3 O’Clock Wedding

Pictures are priceless and you want to be sure that you have plenty of good pictures of your special day.  Unfortunately, if you’re on budget, professional photographers can eat up most of your money.  While they are definitely worth the price, they’re not always feasible for people who need to save some money.

So how can you get beautiful photos of your wedding day without breaking the bank?

We recommend that you start with a community college.  They often offer photography classes and the students are eager to practice their craft for a nominal fee or even just the experience.  Talk to the instructor, however, to be sure that you’re getting the cream of the crop – the top in the class.  You don’t want to take a chance and get the beginner for your big day!

Ask friends and family to see if anyone likes to experiment with photography as a hobby.  Film can be bought in bulk at warehouse stores, so if you have them take a multitude of pictures, you’ll probably get more than several that are exactly what you wanted.

Don’t be afraid to call the local newspaper and ask to speak with the staff photographer.  You don’t have to know anyone at the paper to offer up the chance for them to make some extra money.  Many will perform the service for a small fee as long as you buy the film – some may even offer their services for the experience.

At the reception, place disposable cameras on each table for guests to take pictures at your reception.  A word of caution here - place a note on the table that asks the adults to please monitor the use of these cameras.  I have been to many a reception where children have gotten hold of these cameras and the bride was left with many, many pictures of people’s feet and – um – hind ends!

Disposable cameras can be found – again – at bulk warehouse stores or even online.  Shop around for the best price and use them sparingly.  If you don’t want to put the cameras on the table, another idea is to place the cameras in a basket at the door for guests to take as they enter the reception.  The ones who really care about taking pictures will take the cameras.  Have your guest book attendant monitor who takes them or even have the attendant hand them out to adults only.

When it comes to chic, elegant wedding pictures, nothing beats the look of black and white photos.  Black and White photos can be combined with all of the money saving ideas above.  After the wedding, the photos can be blown up and dry mounted for a long-lasting keepsake.  Black and white film can be much cheaper than color film as well.

Would you like to know how to save money on your wedding videography too? If the answer is yes, then click here for details!

This is an extract from our eBook ‘Planning The Perfect Wedding On a Shoestring Budget’, it’s packed with ideas to help you plan your perfect wedding without having to remortgage your house! If you would like to download our eBook, please click here.