5 Things Your Wedding Photographer should Offer you

You're getting married Congrats! You want your wedding to be as perfect & beautiful as you've always dreamed it would be. However, if you choose the wrong photographer, your day may be a lot less than perfect, and you may not be satisfied with the images your photographer captures. Bummer. So, how do you choose the right photographer?

Here's how. Make sure your wedding photographer offers you these five things. Then you can relax and feel confident the love, special moments and important details of your wedding day will be captured in beautiful images for a lifetime of memories.

1. Do you like the photographer's photos...
   Look at a fairly large selection of the photographers wedding photos, not just a few photos on a web site. It's best if you can see at least an album or two and a proof book of a complete wedding. The albums probably represent the best of the photographer's work, and the proof book shows all the typical images he or she captures during a wedding day. How do the images look to you? Are they pleasing to look at? Does the lighting and the color look good to you? Is the photographer's style what you are looking for? Most of our bridal couples are looking for a mix of photojournalistic images and classic posed traditional ones. Make sure your photographer is capable of, and comfortable with, taking the style of images you want for your wedding. If you don't like the photographer's shots, there is no need to consider them further. Also, make sure the work you see was done by the photographer who will photograph your wedding. Some studios will show you a lot of good work from various photographers, but will not guarantee you will get the photographer whose work you like the best. Sometimes, a husband and wife team like ours is the best way to be sure the photographer's work you see is the work you will get.

   

    
2. Do you like the photographer's personality and mannerisms?
   Is the photographer confident, easy going and not a nervous ninny? Does the photographer have a good sense of humor? Remember, the photographer will be present through most of your wedding day, interacting with you, your wedding party, your family, and your guests. A demanding, inflexible, and uptight photographer can make your day unpleasant. I know you don't want that! Make sure you and your spouse-to-be get along well with the photographer you choose. If the photographer is going to have a second photographer help at your wedding, meet the assistant photographer and make sure you feel comfortable with them also. To get to know your photographer before you choose them, it is really important you meet with them personally. If it is physically impossible to meet with the photographer, you should make sure some of their testimonials from previous clients make you feel comfortable with the photographer's personality.

    

   

    

3. Does the photographer have a strong sense of professional commitment to photographing your wedding and a professional work ethic to go with it...
   Does the photographer use professional cameras, lenses and flash setup? Does he or she have at least some lenses that will produce good images in low light situations (f2.8 aperture)? Does the photographer use a soft box over the flash and keep the flash above the lens on both horizontal and vertical photos to minimize shadows in their images? Does he or she always bring a complete set of backup equipment, or bring a second photographer with another set of equipment, to every wedding? How will the photographer and their assistant be dressed on your wedding day? Ask them. Hopefully, they will professional enough to arrive dressed in a tux, suit, or dressy dress. Although, if your photographer is a man and he says he's coming in a dressy dress, you might worry a little about that :-). You should get the feeling that your photographer is dedicated to making sure your wedding day is wonderful, and that all of the love, emotions and important details will be captured in images you will be able to enjoy for the rest of your life.

   

4. Does your photographer have the experience to anticipate all the good things that will happen on your wedding day, and the experience to deal with the bad things that could happen also...
   An experienced photographer will have photographed enough weddings to anticipate and capture special moments during your day, and the important details that may easily be missed by a "newbie". An experienced photographer also knows that things do go wrong sometimes and will be able to anticipate and deal with them, often without you even knowing that something went wrong. That's why a complete set of backup equipment is necessary. My little kit of duct tape, extra cables, pen knife with scissors, and band-aids has been a life saver several times.

   

5. Does your photographer offer you the right value for you...
6. Not the right price, but, the right value. If your photographer doesn't have all of the above four characteristics, it may not matter what their prices are. If the photographer has all four, that's a big part of the value they offer you. In this case, the price should be less important. Just make sure your photographer will provide what is really important to you and is upfront with you about costs for everything you want. Someone who offers a "low" price up front may sound attractive. But, things change when you find they charge extra for every location stop, for the digital image files, for a studio set up at the reception, and so on. A photographer who charges twice as much, but includes almost everything, can often be a better value for you.                                                                                                                                 But the bottom line is make sure they SHOOT OF FILM  & get a digital file.

So, there you have it. Choose your wedding photographer based on the above five factors, and you will go a long way toward having the wedding of your dreams. We hope this helps, please let us know.

Best  Peter Bruce Photo & team bELLE

For years brides have beem asking Peter Bruce Photo team bELLE the meaning behind the name of a flower. Some want to want just because,other want to put a little more thought in to there flowers. Our wonderful flower person from bELLE , Chelsea has spens hours putting together this list of flowers and there meanings.

Ambrosia: Reciprocated love
Apple Blossom: Better things to come
Azalea: First Love, Temperance

Baby's Breath: Innocence, pure heart
Bamboo: Strength, Loyalty
Begonia: A fanciful nature
Bird of Paradise: Magnificence
Blue Violet : Faithfulness
Buttercup: Riches, childishness

Calla Lily: Magnificent Beauty
Camellia: Gratitude
Carnation-red: Alas poor heart
Carnation-pink: I'll never forget you
Carnation-purple: Capriciousness
Carnation-stripped: Sorry I can't be with you
Carnation-white: Innocence
Carnation-yellow: Disdain
Chrysanthemum-red: Love
Chrysanthemum-white: Truth
Chrysanthemum-yellow: Slighted love
Clematis: Mental beauty

Daffodil: Regard, You are the only one
Dahlia: Dignity, Elegance, Good Taste
Daisy: Gentleness, Innocence, Loyalty and Romance
Delphinium: Flights of Fancy, Ardent Attachment

Forget-Me-Not: True love, hope, remembrance, memories
Forsythia: Anticipation.
Freesia : Innocence, thoughtfulness.

