So much to do, so little time!

Just engaged? Congratulations! But, now what? There's so much to do to plan a wedding, and it can be overwhelming at times. As a photographer, I'm often asked for advice on not only photography, but planning, as well. I wanted to share my thoughts on a few things over the next few weeks to help YOU get a better understanding of planning the biggest day of your life to date!

In the post, we'll talk about what questions to ask your potential photographer, and some products you may want to receive from your chosen photog. Each week will be something different, so keep in touch!

What's your photography style?

What  questions should I ask when looking for the perfect photographer?

There's SO much that you should find out from your potential wedding photographer before hiring them for your big day. When I meet with brides and grooms, I do my best to answer all of these questions during our conversations, but sometimes they just get left out of our discussion! Here's my list of TOP TEN things you NEED to know about your photographer (in no particular order):

1. Will YOU be my photographer for the day, or will you be sending someone else?
2. How long have you been photographing weddings?
3. What is your shooting style?
4. Are you insured?
5. What deposit do you require, and what are the payments like?
6. What is your working style like? (Do you try to blend in?)
7. What kind of equipment do you use? 
8. How long until my images are ready to be viewed, and can I share the images with my guests?
9. Can I have assistant photographers or second photographers included in my package price?
10. Will we have an engagement session before the wedding?

There's SO many more important things to ask your photographer. Brides.com has compiled a great list of screening questions.Check out that list here!

What will I receive from my wedding photography collections?

Each photographer that you meet with will have his or her own collections and pricing, along with different products that you can choose from. There's a long list of items that you might want from your wedding photography, including a professionally designed wedding album, the USB of edited images with printing rights, photo prints/canvases/other display products... the list goes on and on!

The most important thing is to decide for yourselves what YOU want, and then see what your photographer has to offer (or if they are able to customize a certain product for you). 

As a wedding photographer and past bride myself, I feel that the top three most important things that every wedding couple should have are:
• A wedding album (not one printed from Shutterfly, but a professionally designed, professionally printed album)
• The USB of edited images (Good for sending copies to family and friends, and for creating scrapbook memories from the images that may not have been included in the album)
• Professional prints for your wall (These are your heirloom images. Prints from Shutterfly or Walgreens will NOT last you a lifetime!)

Next week... Next week I'll be answering that burning question that you know you want to ask, but most probably don't... WHY do photographers cost so much??? Feel free to send me your thoughts on this topic!

About Blueprint Photography Blueprint Photography is owned by Jamie Lapsley and located in Newark, DE. I photograph in the DE/MD/PA/NJ regions often, and have travel options available, as well. I've been photographing weddings for 5 years, but studying photography for 15 years. I have a growing family, including my husband of five and a half years, my two year old daughter, Abby, and my soon-to-be-baby-boy, Liam! We have two dogs and two cats that love to greet brides and grooms at the door when coming for a consultation to discuss your wedding. Get in touch! WEBSITE: http://blueprint-photography.com FACEBOOK: http://facebook.com/blueprintphotographyde EMAIL: info@blueprint-photography.com PHONE: 302-668-6058