Wedding Resources Archives

May

Clauses in Your Contract (Pt. 2)

This is the second blog post in a three-part series of blog posts. I’m bringing attention to and explaining some pretty common clauses in wedding photography contracts. The first post covered those you need. In fact, if your contract is missing any of the key clauses listed in this first post, you shouldn’t sign it. It’s an incomplete contract and is not a clear meeting of the minds and you’re basically operating on a handshake.

This post, Part 2, will cover some clauses that are standard and are neither really hurtful or helpful. My last post, Part 3 (coming soon), in this series will cover those you want to stay away from… at all costs.

From a couple’s point of view, these are the parts/clauses of a photography agreement or contract will probably see, but they really don’t benefit you or the photographer much over the other. They are standard inclusions and don’t warrant too much worry (unless you’re expecting a lot of unruly wedding guests or non-compliant wedding vendors).

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Common Clauses in Your Wedding Photography Contract Explained

Safe Working Environment
- Your photographer wants a safe working environment and doesn’t want to be hassled or threatened by any of your wedding guests. This clause usually prescribes that they give the client a chance to rectify this situation before they walk. It happens more often than I’d like to admit, but when it does, the scenario is usually a female photographer getting harassed by an intoxicated groomsman. At first, the harassment is of a sexual nature. After those advances are declined, the harassment usually turns to a more violent or disruptive nature. Luckily, I’ve never personally experienced this, but I’ve read about it many times Online and have even had a few colleagues admit that it’s happened to them. The standard language in this clause usually says that the photographer can leave the wedding without naming a replacement photographer and no refund is necessary.
Exclusivity Clause
- This clause just means that your photographer wants to be the only one taking professional images at your wedding. This clause may prevent anyone else (guests included) from shadowing them and taking pictures of the photographer’s setups and poses. This may also prevent other vendors from taking pictures and then passing them off as if they were the photographer for the event. Sometimes this happens when a vendor offers two or more services, but was only hired for one, i.e., video and photography, or DJ and photography. More often, this happens when one of your guests is an aspiring photographer. They then use these ‘bootlegged” images to promote their own brand, spanking new business and pass them off as if they had been contracted to cover the wedding.
Cooperation
- This is a clause that protects the photographer if you become unable or unwilling to take pleasing images on your wedding day (i.e., distraught, intoxicated, etc.). A photographer can’t take pretty portraits if you or your partner are passed out in the getting ready suite.
Model Release
- This clause gives your photographer permission to use the resulting images to market their goods and services to other people. It could mean that they also use the images to enter into print competitions, be featured in magazine or third-party blogs, or even sell the images to stock photography providers.

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Image Retouching
- This clause should outline what images, when, and to what extent your images will be retouched and whether or not there will be any additional charge. For example, my collection fees include that all of my delivered wedding images receive a basic edit. Exposure, color balance, shadows, highlights, midtones, contrast, saturation, re-cropping and straightening are all tweaked. It also includes that any additional images that get printed through me (album inclusion, wall art, save-the-dates, etc.) receive extra retouching (cloning background distractions, blemish removal, teeth whitening, etc.) if they need it. Any retouching specifically requested by my clients that is not printed through me incurs a fee.
Album Design
- This should outline the methods and timelines for album design and what happens if you should fail to meet those deadlines. For instance, I strive to deliver my clients’ wedding albums within 90 days of their weddings. I have deadlines assigned to tasks for my clients. For instance, when I deliver a proof of the album, I ask them to either approve it or send it back with revisions within seven days. Failure to meet that deadline equates in automatic approval. Though I’ve had a few clients not meet the deadline, I’ve never actually enforced the clause. Even so, I usually always meet my 90-day delivery goal! I wouldn’t recommend testing whether or not your photographer will enforce any of their clauses!
Product Pricing
- If you’ve been supplied with any product specific pricing, it is standard to be notified of how long your photographer will honor that pricing. Our suppliers change their pricing frequently, and we can’t honor prices forever.
Leagalease
- This would include all the standard contract legal clauses which include, but is not limited to, who pays for legal fees in the event of a legal action, whether or not arbitration is required before a suit is allowed to proceed to court, who has jurisdiction over the matter, what happens if a piece of the agreement is found to be unlawful, etc.

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These are the some standard clauses that you will most likely see in your agreement with your photographer. They’re neither harmful or helpful… with exception to the legalease. The legal terms can work both for you and against you. Just read all the others and make sure you understand them and are okay with them.

Next up… inclusions in your wedding photography contract that you should be leery of… IN FACT, you should run the other way and not sign an agreement if it has these clauses!

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san antonio senior portrait photographers ata-girl photography since 2010

I am San Antonio’s most unique wedding photographer. I specialize in a 10-day image delivery, same-day prints, same-day slideshows, Italian handcrafted wedding albums and I have a mobile meeting space.

I am a full-time, internationally-awarded and WPPI-C certified professional wedding and senior photographer based in South Texas near San Antonio. I offer a premier and personal service coupled with an unforgettable photography experience. I cater to clients who appreciate quality photography and help them to create family heirlooms that will last for generations.

I started Ata-Girl Photography Co., LLC in 2010. I firmly believe that the unique set of circumstances I have faced in life has prepared me to take a personal and genuine interest in my photography clients. I enjoy documenting the important milestones and captivating moments in people’s lives. I love being a part of people’s journeys and consider myself privileged to document their legacies.

When I’m not photographing a wedding, family or high school senior, I love to spend my spare time hiking, camping, cycling, reading, listening to Elvis and Prince. The most important things in life are for me to see my two daughters happy and to create a family history my grandparents and grandson would be proud of!

The post, Common Clauses in Your Wedding Photography Contract Explained (Part 2), first appeared on Ata-Girl Photography Co.’s website and blog. Please feel free to comment here, or share this post with your friends via Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest. Please email me if you have any questions about this article or want to share a neat idea for a future blog post with me.

Apr

Clauses in Your Contract

Over the series of the next three blog posts, I’m going to cover some pretty common clauses in wedding photography contracts. This first post will cover those you need.

My second post in this series will explain those that are common inclusions that are neither really helpful or hurtful from the client’s perspective. Finally, I’ll wrap up the series with those you don’t need and may even need to be leery of.

