I’ve mentioned this in my last few articles, something that I really loved about the wedding photographer I we used was that she used a fancy digital camera and we were able to get copies of all the wedding photos on a CD. Plus, we have full copyright permission, so we can easily go to any photo kiosk in the store and print out any photos that we like instantly. Having a wedding photo CD made it so easy to get the pictures out to family and friends after the wedding was over and people were requesting pictures. When you are looking for wedding photographers for your wedding, be sure to ask if they can provide you with a CD of all your wedding pictures with full copyright permissions to print them. Here are some great things I loved about having this option with my wedding photographer.

Wedding Photo CD’s Can Save You Money!

If you want to forgo getting the wedding albums made from your photographer as well as some of the larger prints, it may be worth it for you to just print out the pictures yourself. When looking at the wedding packages each vendor provides, ask them how much of a discount they will give for taking off the items you don’t want and adding the wedding photo CD. You could end up saving money on your package. Not only that - but you can easily hand the CD’s over to family and friends so that they can print out the pictures you want yourself…or to keep track of your CD’s, take orders on what pictures they want, and have them pay you back for the prints. That way, you can only have the pictures you want, on a time frame that works the best for you.

Wedding Photo CD’s Save You Time!

One of the hardest things I had to do after the wedding was to choose which of our wedding photos were to be blown up and framed, according to our package. I had a time frame to get this done by, and trying to work with parents and other family could certainly get aggravating. Having a wedding photo CD means that you can print out the pictures at your leisure, and that you have plenty of time to decide which photographs you want larger, and can easily print out more later without having to go back to the wedding photographer to place an order.

Not every wedding photographer offers this to their clients as an option. Many feel that it is taking away from their profits with not being able to fill orders from family and friends, as well as potential future orders.  I had one photographer I interviewed who wanted an extra $500 for a wedding photo CD with full copyright permissions, which was ridiculous. While I don’t think this detail should make or break your decision, I do think that they should be willing to discuss it…and that it shouldn’t cost an extraordinary amount.

Many women misunderstand me when I talk about using cheap wedding photographers. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not telling you to hand a camera to inexperienced Joe Anybody and tell him to photograph your wedding. Thats just silly.  I totally understand that you want to have nice wedding pictures once it’s all said and done, they are something that you and your family will be able to treasure for generations. When I talk about finding a cheap wedding photographers, I’m talking about finding a deal, being able to negotiate a deal, or even finding cheap wedding photographers who aren’t all about ripping off the bride to make a couple extra bucks. It’s not impossible to do, and in nearly all the cases I’ve heard of, the wedding pictures will turn out just as beautifully as though they were done by a professional at double the cost. Wouldn’t you hate to pay double what the next girl did, and get the same quality of wedding pictures? I didn’t think so. Here are some great ideas for finding cheap wedding photographers for your wedding.

Finding In-Home Photography Studios

This is probably one of your best bets for finding cheap wedding photographers you can trust. Many professional wedding photographers are also mothers, and choose to do photography on the side while their children are growing up.  They don’t have studio costs or much overhead, and are available on weekends for weddings. While some can be hard to find, you just need to know where to look. Check out your local phone book, free wedding guides many cities distribute, or just ask friends and family if they know anyone with a home based photography business. Make an appointment to talk, and ask to see their portfolio. Then, you’ll know if you can trust their pictures.

Photography Majors

In my previous article, I gave an option of going to the local colleges and asking for recommendations of photography students who are capable of handing wedding photography. Another option for this is to ask for names and phone numbers photography department alumni who might be available to handle your wedding photography. This is the route I took for our wedding, and the pictures turned out beautifully. Not only that, but many younger photography students seem to have more imagination and creativity in their shots than people who have been photographers for 30+ years.

Asking for the Re-Printable CD of Shots

This came at no charge for my wedding pictures. The photographer provided two CD’s that had all of my wedding pictures on them with full copyright permission to print them out at a local kiosk. I didn’t have to spend a lot of money on printing up albums for friends and family, and I think it’s a much more economical way to get your wedding pictures.

Your wedding photography is an important part of your wedding day. It’s a day that you’ll treasure forever, definitely the best day of my life so far. It only seems right that you should be able to have quality wedding photographs to be able to remember your special day. So, whichever route you choose when looking for wedding photographers, just be sure to ask for a portfolio of their work so you can see what to expect with your wedding pictures.

Finding ways to save money on your wedding photography can seem like an impossible task. Maybe you’ve called and gotten pricing from many of the photographers in the area and think that you just don’t have any way out. I remember that feeling - but that doesn’t mean that you have to be stuck paying for a photographer that is charging you twice as much as he should. Yes, yes I know, you need to hire a quality wedding photographer for your wedding so that your pictures don’t turn out all blurred and ruined. But there are ways to save money on your wedding photography that can make a huge difference on your wedding budget. Here are some things to consider.

Phone A Friend

You’d be surprised about just how many people have quality cameras and some training in photography. Granted, maybe they don’t do photography for a living, but many can be comfortable enough to take pictures of your wedding for a small fee or (if they’re a really good friend) for nothing at all. Then, ask them to copy the pictures onto a CD, and you can go to the store and print off your pictures from one of their kiosks.

Go Back to School

Another great idea for saving money on your wedding photography is to visit one of the local colleges in your area. Ask their photography departments of any students that they would recommend for the job, and give them a call. Most college students will welcome the chance to make a little extra spending money, as well as being able to add to their portfolio. Be sure to ask and make sure they are comfortable to do the job.

When All Else Fails

If you’ve already done all this and still had no luck, and have decided to go with a local professional wedding photographer, there are a few ways you can try and negotiate the costs associated there as well. First of all, look at the packages, and try to negotiate a little bit there. If you don’t really need the coffee table books or photo albums, ask how much he would take off the cost for these items, and give you a CD where you could print the pictures later. If that doesn’t work, many of them add costs for touching up pictures, and don’t ask you which pictures you want touched up. See if you could choose which pictures are enhanced after the wedding to try and save some money there as well.

There are lots of little things you can do to save money on your wedding photography. Just remember that you don’t have to go with the most expensive wedding photography agency in your area. There are many other in home photography businesses that do extraordinary work, as well as the aforementioned friends and photography students. I agree, you want to be able to have nice wedding photographs that aren’t blurry or overexposed or anything like that, but you don’t have to spend half of your wedding budget on it either.