired end-product. By this I mean: do you want nothing more than the high resolution digital files? Do you want a specific brand of album (I love Queensberry, Finao, and Zookbinders)? Figure out what you want as your end-product.

The Internet is a great place to find potential photographers because you can hit websites with galleries of photos to browse and this can quickly lend itself to helping you discover the photographer’s style and if his/her style appeals to you! Once you find somebody that you like, give them a call and ask if they provide the end-products that you desire. If they don’t give out the digital negatives and that’s something you want, then immediately you can eliminate them from your list and move on to somebody new! And don't forget about online slide shows...make sure your photographer is willing to create an online slide show (as part of your package) for you to share with friends and family! Most photographers will put photos on their blog or on your facebook 1 or 2 days after your wedding. This can be important, so ask for it upfront! Who wants to wait months to see a photo!????

Next step is meeting them in person. You must meet your photographer because this is somebody that will be spending your entire wedding day with you – literally everywhere you go, they will be going, so you have got to be comfortable with them!!

Make sure you ask to see examples of albums, prints, and posters. You want to make sure you are dealing with a legitimate photographer and not just somebody who can post pretty pictures on the web.

Finally.. the dreaded COST! Come up with an amount you can afford to spend within your budget and ask in advance how much they charge. You do not want to fall in love with a photographer only to realize there is no chance you can afford to hire them.

Below are some of my favorite photographs from a wedding that I did in May. I had the pleasure of witnessing first hand the work of Slava and Sara Slavik. Not only did they do an amazing job on all of the photographs, but they were very professional and kind-hearted people. Their personalities were very similar to the bride/groom so the match worked out perfectly. One other thing to note is that Slava and Sara were able to communicate with one another throughout the entire wedding, as they used communication headset devices (rather than the typical cell phone). I found this to be extremely useful in efficiently coordinating photographs (especially in the beginning when the bride and groom are separated). Please let me know if you need additional information on Slava Slavik Photography – I highly recommend them and would love to provide more details!

The Walk - Evergreen Marriott at Stone Mountain

One of my recent clients selected the Evergreen Marriott Conference Resort as the location for her ceremony and reception. If you want a natural landscape for your upcoming wedding, then this is definitely a place to consider. The resort is actually surrounded by 3200 acres of beautiful land - it is practically nestled in the Stone Mountain Park.
My client decided to hold her wedding ceremony under the Pavilion because of her love of water...she loves lakes and was thrilled with the idea of having the lake serve as the backdrop for her ceremony.
In order to reach the Pavilion, guests park in a lot that is a very short distance away. This easy access is a big plus. The Bride; however, doesn't have it so easy! My client dressed in a lovely suite inside the Marriott Hotel. To get to the Pavilion, she had to walk through the hotel and across a long downward sloping (but nicely paved) path. Of course, the long walk would have been awesome for photographs with her Father, except for the fact that pouring down rain decided to come at the most inopportune time! Luckily, I arranged for the hotel SUV to stand-by (in the event that it did rain) to take the Bride to the Pavilion. We ended up needing that SUV! Just as the Bride was getting into the SUV, the sun decided to come out, so when the SUV pulled up at the Pavilion, she was able to get out and walk a short distance to the covered Pavilion. I didn't want her dress to touch the wet cement, so I did my best to hold it up!

Always remember to thoroughly think through your "walk." How far will you have to go from your changing area to your ceremony site? Is the ground easy to walk across - is it paved? Are there stones? What will that ground be like if it rains!? Will you be able to do your walk in your wedding shoes? Is there a convenient meeting location for the bridal party (in the case that the guys/girls are walking down the aisle arm-in-arm)? Will your guests see you once you appear at your ceremony site? Or is there a hiding spot where you can hang out until you go down the aisle? Often times people getting married outside don't have the luxury of a holding suite... Is there a natural tree nearby that you can use to hide behind so your guests don't see you? It is definitely something that you want to consider before your big day!

Gaye Holud Ceremony in May

A Gaye Holud ceremony is celebrated by both Muslims and Hindus from the region of Bengal (Bangladesh and Indian West Bengal) several days before the marriage ceremony. The festive ceremony allows guests to apply turmeric paste to the couples' face and body which softens and beautifies the skin. The Holud is not a religious event. Below are some photographs from one of my client's Holud.

Friends and Bridesmaids helping the Bride get ready

Alex, the groom, arrives first and sits on the stage in a chair. The bride’s procession begins with Tania (the gorgeous bride) walking behind her cousins and aunts who are carrying the Holud, sweets, and decorations. As you can notice, the bride and her friends are coordinated in red clothing. Tania walks under a pretty cloth that is held over her by close friends and family members and sits beside her groom.

The sweets and decorations are placed in front of the bride and groom. Everyone has a chance to greet the bride and groom, say their wishes, paint the yellow turmeric on their faces, and feed them sweets!

Once the ceremony is done, everyone enjoys both dinner and dancing. Several of the girls perform a special dance for the bride and groom.

Don't you just love the Bride's reaction!? I think she enjoyed watching the dances that her friends choreographed for her Holud!!

Everyone has a chance to join in...

The celebration lasted into the evening hours.