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From a couple’s point of view, these are the parts/clauses of a photography agreement or contract you absolutely want to see.

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Common Clauses in Your Wedding Photography Contract Explained

Names of the Couple
When and Where the Wedding Will Take Place (if wedding and ceremony are in different locations, list both, specific addresses)
- Your photographer needs to know when and where to show up and needs to be informed if that happens to change. Should they fail to show up on the wrong date or at the wrong location, you want legal recourse.
Name of the Photographer
- You don’t want to be surprised on your wedding day. Beware of photography companies who utilize associate photographers. Some of those companies hire out or subcontract your wedding to photographers with little or no photography experience… photographers with entry-level gear… and photographers will limited knowledge of weddings and the know-how to navigate through the challenges that commonly arise. If this is the case, you want to know beforehand.
Cost
- Yes, you want an exact cost of what you are paying—down to the penny.

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Complete Description of Services
- The total number of hours your coverage will include should be spelled out. When possible, add a beginning and ending time, or indicate that it will be determined later on the official timeline of the day.
- Exact product and services you will receive
  - If you are receiving an album, your contract should indicate how many pages that album will contain and the number of images you will be allowed to place in that album. It should also depict the size and materials the album will be made from.
- The number of digital (or physical) proofs
  - While a photographer can’t give you an exact number of images they will shoot, an experienced photographer will easily be able to tell you an average per hour that they typically deliver.
  - If you are receiving digital proofs, how long will they be available for viewing?
  - How will your digital products be delivered: cloud vs. thumb drive vs. disc?
- How many photographers will be covering your wedding
  - How many hours will each photographer be available? Some companies only hire the second shooter for a portion of the event.
Completion Schedule
- You need to know exactly when you will receive those proofs and products (as in a specific date or an exact number of days).

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Retainer or Deposit Clause (there is a difference)
- A retainer is non-refundable, but a deposit is. Both are monies paid toward holding or securing a particular date for a service. Some photographers unknowingly use them interchangeably. You should be aware of this stark difference.
Payment Schedule
- You want your agreement to define when and how much you will need to pay towards the full cost of your wedding coverage.
- You also want to know what happens should you miss one of those payment dates.
- Interest and penalties, if any, should be clearly defined.
Travel and Overage Fees
- If your photographer is charging any sort of mileage or overnight accommodation fee, you want it to be outlined.
- Under what circumstances will your photographer require a hotel room? Does that hotel need to be at the same one as you, or can it be at a much less expensive hotel half an hour away from your venue?
- Also, consider this. You originally contracted your photographer for eight hour of coverage. But on the night of your wedding, your reception is lit and you don’t want your photographer to leave before the party is done. How much will they charge you to stay? You want this set out ahead of time. Surprises are no bueno.

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Refund Policies
- You will want to know what happens with any monies paid to your photographer should you cancel the wedding, reschedule the wedding, move the wedding, a natural disaster occurs, someone passes away, you decide you photographer is no longer a good fit, or the photographer decides you are no longer a good fit. In some cases, the monies may be transferable or refundable, and in some cases, they may not.
Cancellation Clause
- This clause should outline what happens with the retainer or deposit when the wedding is cancelled and by whom. For instance, you may get your retainer back if you photographer cancels, but you may not get your retainer back if you do.
Backup Plan/Failure to Perform
- What is the photographer’s backup plan in case of injury, illness or death? You want the alternatives to be outlined.
- In the event that your named photographer is unable to perform, you want to know that they have a system or backup plan already in place to secure someone to replace them on your wedding day.
Copyright Policy
- I often hear couples complain that their photographer will not give them a copyright to their images. Attention! You do not need the copyright. All you need is a limited usage agreement that allows you to post the images to your social media platforms and to print them. It is unlikely that a photographer will give up their copyright to your wedding images because this would then prevent them from using the images to market their services. And in the unlikely event that you are able to convince a photographer to sell their copyright (you’re extremely private or you’re a celebrity), expect to pay a pretty penny for it.
- Some limited usage agreements will prevent printing beyond a certain size and is usually limited for personal usage only.
- Some limited usage agreements require only watermarked images to be shared on social media platforms.

These are the basic clauses that you should see in your agreement with your photographer. Without these, you don’t have a clear meeting of the minds as to what to expect from your photographer. Each expectation should be clearly laid out in this legal agreement should you need something to fall back on or to refer to during your wedding planning process.

Next up… common inclusions in your wedding photography contract that are neither really helpful or hurtful from the client’s perspective!

The post, Common Clauses in Your Wedding Photography Contract Explained, first appeared on Ata-Girl Photography Co.’s website and blog. Please feel free to comment here, or share this post with your friends via Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest. Please email me if you have any questions about this article or want to share a neat idea for a future blog post with me.

Apr

Tips for Album Design

I recently heard someone say that their motto is, “Less is more. {Insert long pause.} More is more.”

Both sentences apply to wedding album design—both in an affirming way and in a disagreeable way. Let me explain.

Less is not more when your photographer doesn’t offer a wedding album included in your paid collection. Less is more when you carefully curate the images your album will contain.

More is not more when decide to include every. single. image. in your wedding album. More is more when you make your wedding album with lots and lots of pages/spreads and tell a beautiful, concise story with lots of negative space!

A wedding album serves more than one purpose. Not only does it give you a tangible tool to help you fondly remember memories of your wedding day, it also serves as a tool to help preserve your legacy. A wedding album has the power to easily introduce you to the many generations that will follow in your family’s footsteps.

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There was a time in our recent past, when many couples opted not to have a wedding album. They placed value in the digital image only. I think this is a mistake that they will some day come to regret. Computers crash, hard drives fail, phones get lost, stolen or outdated, and there is no guarantee that any social platform will be around forever. (Hello! MySpace just lost 12 years worth of user content!) Also, digital technology is rapidly advancing and it’s basically impossible for a family’s legacy to continue to constantly be reformatted into some new medium. A printed image can easily be transferred from one generation to the next simply by handing it over.