Gardenia: Purity and Secret Love
Gladiolus: Strength of character, Sincerity

Hibiscus: Delicate Beauty
Honeysuckle: Bonds of love.
Hyacinth: : Sport, play, games, rashness, flower dedicated to Apollo.
Hyacinth-blue : Constancy.
Hyacinth-purple : I am sorry, sorrow, please forgive me.
Hyacinth-red or pink : Play.
Hyacinth-white : Loveliness, I'll pray for you.
Hyacinth-yellow : Jealousy.
Hydrangea : frigidity, heartless.

Iris: Faith, Wisdom, Valour and Promise
Ivy : Fidelity

Larkspur-pink: Fickleness.
Larkspur-purple: First love.
Lavender: Loyalty
Lemon Blossom : Fidelity
Lilac-purple: First Emotion of Love
Lilac-white: Youthful innocence
Lily-orange: Wealth
Lily-white: Sweetness
Lily-yellow: Gaiety, walking on air
Lily of the Valley: Humility, Sweetness, Return of Happiness
Lotus Flower: Estranged love

Magnolia: Love of Nature
Marigold: Grief
Mistletoe : Affection
Morning Glory: Affection

Narcissus: : Egotism, conceit, self love, formality

Oleander: Caution.
Olive Branch: Peace.
Orange Blossom: Innocence, Eternal Love, Marriage and Fruitfulness
Orchid: Love, Beauty and Magnificence

Pansy: Thoughtful Reflection
Peony: Happy Marriage and Prosperity
Petunia : Resentment, anger
Polyanthus: Price of riches

Ranunculus: Radiant, Charming
Rhododendron: Danger
Rose, Pink: Perfect Happiness
Rose, White: Charm and Innocence
Rose, Red: Love and Desire 
Rose-single red: I Love You
Rose-Burgundy: Unconscious love
Rose, white and red: Unity
Rose, Orange : Passion
Rose, Yellow: Joy and Gladness
Rosebud: Beauty and youth

Star of Bethlehem : Purity
Stephanotis: Marital Happiness
Sunflowers: Pride
Sweet Pea: Blissful Pleasure

Tiger Lily: Prosperity
Tuberose: Dangerous Pleasure
Tulip: Love and Passion
Tulip-yellow : Hopeless love, there's sunshine in your smile.
Tulip-red: Declaration of love

Violet-blue : Watchfulness, faithfulness, I'll always be true.
Violet-purple : Thoughts of you, blue love.
Violet-white : Let's take a chance, youthful innocence.
Violet-yellow : Love of country.

Zinnia : Thoughts of absent friends, in memory of an absent friend.
Zinnia-scarlet : Constancy.
Zinnia-white : Goodness.
Zinnia-yellow : Daily remembrance.

We hope you enjoyed this,please let us know, we always like your feed back.

Besr Regards Peter Bruce Photo & team bELLE

History & Traditions

Throwing garters is considered to be the oldest surviving wedding tradition. Back in Dark Ages it was customary for friends, relatives and guests to accompany the bridal couple to the marriage bed. At first this was to safely see the married couple ensconced in their wedding bed and once established the crowd respectfully left the newly weds to their own company.

The wedding garter toss became a game of sorts. The bridal party would toss the garter at the grooms nose and the person who successfully landed the garter on his nose would be the next to marry.

The custom became rowdier and bawdier until the guests were eager to help the bride out of her wedding clothes. The wedding guests would try to grab the bride's garter for good luck. It is thought to forestall such impropriety, the bride's garter was given to the mob as a distraction. Soon this became an established custom.

Throwing the  brides garter to the groom's men is what remains of the custom. In Northern England the old custom was for male guests to rush the bride at the altar when the ceremony was finished and remove her garter from her leg. In the panic this usually meant the bride was knocked over and trampled on.

Gradually brides made garters easier to detach and finally to avoid threat of injury they tossed their garters away at the end of the ceremony. Garters were imbued with fertility and the bride's garter signified consummation, fulfillment, and progeny and was always fiercely sought after. Untying the bride's garter had a deeply symbolic act. In the past the lucky guest to receive the bride's garter would wear it proudly on his hat, before giving it to the girl of his choice for luck.

One other variation on this custom in the 19th century was for the local youths to race from the church to the bride's house. The first was given the honor of removing the bride's left garter. He would then tie this around his own true love's knee as a guard against unfaithfulness. In the North of England , the custom was for the man to wear the bride's garter in his hat.

Tossing the garter was reintroduced in the early part of the twentieth century.Know a  days, the groom is responsible for removing the garter and tossing it at the eagerly waiting groomsmen at the reception. Much tamer that the early days. Bride would also have a second keepsake garter that they would keep with their wedding dress.

We hope you enjoyed this post about,please let us know

Best  Peter Bruce Photo & team bELLE