There are many great freelance wedding photographers who work from their homes. They will be able to reduce the fees since they don’t have to pay for an office. Also select your wedding day on any day except Saturday. If you’re getting married in high season such as June, the Saturdays will be busy for the photographers and they will be less likely to cut a deal with you. Another option is to only have the photographer take formal photos during the ceremony. The the rest of the photos can be taken by your family and friends. I have seen many brides choose this option. At least the videos can be done by a friend.

Keep in mind that budgeting is the best way to save for a wedding. Purchase a wedding planner as soon as the big day is set so you can ample time to pull everything together.

1. When you send out invitations, ask guests to respond by email or telephone – this will save you money on stamps.

2. Check Consignment shops for wedding dresses. You can usually find one still in good condition. Some towns have a shop where you can rent a wedding dress, saving you hundreds of dollars.

3. For religious weddings, consider having your wedding near a major holiday. The church will already be decorated, saving you lots of money on flowers.

4. Ask your friends and family to be a special part of your wedding by helping you assemble favors and make invitations, centerpieces, and other homemade inexpensive touches. Ask them what they did to save money on their special day or check internet sites like DIY for ideas. One of them can easily get an officiants’ license online to save you an additional fee.

5. Instead of hiring a photographer, buy a bunch of disposable cameras for your guests to use. They simply take pictures of what they like and leave the finished rolls at your gift table. You usually get more personalized pictures this way since family and friends know you and it saves you hundreds of dollars.

The reason for this is that wedding photography prices are anything but standardized. Depending on the photographer you select, the format and style of photography and the length of the celebration, the base rate can fluctuate wildly. Added to this is the fact that there are almost limitless options in the wedding photography package. The more extras you add, the higher the price.

Many who are seeking budget wedding photography decide to spend their money on hiring a better photographer to do less work. Rather than selecting a lower priced photographer and ordering a huge photo package, they go with the photographer that they most trust and order a smaller package. Some couples even forgo the traditional wedding photography package altogether and simply buy the negatives or original digital images from the photographer. These couples then use their own technological savvy to create personalized albums and reprints that are meaningful to them.

Some professional wedding photographers maintain a traditionalist view. They feel that as the expert, the wedding photographer is the only one truly suited to put together the wedding album. This argument does have some merit. The photographer is the only one who knows what he or she was trying to convey in each shot. Additionally, the photographer works closely with trusted contacts at the developing lab and is able to judge when photos return with imperfections. He or she is familiar with color balance and stylistic concerns and is therefore quite adept at placing the photos within the album to create a pleasing whole.

On the other hand, scrap booking and other DIY projects have become extremely common option to a traditional wedding photography package. Today’s couples are generally quite adept at working with photos, doing retouches and fixing color problems on their home computers. For these couples, their wedding album is just another fun home project.

Many couples opt for the best of both worlds. These couples purchase a basic wedding photography package that includes a small album and a few reprints. They also purchase the original media and create a personalized album as well. They may do reprints and reorders themselves, or they may order these items from their photographer, depending on how much time and money they have. This way, the couple receives a classic wedding album to show their children and grandchildren, as well as the ability to personalize and scrapbook to their hearts’ content.

Whatever your feelings on wedding photography packages, you are certain to find a photographer who will meet your needs. The wedding photography market is changing rapidly and photographers are adapting to the times. Perhaps you want a traditional large wedding photography package that includes an album full of traditional posed photos. Maybe you want to purchase nothing but the photographer’s time and the raw media. Or perhaps you want something in between, a small photo package that also includes the original media. The choice is yours. It is your wedding and you deserve a photographer that will work with the choices that you make.

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