But, alas, I am happy! Trends are now indicating that the printed relic is making a comeback. Millennials and Generation Z are starting to put a real value on the printed image. They are starting to understand the importance of not hoarding all your photographic memories in a digital world. In a world where most people have a camera in their hand nearly all day and take pictures on a daily basis, digital photos have become so trivial. Printing photographs gives them a way to stand out and signify their importance.

Printing photographs gives them a way to stand out and signify their importance.

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Tips for Album Design

Here are my best tips to help you design a wedding album you, your children, your nieces and nephews and all of your descendants will love!

You ~~want~~ need an impeccable product. Use a photographer who offers true heirloom, fine art albums. Many photographers use the exact same labs that you have access to. If your photographer will not share the name of the lab who prints their albums, chances are they are using a consumer-level lab that you also have access to.
Your photographer may offer to create the initial design for you. Although you may feel that you are giving up some control, a lot of times, this actually saves time in the design process. Remember, as professionals, we are experts at telling stories through imagery.
Always include the couple’s names, date of marriage and venue location somewhere in the album, preferably on the cover or on the first spread. (This will help your descendants identify who you are 100 years from now.)
Curate your images carefully and think of your album as a storybook without printed words.
It’s perfect when you have a mixture of landscape and portrait images to design with.
Although black and white images can be added in an album with color images, never mix the two on a single spread. The images on a spread should all be in color, or all in black and white.
When color images are used on a spread, they should be the same tonal value.
No matter the size of your album, each spread should always contain three to five images. You don’t select a bigger album to add more images, you select a bigger album to make your images bigger. (The only spreads that can break this rule are the spreads with details and family formals.
You select more pages/spreads to add more images.
Designing with too many photos on each spread makes it crowded, too busy, and cheapens the artistic value. Tip: You’re designing a fine art heirloom, NOT a high school year book!
Know that not all of your favorite images have to go inside your album; some can be printed individually or purchased as wall art for your home.
Use a lot of negative space.
Ideally, your album should begin and end with a HERO shot. Think of this as an introduction and a conclusion to your book.
In addition to the first and last spreads, a few spreads inside of your album should only contain one image. This is so impactful for storytelling!
With the exception to the hero shots, your images should appear in chronological order.
Don’t comingle spreads—the chapters of your album; for example, don’t place images from the ceremony on the same spread as images from your first dance.
The story in your wedding album should be fluid, flowing, and graceful, not abrupt, jumpy and confusing.
Always gift copies of your wedding album to your parents!

My best advice is to think of your wedding album like a storybook without words. Choose images that tell a story. If an image doesn’t tell a story, or contribute to telling the story of the spread, then don’t choose it. The album needs to be more like a work of art, because that’s what it is, and less like a high school yearbook. If you have strong emotional connections to images that don’t really lend to “your story” then print them elsewhere.

If you’d like a free download to my cheat sheet for wedding album design, click here.

The post, Tips for Wedding Album Design, first appeared on Ata-Girl Photography Co.’s website and blog. Please feel free to comment here, or share this post with your friends via Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest. Please email me if you have any questions about this article or want to share a neat idea for a future blog post with me.

Mar

Tips for Table Shots

Have you ever considered how your reception seating can affect your photographs and your photographer’s ability to photograph your guests?

Before we even begin to discuss seating arrangements, you should know how many guests you will want or need to accommodate at your wedding and reception. So before you start venue shopping, have that number in mind.

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You should already know that it is recommended to:

Make seating charts for guests of 50 or more
Start making your seating charts early
Group people who know each other together
Create charts that are easy to read
Don’t put all the single people awkwardly at the same table
Seat the older people further from the band, younger people (more likely to dance) closer to the band/DJ
Consider seating all the children together at one table, etc.

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But let me tell you what you may not know. I want to let you in on some tips that can help you to make your images better, or at the very least, make it easier for your photographer to get more/better images of your guests.

Why do your tables and seating arrangements even matter? Because not everyone makes it out to the dance floor. You want a pretty complete and accurate photographic record of the guests who attended your reception, right? Then, it’s your job to create the best possible scenario in which your photographer can capture those guests. You want to set your photographer up for success!

Tips for Table Shots

To get these shots, your photographer has to visit each table, introduce themselves, usually make small talk, sometimes answer a few questions about camera gear, and then ask the guests for permission to take a picture. Photographers like to make quick work of this and typically will try to capture each table in one or two snaps. To help them achieve this task, make sure you:

Leave enough room on every side of the tables to move around/leave the tables (your guests will appreciate this too)
Don’t put more tables in your floor plan than your venue recommends; resist the temptation to squeeze tables together
Don’t place tables against a wall
Smaller-sized tables are easier to photograph than larger tables (i.e., 8’ round tables are better for table shots that 20’ rectangular/farm tables)
Consider how your centerpieces may affect your table shots; either place them lower to the level of the table or higher above people’s faces (this will also make it easier to your guests to converse across the table)
Table shots are best captured before guests are served while they are still clean
Be sure there is an allowance in the timeline to capture these table shots
- If the guests are served a plated meal, the photographer can work the tables just ahead of the servers
- If the guests are treated to a buffet, consider releasing the tables to the buffet line in some orderly fashion so the photographer can work the tables just ahead of this same schedule
- Ideally, the table shots should happen before cake cutting; cake cutting is traditionally the silent cue that it is okay/polite to leave the reception
While most guests are cooperative when asked to take a shot for the newlyweds, some are extremely camera shy or reluctant and refuse; set up this expectation in your paper suite (or wedding day signage) by letting your guests know that your photographer will be taking table shots during the reception
Some couples prefer to visit each of the tables while the table shots are being taken; this also encourages the guests to be more cooperative

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Pro Tip: When it comes to the shapes of tables most commonly used at receptions, you have four basic options: round, rectangle, oval and square. Generally, more people can be seated when using rectangular-shaped tables and it’s easier to talk across them. However, round tables are more traditional, give your guests more leg room, and are my personal favorite to photograph the table shots.

Are you curious about how to make a seating chart? There are a few online tools that can be used. Websites like AllSeated, WeddingWire, and WeddingMapper really take all the hard work out and make is so simple. These sites have the ability to drag and drop, customize pre-made templates, and even to try different table options. AllSeated even has a vast library of actual floor plans from venues. I logged in and created two very bad seating examples to give you an idea. Caveat: I am a photographer, not a planner or stylist.

