So! You've booked your photography, your date is confirmed in the diary.. that's another thing ticked off the list.. True! But there are still a few things to consider between now and your wedding..

There can be a good stretch of time between booking your photography and your actual wedding date, and you might not think too much about it again during this time. I love when couples keep in touch and let me know how they're getting on with plans (email me *all* the photos of the stuff you're planning!) but sometimes couples move onto the next thing to tackle and book ahead of the big day.

I often get asked what the benefits of the extras I offer are, so I thought it would make sense to break it down and talk about the benefits of each element you can add to your photography coverage to create a package that fits you and your day in the best possible way. 

SECOND SHOOTER

Do you need a second shooter? Well.. yes and no.

At the end of the day, it’s completely your call. I would personally recommend adding a second shooter for particularly large weddings, if you are keen to get a higher volume of photographs (generally a lot more shots of guests and in-between moments as well as the speeches and ceremony from different angles too), and coverage of both you and your partner getting ready ahead of the ceremony.

 STOP MOTION FILM

The Stop Motion Wedding Films I create are highlight length (3-4 minutes), and I combine shooting for the film alongside shooting your wedding photographs seamlessly. Again, there’s no rush to add a film when you book if you’re still working things out, and there is opportunity to add one even as late as when we go through your timings a month or so before. These little stop motion films are a great way to share the highlights of your day and to see everything come to life in a different way to going through your photography gallery. It’s a different feel completely; they prove popular for sharing with friends and family after the day too.

EXTRA HOURS

Wanting or needing extra coverage time may depend on what you have going on (a band, a ceilidh..), you and your partner may be big party people and want the evening capturing longer because you know it’s going to be hilarious raucous.. you may want some drunken shots to gently blackmail friends with in the future (joking..) Dance floor shots can be some of the most hilarious shots of the day - everyone’s let their hair down, they’re probably at least a few gins in, and it’s time to kick shoes off and properly celebrate. Again, it’s something that’s completely your call.

 TURNAROUND TIME

You may just be impatient, you may be celebrating then having another reception on a different day that you’d like photos for, you may need images turning around quickly for a feature (did I mention I was featured in OK! Magazine last year? It came up? I won’t mention it again then.. don’t mind me..) whatever the reason, there is an option to have quick turnaround if you need it.

 EXTRA USB

Firstly, it’s back up. I’ve had couples in the past lose disks and USBs in house moves.. these disks sometimes corrupt for no reason.. there’s no harm at all in having another copy of everything at your end too. You may want to give one as a gift, you may want one to loan out to family to share images with them. A second USB is identical in style and size and would contain your images in high resolution suitable for printing.

ALBUMS + PARENT ALBUMS

Obviously, having an album made is hugely worth it a million times over. I’ll never stop banging on about it - print your photos and hold them in your hands. Your great grand kids are going to mock you when you talk about looking at photos from a USB (are you still using floppy disks? Oh god.. tell me I’m not the only one old enough to remember floppy disks..) but an album will never stop being an heirloom that only becomes more precious with time. You can add an album after your date, there’s no rush.

If you’re interested in albums you can see more about them in more detail here.