Do wedding photographers offer separate pricing for  small weddings?

Even if you are inviting hundreds of guests or are eloping to beautiful San Francisco with no guests , the work a wedding  photographer does at your wedding, as well as the work after wards, does not change much  based on the number of people at the event.  Each wedding will get the same level of love & and attention given to it.  Many  photographers have packages based at least partially on time spent at your wedding, so if a smaller wedding means a shorter wedding to you, you may be able to find a package with shorter coverage times that suits your needs.  Some  photographers may also offer shorter coverage than outlined in their regular packages for weddings on non-peak days, or for weddings booked within a month or two of the event. That being said we do not do packages,every wedding is different and at  Peter Bruce photo & Belle Fine weddings we treat every wedding different. So if you are having a small wedding or eloping,we price it like that. You are not buying a car, this is a wedding, big or small it can not be put in a box. Hope this helps,let us know.

Cheers Peter Bruce

Great wedding photos

Here are some tips for great wedding photography & video…

Many years from now,  nothing better than looking back on all the beautiful photos & video from your wedding day. Here are four tips that will make them all just right…

1. Make your comfort  priority one…. Your  photographer will be with you for largest  part of your wedding  day, so it’s important that you feel comfortable around him or her. Weeks before your wedding, get together with your photographer and explain what type of shots you want and how creative you’d like the day to be. This will make  that you’re both on the same page on the day, and that you won’t feel so shy or awkward when being  posed  for photos . The picture taking process should goes easy and be fun. After all, your hair and makeup will be done just right  your dress  will be beautiful and you will look your best ! Enjoy and take in every minute of this,that is why we say do video as well,if it is in the budget.
2. Leave lots of time for photos… You may  be the most organized, bride around  but schedules don’t always run as planned. On your wedding day, don’t be surprised if things take more time than you thought they would, the  photography being one of them. That’s why it’s so important to leave an adequate time  between your ceremony &  reception.Think about  the size of your wedding party as well, the more bridesmaids and groomsmen you have, the longer it will take to get all the photos done. And is  your reception along way from the  ceremony? Make sure you take this into account. Bottom line girls.Please  don’t expect to get all your pictures done in  a half an hour, this is what you have to look at forever.
3. Be ready on time… If you want your  photographer to shoot pre ceremony stuff, like   the salon, getting dressed, getting into the limo and on your way to the church, make sure you and your bridal party are ready when they  show up. If you’d like to feature your bridal bouquet in these photos make sure  that your flowers will arrive on time,before you leave. PS tell the florist you need them 30 minutes before you really do, do this with the hair and make up too. You’ll also want to make sure your limousine is booked for enough time to allow for things to run a little late  they often are.
4. Know your back up plan to a tee…. Of course rain is the last thing you want on your wedding day, but don’t assume it won’t rain. Have a back-up plan for your wedding photos just in case, and make sure your alternate location is available.If  your photographer and video are worth anything, they will know where to go to take photos if it rains…I DO !!!

The Wedding Album…

After the ceremony, you’re still going to be faced with a few major wedding chores. One, writing thank you letters, and another is selecting wedding photos  from the  proofs. Some of these will be blown up and framed for your wall or as gifts. But the biggest job will be selecting and organizing photos  for your wedding album.

It’s up to you to choose your favorite shots, but many photographers will include a photo album service, for a fee. You’ll get professionally mounted photos, artistically presented in a keepsake album you’ll treasure forever. And take your time on this, do not RUSH it and try not to buy the album from the photographer,call or e mail and i’ll tell you why…

Cheers Peter Bruce

So many photographers say “we do photojournalism.” I really don’t get it!    Are they all photojournalists?

Brides and groom  looking  for a wedding photographer are attracted to photos that look natural,the  un posed photographs that capture a certain moment or feeling  in time, exactly as that moment  happened. True  photojournalist will shoot your wedding without any  interference  with the bride & groom.  The real photojournalist will not  pose you , using only there   skills  to capture your images in a most flattering light &  conditions.  The result will be  photographs which  will show your wedding in a most natural and real way.

Also some  wedding photographers call themselves documentary  photographers. They will also document your wedding day as it happens,with no direction or just a little direction. Or what I like to call softly directed.

Some photographers will capture parts of your wedding without interference or input , but at times during the wedding  day, they will pose you, or make some directions about where to stand or sit , smile,  kiss, and will interact with you and your guests as they need to.  If you ask these photographers if they do photojournalism, they’ll likely say YES because they do avoid interacting during parts of the wedding day.
After you ask about “photojournalism,” it’s a great  idea to also ask them  “Do you ever pose or direct  your couples , or make suggestions that will help us look better ?”  You’ll get a much better idea of how the wedding photographer you’re considering works on your wedding day. But DO NOT leave it till your wedding day, ask as many question up front as possible. Just as a heads up,at Peter Bruce Photo and Belle Fine weddings, will do both. And depending on the bride and groom, how they fill in front of the camera work with team as a team for what they want. If you want to drop us a line with questions to ask other photographer, happy to help.

Cheers Peter Bruce and Belle team

His  mom insists on using another photographer for our formal photographs. What do you think and is this  okay? What should I do ???

So many professional wedding photographers will object to or get upset  with another photographer being commissioned for your wedding.  Maybe this  has arisen because you have selected an informal photo-journalistic style focusing  on un posed spontaneous events type photos, while his mother is happier with  studio style of more traditional, posed family portraits.  If this is the  the case, consider finding a wedding photographer who is comfortable doing  both traditional &  photo-journalistic-style photography images.  Yet another alternative is to ask your  Pro wedding photographer whether he or she has an associate or assistant  who could shoot the more traditional formals or the more fun stuff.  Consult with your wedding photographer,be a team  and check the details of your contract for other limitations on using another photographer. At Peter Bruce photo and Belle Fine Weddings, we shoot both styles and even though we keep Mom happy, it is the bride’s day and she will want to look at those photos for the rest of her life. Even after mom in law has gone bye bye…

Hope this helps, let us know

Cheers Peter Bruce Photo

I first met Holly over the phone; she was calling from Chicago- trying to plan her wedding through the internet and telephone.  She and her fiance , Rick, told me a lovely story about his mom and dad; it seems his dad, while he was alive , always took his wife on an anniversary trip to San Francisco, the most romantic place he knew.  Well flash forward to the present- Holly and Rick decided to honor this tradition by having their ceremony in San Francisco.  Of course Mom and her very best girlfriend( who incidently is also the mother-in-law to Rick’s brother) were a big part of the plans.  Everyone was so excited and Holly is one of the sweetest people I’ve ever met.   This adorable couple chose the Fairmont Hotel Terrace Garden for their ceremony and- big fun- the Tonga Room for their reception dinner. Of course we had to get some cable car action in ( Holly, you should have taken the conductor’s offer to drive!) and yes the first dance was to a certain Tony Bennett  song…

The last pic is the Fairmont lobby  of a weary tourist back from the wine country - gotta love it.

Enjoy

Bernadette & Peter Bruce

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