Here’s an example from Park 31 in Spring Branch.

tips for table shots at wedding reception san antonio wedding photographers Park 31 spring branch texas

In addition to the tables and chairs, you can also add bars, sofas, love seats, corner chairs, banquets, etc. AllSeated gives you a really good idea of how your floor plan will flow and what you will have comfortable room for.

Here’s an example from Firefly Farm in Wimberley.

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The most important thing to remember is, if there is no room for your photographer to maneuver between tables to get table shots, you can probably forget about them.

The post, Tips for Table Shots, first appeared on Ata-Girl Photography Co.’s website and blog. Please feel free to comment here, or share this post with your friends via Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest. Please email me if you have any questions about this article or want to share a neat idea for a future blog post with me.

Mar

Don’t be a Natalie

In today’s market, literally anyone can claim to be a wedding photographer. All you need is an entry-level DSLR and a Facebook business page.

Just this past week over dinner, I was talking about this issue with photographer friends. One admitted that even price can’t differentiate between good and bad photographers any more. He admitted that he’s personally received phone calls on the day of someone else’s wedding asking for off-camera flash advice… minutes before the grand entrance! This was not a $500 wedding photographer! This photographer regularly books weddings for $4,000!

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Once again, I see a story making headlines about a upset bride who received subpar wedding images. This particular bride paid $250 to receive 100 images of her wedding. Natalie admits that she was on a budget, but that she had been planning her wedding since she was a little girl. She had to have a small wedding, but wanted everyone to see her pink wedding gown. I’m guessing she paid more for her gown than she did for her wedding images.

How did Natalie get in this dilemma? How could she have prevented this from happening? (Natalie is not pictured in this blog.)

How to Avoid Wedding Photographer Regret

First things first… how did this happen to her?

Natalie probably shopped on price alone.
Natalie didn’t ask her friends for a referral.
Natalie wanted great pictures but didn’t want to pay for them.
Natalie did not properly research the photographer whom she hired.
Natalie placed a higher priority on other things and did not place a value on the photographs until AFTER the wedding.

How could she have prevented this?

Natalie could have asked friends, co-workers and other professionals (her dental hygienist, florist, or nail tech) for a referral. People love to help other people out and are willing to share information!
Natalie could have educated herself about the real cost of great wedding images. There’s so much more that goes into this, but basically, properly covering an eight-hour wedding is 40 or more hours of work. If someone is willing to do that for $250 or $6 an hour, then you should expect $6/hour quality. (That’s less than the pay to flip burgers!) And, don’t forget this $6 has to pay the photographer a salary plus run a business.
Natalie could have asked the photographer to see entire wedding coverages—not just taken into account her wedding portfolio, which I believe, turned out to not even belong to the photographer. Had she researched her photographer more thoroughly, she would have easily discovered her actual work did not match that in her portfolio. She may have also discovered that Natalie had illegally obtained and used those photos to promote her business. Ideally, you want to see entire wedding coverages from the same venue you’ll be having your wedding in. However, it is sometimes as equally beneficial to hire a photographer who has never shot at that venue before. This usually inspires creativity. At the very, very least, you want to see a photographer’s ability to cover a complete wedding from beginning to end whether or not they’ve shot at your specific venue.
Natalie could have planned ahead for great wedding photography! Many photographers will offer an interest-free payment plan. A photographer charging $5,000 for a wedding package paid out over 18 months will only cost you $278 per month. You probably spend that easily on eating out, drinks, mani/pedi trips, or clothes.
Natalie could have prioritized better. I believe that when you are planning your wedding, you need to prioritize and pay the most for what you value the most. If it’s most important to you that you have a really high-end, beautiful cake, then that’s where you should increase your budget. If it’s more important to you that everyone have plenty of alcoholic drinks, then that’s where you should splurge. However, you must also keep in mind that the only real way to preserve all the things you design your day around is with your photos and videos. A $25,000 photographer can make your $1,000 wedding look like it cost $25,000. A $1,000 photographer can make your $25,000 wedding look like it cost $1,000.

Clients just assume that because we are a photographer that we know how to perform all the tasks required to do a good job and that we are diligent with all those tasks. But, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Is there any profession where every single professional is fully and equally qualified?

Singers? Nope, there was Milli Vanilli.

Investment advisors? Nope, there was Bernie Madoff.

Movie moguls? Nope, there was Harvey Weinstein.

Photographers? Nope, there was Queen Bee Photography.

The post, Don’t be a Natalie: How to Avoid Wedding Photographer Regret, first appeared on Ata-Girl Photography Co.’s website and blog. Please feel free to comment here, or share this post with your friends via Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest. Please email me if you have any questions about this article or want to share a neat idea for a future blog post with me.

Jan

Veil or No Veil?

Why do some brides choose to wear a veil, and some do not? Well, it’s a decision as personal and picking the perfect dress, the ideal flowers, and the consummate first dance song.

What is all the meaning behind the veil and why should you consider wearing one?

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Personally, I feel a wedding veil completes the whole bride look. Yes, a white dress usually is a strong indication that a bride is underneath, but not always. However, pair that white dress with a white veil and there is no question.

Traditionally, a veil symbolized virginity. Having the father lift a bride’s veil to present his daughter to her groom was a symbolic gesture giving permission for her to essentially give her virginity away. Seems kind of archaic now, right? However, today’s wedding veil has become nothing more than a symbol of the bride’s style.

To Veil or Not to Veil? That is the Question

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However, if you’re still on the fence about whether or not to add a veil to your wedding day wardrobe, here are some pros and cons to help you decide:

Pros

You’re more a traditional bride and you value traditions.
Again, it just ties the whole bridal look together.
You do want to partially hide your face as you’re walking down the aisle.
All you’ve ever dreamed about is your dad or groom lifting the veil off of your face on your wedding day.
This might be the only time in your life that constitutes wearing a veil.
They are really so pretty! And they can add much drama to your wedding images!
Your mother and your grandmother got married wearing a veil, and you want to please them.
You’re superstitious and you want to ward off the evil spirits. 🙂

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Cons

You are NOT a traditional bride and don’t really agree with being “presented” to anyone as a gift.
You want to show off your hairstyle instead.
If it’s windy and you’re having an outdoor ceremony and your veil is a longer length, it can become a fuss to keep it under control. (Pro tip: use magnet veil weights to help weigh it down.)
You’re afraid a veil may do nothing but add frustration to your day.
A longer veil does have to be babysat to some degree: as your passing through doors, getting in a car, taking photos.
It’s just not your style.

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Trivia: Do you know that traditionally there are three people who may lift your blusher veil from your face? Your father (before he leaves your side), maid-of-honor (before the final vows), or groom (after the final vows) may all lift your veil according to tradition.

Even IF you THINK you don’t want to wear a veil on your wedding day, my advice to you is to try one on after you’ve decided on your dress. There are so many different options from birdcage styles to 144-inch long cathedral styles. Make sure that you don’t want a veil. Many brides have actually changed their minds in the dressing room standing in front of the mirror looking at themselves wearing a veil.

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**Some of the images contained in this blog post were shot under the direction and for assignment of Sara Griffin Photography. The images are copyrighted but used herein with permission.

The post, To Veil or Not to Veil? That is the Question, first appeared on Ata-Girl Photography Co.’s website and blog. Please feel free to comment here, or share this post with your friends via Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest. Please email me if you have any questions about this article or want to share a neat idea for a future blog post with me.

Aug

Hiring a Wedding Videographer?

I have often been asked about hiring a wedding videographer by my brides and if I think the investment is worth it for their wedding day. My answer is always “yes.” Still photos and video both do a spectacular job of preserving precious memories, but they do it distinctively differently. A still photo captures a very precise, exact moment in life. It forces you to recall the sounds, smells, and feelings that were being amplified at the time. It is able to instantly halt every single thing happening in and around the image. While on the other hand, video has the ability to incorporate these palpable aids. It captures fluid movement and sounds. Music can also be overlaid to further evoke emotion and sentiment.

A wedding film will only add to your memories and give you a more complete, indelible experience. Done right, a wedding film can be as much a work of art as your wedding album. It will allow you to perpetually experience the wedding in motion. The moments captured on video will only add authenticity and profoundness to your memories.

Photographers and videographers have a bit of a reputation about working together. And I am not using the word reputation in a favorable or complimentary light. When the two are not on the same page and don’t take the time before the wedding day to know each other and discover how each works, some level of competition sometimes seems to arise when hiring a wedding videographer. Not always, but sometimes. The two begin jockeying for the best shot, not taking care to stay out of each other’s way, hogging the couple for private time, and it just starts to become a hot mess. In the end, no one wins. Both vendors go home super frustrated and not with their best work, and the couple doesn’t receive the quality of work they paid for or deserve.

So, how do you avoid this nightmare when hiring a wedding videographer? Here are my best tips to have a fabulous photography and videography experience on your wedding day.

two videographers filming the toasts during a wedding reception at gruene estate in new braunfels, texas by San Antonio TX Wedding Photographer Tammy Blalock, Ata-Girl Photography Co.

What to Know if You’re Hiring a Wedding Videographer

When hiring a wedding videographer, you should hire them just as early as your photographer: ten to 12 months before your big day.
When feasible, choose a photographer and videographer from the same studio. Ideally, they will automatically have a shared vision and a joint accountability.
Finding a studio with a photographer and videographer that you love might be harder said than done, so it’s still perfectly okay to choose these vendors independently of each other. Just make sure that:
- They will agree to meet ahead of your wedding day and compile a game plan
- They don’t already have a bad working relationship
- They both have personalities that don’t make you want to pluck your eyes out
- It’s a bonus when they have previous working experience together; ask your photographer for references
Ask if the person you’re interviewing for the videographer position will also be the person who shows up to the wedding. Photographers aren’t the only ones who do the ol’ switch and bait and send in “associates” to do the work.
Your videography team should consist of two videographers. As with photography, simultaneous but different perspectives and angles are a must for the final product.
Be familiar with the videographer’s workload. For reasons of stamina, creativity and the time it takes to dump and backup video from previous projects, you don’t want to hire someone who books multiple weddings on a weekend. You want a vendor who is fresh, vitalized and ready to hit the ground running. Burn out is real.
Be aware of exactly what you’ll be receiving after your wedding day: a highlight film (2-5 minutes), a short-form wedding film (10-20 minutes), a feature-length video (45-90 minutes), raw footage or a combination.
Make sure you’re able to receive different formats: HD and a version for Instagram, for example.
If the videographer will host your wedding film Online (Vimeo, Youtube), ask for how long. Some videographers limit this to a year, others are indefinite.
Be familiar with their editing style. Just like photography there are different styles of editing the footage from your wedding day. As with your still images, you don’t want a bunch of special effects added that will “date” your video. Choose someone with a very classic editing style.
Choose a videographer who is able to mic you up all day long. This isn’t so they can eavesdrop on the private conversations with the groomsmen, but so they can hopefully catch little audio gems to overlay on the video soundtrack to make it even more special. Most will mic you up for the ceremony to capture the vows. Few possess the equipment or the desire to weed through all the audio that results from making you wear a mic all day long. This is a bonus.
Try and find a videographer who also offers drone services. The perspectives those little flying machines can yield will adds tons of cinematographic quality to your wedding video.
Also, ask if they’re capable of producing a same day edit. This is a short three to five minute video that is quickly edited on your wedding day and featured during your reception.
Know exactly what your photographer will film. Will they only capture footage for your wedding film, or will they also record your time with the photographer, table visits and cocktail hour?
Ask about music licensing. A respectable videographer is not going to set your video to John Legend’s All of Me. Securing a proper and legal licensing for mainstream music costs thousands of dollars. Using any music without a proper license is copyright infringement and is punishable by law. I’d hate to see you involved in a lawsuit because of illegal song selection.
As with your photographer, make sure your videographer has backup equipment.
Video production is very tedious. Know how long it will take to receive your final product. Some videographers deliver in as little as eight weeks, some take up to a year.
It goes without saying, but choose a photographer who is insured, running a legitimate business (paying sales tax, self-employment tax, etc.), a member of applicable professional organization(s) and who has taken steps to become accredited or certified.
Get everything in writing.

My only concern with your wedding film is having to constantly ensure that you have it in a format so that you can continue to enjoy it throughout the years. It’s not like a printed image and all you have to do is “keep it.” Make sure that as technology changes and different formats become obsolete, that you take care of your wedding film to have it exported or saved to these newer formats. And always, always keep multiple copies. Something this precious can’t be replaced and chances are, your videographer won’t archive it forever. Hard drives fail, computers crash, and social media platforms will come and go. Protect your wedding film accordingly.

Let’s “hangout!” I wanna hear about your love story!

Schedule a virtual or in-person discovery meetup!
For more options, visit my “Let’s Connect” page.

About Ata-Girl

I am a San Antonio-based wedding photographer and I cater to outdoor-loving couples who prefer to have all the realness captured on their wedding days. I am the wedding photographer for the outdoor adventurers, the romantics, the laid back, the snugglers, and those who wish to capture all their realness.

I am absolutely in love with capturing the kinds of weddings where there are more hugs than handshakes, the dance floor rumbles all night long, and chairs are pretty much rendered useless after dinner. Whiskey bottles are passed around, most of the wedding party has been best-best friends since kindergarten, Grams is likely to lose her shoes and your partner is much more emotional than you are. These kinds of weddings are my jam!

You can always call or text, but if you really want to get to know me, schedule a meetup!

If you enjoyed this blog post and would like to get your hands on 20 FREE interactive wedding planning tools that every couple needs, please take a moment to access them here.

I am a published author (purchase my book here), a podcast host (listen here) (watch here) and a WPPI-C certified professional, full-time wedding photographer. I specialize in a 10-day image delivery, same-day prints, same-day slideshows, Italian handcrafted wedding albums and I have a mobile meeting space.

When I’m not behind my camera, you can find me hiking, cycling, backpacking, camping, enjoying water sports, listening to music (Elvis and Prince), hunting for arrowheads, reading audiobooks, occasionally eating a few glazed donuts (my only weakness to sweets) and then re-starting my keto diet about every 10 days. The most important things in life are for me to see my two daughters happy and to create a family history my grandparents and grandson would be proud of.

Aug

Hire a Wedding Drone?

I’ve been asked more than once if I’ll ever add drone photography to my repertoire of skills. My answer has always been, and will always be for as long as I can foresee, “no.”

It’s really important for me to master the art of still photography. (When I say master, I mean actually master like Van Gough, Rembrandt, or Michelangelo OR Jerry Ghionis, JB Sallee, or Rocco Ancora when talking about the world’s top wedding photographers of today.) This could take a lifetime… if I am even able to ever achieve this feat. I want to accomplish this goal before adding any skills to my bag of tricks. So I will not be learning to fly a drone any time soon. But, I don’t want that to deter you from considering drone photography on your wedding day. I do want you to be fully aware of what to look for and expect if you do.

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The photographic perspective from a drone is spectacular. It is one that can not be achieved no matter how brave a photographer is or the risk they are willing to take. It simply can’t be replicated from a high balcony, a hilltop, a ladder, or even a sky lift. No matter what elevational assist there is, a drone will always be able to top it. But, is it worth it to spend the extra cash at your wedding to capture these bonus perspectives?

Drone photography is quickly gaining traction in the wedding world. I watched some amazing… and I do mean mind-blowing, awe-envoking, unbelievably-good, amazing wedding cinematography at this year’s WPPI image and film competition that used drones to capture footage. I was actually so moved by several of the short films, that I shed a tear (or 15) and I didn’t even know one of the couples featured. The films were just exceptional. The shots captured by the drones were just breathtaking.

If you’re considering having a drone at your wedding day, here are some things I think you should consider.

Should You Hire a Drone on Your Wedding Day?

Above all, safety.

I always believe that safety is the most important thing to keep in mind when hiring all of your wedding day creatives. A drone is an unmanned, flying mini-helicopter with rotating blades and an attached camera. You should make sure that your drone operator is a properly trained professional. He will be hovering this tiny aircraft over your guests’ heads and near children. You do not want the drone to become a weapon of destruction, mass or otherwise. (It happens. I’ve witnessed a drone crash at a wedding. Thankfully, no one was injured.)

Insurance is a must.

As with all wedding vendors, personal property and liability insurance is a must. This way, if a crash does happen, the operator is covered and the damaged property can either be repaired or replaced.

Planning is required.

Everyone should be on the same page. The venue manager, wedding planner, ground photographer and videographer, and the couple should all have a clear and concise idea and agree of the drone photographer’s execution plan for the day and safety plan. The ground crew and the drone operator should collaborate together.

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How close?

In my opinion, drones should not be used for close-ups—especially during a live event, like your ceremony. There’s too much risk involved and they are just too annoying with the constant buzzing sound they make. If I’m conscious of the clicking sound I’m making with my shutter, the drone operator should by hyper aware of the whizzing sound he’s making with his drone and how intrusive it can be during intimate parts of your day.

Mind Mother Nature.

You need to be aware that a drone is an aircraft and can’t fly in every weather condition. They must steer clear of winds over 25 miles per hour and heavy rains. The good news? Besides some minimal effects on the battery life, cold weather really has no impact.

Show off your location.

Shots and video from a drone will be able to capture more dynamic and illustrative imagery that really show off the location of your venue. Only a drone can deliver a grand perspective of a sweeping valley, a mountainside venue, the flowing river behind your giant party boat, the modern, sprawling cityscape or centuries-old architecture. These shots will really showcase and drive home the reason why you chose the place you did to wed.

Think twice about indoor shots.

Drone pilots can fly indoors, but it’s a risky maneuver. Very high ceilings are needed and there has to be no danger of hitting hanging obstacles. It’s usually not recommended, but use extreme caution if you’re considering asking your drone pilot to fly indoors.

In closing, drone photography can be jaw-dropping if captured by a seasoned professional. It should never be the only source of documenting your wedding day. It should always be used to augment the traditional ways of telling the story of your wedding day. I don’t think it’s meant to be used independently, like the images from the ground photographer or the footage from the ground videographer can. But, I do think it can adds tons of beauty, worth and depth to the still images and video that is collected for you. Drone photography can definitely add that cinematographic quality to your wedding day. After all, don’t you want to reminisce about your wedding as if it were a movie?

The post, Should You Hire a Drone on Your Wedding Day?, first appeared on Ata-Girl Photography Co.’s website and blog. Please feel free to comment here, or share this post with your friends via Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest. Please email me if you have any questions about this article or want to share a neat idea for a future blog post with me.

May

9 Reasons For a Bridal Session

Even on the tightest of budgets, I believe every bride should partake in a bridal portrait session (even if it’s not their first marriage). There is so much more to the portrait session then just getting another image of you in your dress and spending more money with your photographer. Bridal portrait sessions are something that is predominant in the southern United States, but I believe every bride should have a bridal portrait session unless they are willing to get completely dolled up, just as if it were their wedding day, and wear their dress for about three hours.

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When you chose your dress, chances are you only had it on for 15 to 30 minutes in your bridal boutique. You were probably standing upright, looking into a mirror, and you may even have twirled once or twice and taken a few steps. You didn’t give the dress a real test drive. A bridal portrait session will give you an opportunity to wear your dress for a few hours. During this short window before your wedding day, you will have ample opportunity to solve and sidestep all sorts of obstacles.

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9 Reasons Why You Should Have a Bridal Portrait Session

Heirloom. Every bride needs a printed portrait of her in her dress. If you’re gonna have daughters or nieces (even sons and nephews), they are going to treasure this.
Show off. You can then take this printed portrait and show it off at your reception.
A glimpse of totality. Not only will you get to see how your dress looks with all of the accessories you have picked out, you will also get to experience how your dress fits and how easy it is to wear for longer periods of time. You will discover when, where, and how often you will need to tug, pull, readjust, or reposition parts of your dress. You will find out if the tulle underneath your gown’s skirt is going to scratch your legs. You will know if the bra you’ve selected will work or if you will even be able to wear underwear. You will discover whether or not you can breathe, walk, dance, sit, bend over, or basically anything else besides stand in your dress.
Truth. The images from your bridal session will let you know exactly how you look in your dress. If, by chance, you don’t like what you see, you still have time to pivot.
Personality check. You’re going to be spending the majority of your wedding day with your photographer. If you didn’t have an engagement session, a bridal portrait session is an excellent opportunity to make sure your personality doesn’t collide with your photographer’s. If you do not get along well with your photographer, you are not going to love your wedding day images. Make sure you love your photographer’s personality. Again, if you discover you cannot stomach your photographer’s personality, you have time to select another.
Confidence. Having completed the bridal portrait session and getting comfortable in front of your photographer’s lens will give you all the confidence in the world on your wedding day. There will be no questions like, “Where do I look? What do I do with my hands?” because you will already know. You will be a seasoned pro.
Time. Having a portrait session prior to your wedding day could actually save you precious minutes in your wedding day timeline. Being that these portraits have already been taken, you can dedicate photo time to other things (ie. first look, bride and groom sunset creative session, etc.).
Again, time. A bridal portrait session will allow you and your photographer to really take their time at capturing these beautiful images. Having a separate session independent of your wedding day will allow you to be more relaxed, and more creative.
Taste test. If you haven’t already had a preview with your hair and makeup artist, it will give also you a chance to taste test your wedding day beauty look. Not only will you be able to see what your hair and makeup will look like, you will find out how long it will take to achieve that look and what kind of staying power your look has.

Before you decide wholeheartedly against having a bridal portrait session, consider all these reasons. I think there are many more benefits to having a bridal session than to not having one. And, once that window of opportunity is passed, there is no creating it later. This is something you won’t regret having done. Promise.

The post, 9 Reasons Why You Should Have a Bridal Portrait Session, first appeared on Ata-Girl Photography Co.’s website and blog. Please feel free to comment here, or share this post with your friends via Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest. Please email me if you have any questions about this article or want to share a neat idea for a future blog post with me.

Apr

Timeline Tips Every Bride Should Know

Have you ever considered the intricacies of your wedding day timeline and the effect that they may have on your wedding day photos? Something as minute as the placement of one event in front of the other, or the difference in five minutes of planning can make all the difference in the world as it relates to your wedding day photos.

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The biggest tip I can give you is just to make sure that you allow your photographer adequate time to capture all of the wonderful moments of your day. Do not nickel-and-dime them and expect them to make art of every single moment of your day in only four hours. If you will want your photographer to start with you getting ready and end with your grand exit, you will need a minimum of eight hours of coverage. In that, they will also need time to pivot for any unexpected changes or unforeseen circumstances.

Timeline Tips Every Bride Should Know

Here is a list of other pro tips that every bride should know and can help you achieve better wedding day photos.

You should really consider hiring a wedding planner. They will take care of everything that goes foul on your wedding day without you even knowing it. And, they will be the official keeper of the timeline.
If you don’t hire a wedding planner (and you really should), appoint a family member or bridal party member to be your official timeline manager. Someone besides you needs to be in charge of keeping the day on track.
If there are children involved in your wedding day, make sure you plan around snack and nap times. Children need to be well-rested and fed to be at their best.
If your hair and makeup artist asks for 45 minutes for each of the persons she will serve on your wedding day, give her an hour.
In fact, pad the timeline with tiny little pockets of extra time here and there… an extra five minutes built into the schedule five or six times over the course of the day will save your sanity as opposed to creating a timeline so tight, nothing can go off course.
Also, give your hair and makeup artist and every other vendor, and each VIP family member a copy of your official timeline. Give it to them a week before your wedding. This ensures everyone is on the same page, it answers all questions, and no one has to bother you for information.
The bride should always be the last one to get hair and makeup done; however, she should always be ready at least 30 to 45 minutes before she is actually needed in the timeline (get into dress, first look, ceremony, etc.). When the bride is needed earlier in the day, bridesmaids can follow her in the timeline.
If your ceremony and your reception will be in two different locations, make sure you map the traffic prior to your wedding day. Also make sure to double-check it within a few days of your wedding to make sure there are no new construction zones in your route.
Keep your eye on a city or community calendar so you are aware if there are any special events that may also affect your travel.
Have your personal details gathered and put into a box or bag. This makes it much easier and saves time when the photographer comes to take these detail shots.

Schedule the details to be photographed when the details have been finished being put in place. Detail shots should be taken after all of the floral arrangements are in place, after all of the place settings are on the table, after all of the signs have been displayed, and every other detail is in place, including your cake. If not, you risk having incomplete detail shots or detail shots captured in completely different lighting scenarios. This will not look well in your wedding album.
Be sure to include your entire paper suite in the details. Bring two complete sets for your photographer to photograph with the rest of your details. Two sets will allow them to photograph the front and the back at the same time.
If you have a first look, make sure that is completed at least 45 minutes before your ceremony time. Scheduling it any closer to the wedding ceremony, forces unnecessary risks of your guests seeing you in your dress. They will begin arriving up to one hour prior to the ceremony. (Pro tip: Having a first look can allow you to enjoy up to 25% more of your reception time.)
Immediately after your ceremony, make sure you and your groom have a place to get tucked away out of the sight of your wedding guests. In plain sight, your guests will stop to congratulate you and will not proceed to the cocktail or reception area and inadvertently cause delays in your timeline.
You and your photographer should have compiled a list of every single family formal arrangement that you want captured. Your photographer should work from this list on your wedding day. Everyone who is included in one of these setups should be aware and notified prior to your wedding day when, where, and how this will take place. Without a formal plan, this part of the day can quickly go awry and it’s very easy to overlook taking an image of you with your brothers and sisters, for example, amidst all the chaos.
If you have had a first look, these family formals can take place prior to the ceremony and you can now join the reception much sooner after you’ve said your I-dos.
Talk to your officiant about immediately standing to the right or left of you after they have announced, “You may now kiss the bride.” Yes, I know it’s an awkward conversation to have, but I think it’s more awkward to have someone in your first kiss images two feet from your lips watching you kiss. Many times, the officiant’s eyes are just peering through some gap between you and your husband. Trust me on this. Clean shots are always better!
Your timeline should include the time the sun will set.
Always schedule your ceremony time so that it allows for a 30-minute creative session in the golden hour right before sunset. These are the images you will hang on your walls in your home, take to place on your work desk, and cherish forever.
If your guests will arrive to the reception site ahead of your photographer, make sure you have a plan in place to keep your guests corraled just outside, or in a corner. This way, when your photographer does arrive, they can make quick work of capturing all of the reception details and getting clean, wide open shots without any of your guests in the background.

Make sure your first dance happens either before dinner is served or after the tables have been cleared by the wait staff. Otherwise, you will have messy tables in the background of your images. (I prefer images with the tables still cleanly set.)
Also, if you can, try to have a conversation with your family and your bridal party prior to your wedding day. Ask them to be fully present in all of the formalities of the wedding day (ie. the first dances, the speeches, the cake cutting… especially the first dances). There is nothing more displeasing to me than photographing this beautiful moment when the bride and groom are sharing their first dance and then the dance with their parent and no one is watching. Everyone is the background is talking to each other, looking away, and not involved at all in this beautiful moment. Sure. They’re there, but they’re not THERE. Have a short conversation with your key players and ask them to just please watch, and look, and smile, and seem interested while you dance… just for the photos. Explain that it is a request from your photographer. Your photographer will thank you.
If, for some reason, you are going to shorten the length of your first dance song and fade out only 60 seconds in, let your photographer know that they only have 60 seconds to capture first dance images. I cannot tell you how many times I have been completely surprised by thinking I have about four minutes to work the dance floor only to be cut short by three whole minutes.
Always ensure that your photographer is served dinner at precisely the same time you are. This may seem rude that a vendor is eating before some of your family and many of your guests; however, your photographer needs to be ready to go back to work as soon as you are finished eating.
There is only so many dancing images a photographer can capture at your reception before they become a bit bored and the images become redundant (unless your party is lit!). However, a skilled photographer will get very creative with these shots if left to cover the reception for too long. They will experiment with multiple exposures, framing and unique compositions, longer shutter times and other creative lighting methods. Really consider how long you want your photographer to cover the dancing portion of your reception. Many couples have a fake send off in order to relieve the photographer of their duties before the real reception ends.
If your photographer is staying until the very end, consider a private last dance. This is where all your guests wait for you outside for the grand exit, and you and your new husband enjoy one final dance on your wedding night in the complete privacy of your reception.
Do not run through your grand exit! Walk slowly. Take your time and smile and laugh out loud! Stop halfway and kiss, twirl, wave, high-five, dip or dance.
If you have a hired a getaway car, inform your photographer. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve photographed a grand exit only to turn around and there be an extremely nice limo or antique Rolls Royce waiting to take the bride and groom away. Photographers need to be prepared to take these photos. If I don’t know, I will not have an extra speedlight that is not on the top of a 12-foot lightstand or I won’t have carried an LED light outside with me.
Do have a conversation with your photographer about what happens on the night of your wedding if you’d like them to stay longer than your agreed to time. In fact, you should have this conversation with all your vendors.

Lastly, it’s your day and you can have it your way. However, while you are planning, if your images are important to you, always plan the timeline around the images you want to capture and not convenience, your family, or the extra two hours you may have to invest with your photographer.

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The post, Timeline Tips Every Bride Should Know, first appeared on Ata-Girl Photography Co.’s website and blog. Please feel free to comment here, or share this post with your friends via Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest. Please email me if you have any questions about this article or want to share a neat idea for a future blog post with me.

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Hi, I’m Tammy.
I'm a San Antonio-based wedding photographer for outdoor-loving couples who value real moments.

I am a San Antonio-based wedding photographer and I am absolutely in love with capturing the kinds of weddings where there are more hugs than handshakes, the dance floor rumbles all night long, and chairs are pretty much rendered useless after dinner. Whiskey bottles are passed around, most of the wedding party has been best-best friends since kindergarten, Grams is likely to lose her shoes and your partner is much more emotional than you are. These kinds of weddings are my jam!

Since 2010, I have excelled in helping each of my couples plan for one of the very best days of their lives! I’d love to share my very personalized wedding experience, my super-human organizational abilities, and my U. S. Army combat skills (when needed) with you too.

I want your wedding day to be as perfect as you do! I am all in with my whole heart!