photographer question, stay till 1st dance or not?

jon1981

Hi,

Trying to select a photographer for our wedding later this year. Myself and the bride to be are currently debating the merits of paying for the photographer to stay until the 1st dance including speeches. Generally have ppl bothered with this or just paid until the start of dinner?

It's probably worth noting we aren't hiring a videographer, another topic of debate with the bride to be

J

dpofloinn

Time is money my friend, and to be honest I don't see why you would need to retain the services of the photographer beyond the formal photos (pre dinner) especially if you also have videographer

dori_dormer

Our photographer stayed during the band. We didn't pay extra it was just included in the price. To be honest they are my favourite pics in the album. Everyone dancing and having fun and genuine smiles . The formal photos always look stiff and fake to me.

AlisonB

Im a wedding photographer myself and to be honest, I always finish before the meal starts. If you choose a photographer that has a second photographer you will get stunning natural photos of your guests throughout the day. As for hiring a videographer , a slideshow of photographs accompaniedby music is a lovely alternative .

lazygal

dori_dormer wrote: »

Our photographer stayed during the band. We didn't pay extra it was just included in the price. To be honest they are my favourite pics in the album. Everyone dancing and having fun and genuine smiles . The formal photos always look stiff and fake to me.

+1 Our favourite shots are ones taken after dinner just as the light changed and the ones where everyone is having fun. Most photographers we looked into stayed until first dance as standard. It's a usual part of a wedding and I'd expect it to be included as part of the service.

fits

Each to their own but our photographer is only coming for a few hours. 1hour before ceremony until sitting down for dinner.

wuffly

Ours stayed until after our first dance it was part of our package. Got some lovely shots of everyone dancing and enjoying themselves, nice to have some shots of the the guests having fun!

jon1981

Thanks for the replies folks. Just to clarify we are not hiring a videographer.

Most photographers we talk to do not include staying until 1st dance in the package, some charge 150-300 and some won't even offer it.

Personally I'm not bothered but the bride wants it and unfortunately 2 of the photographers we do like won't stay on.

Any recommendations welcome by PM

Gingaling

We've just a booked a photographer. We contacted 7 photographers, and I think only two of them included staying to the first dance as part of their basic package.

We both really like taking photos, and in the end we decided to spend more on a photographer we loved who's package didn't include the first dance rather than going for someone who would stay/spending the money on extending the coverage.

We're going to ask two of our guests who are into photography if they'll take some snaps during the speeches and first dance. It won't be as good as a professional to be sure, but it's such a small part of the day we couldn't justify the extra cost.

Interestingly, when I spoke to our photographer about it, she basically said she didn't think it was really worth it, as you pay for a lot of 'dead' time while the photographer's waiting for you to finish eating etc.

Hope that helps!

lazygal

Gingaling wrote: »

Interestingly, when I spoke to our photographer about it, she basically said she didn't think it was really worth it, as you pay for a lot of 'dead' time while the photographer's waiting for you to finish eating etc.

Hope that helps!

Ours went and had a meal in the bar while we ate. We covered her meal but she said it wasn't necessary. And there was no extra charge for staying late-I don't see why a photographer would tell a couple what is and isn't necessary, you're hiring them for what you want. We had a pretty efficient set up though, meal at 6.30pm, band started at 9.30pm as planned and were ready to go before that. We slipped out for some outdoor shots during the three hour time and she did some candid photos as well. I didn't think it was dead time at all.

eoglyn

I'm a photographer who has been sucked into weddings by doing a small one as a favour and loving it. I love people and i love the craic of weddings - so the big attraction of it for me is just getting the buzz of each day.

I'm at the entry level now, as i build up experience and try to get a few weddings under my belt so i can market some results next year and i offer 7 hour coverage for a very reasonable price - 6 hours would be more usual for this type of package.

Tbh at the prices i'm charging I wouldn't offer any longer than the 7 hours, and i certainly wouldn't commit to staying until the first dance as that is an undetermined time, i could be there for 4 more hours without charging a premium.

In future, when i am charging a lot more for a base package I will include it as a selling point or will charge just a small bit more for the extra hours coverage - it would certainly make it possible to do with a second shooter in tow, meaning staggered breaks could be taken - 12 hours is a long day without a break.

I spoke to two top of the game photographers at a wedding recently and they looked bored waiting for the first dance, certainly they had plenty of time to chat to me and i wasn't getting in their way. The meal and that waiting around time, isn't great for getting photos - you'll also have to feed the photographers - they are people too. Basically you are paying a good bit more for what can be, honestly, epic shots, but not that many of them.

So i guess what i am saying is think what market you are in - if you are looking at someone like myself at the entry level of the market - they are going to have to charge half as much again as well as being fed to cover up to the first dance, you are getting up to mid-market prices then.

If you are already going for an established photographer who is mid-market and above in prices, who may have a second shooter as part of the package the extra cost for a few extra hours should be either included or marginal.

lazygal

Our evening shots are amazing. Of course we wouldn't have missed them if we hadn't gotten them, but they are among our favourites. The main one we have framed was taken of us after dinner just as it was getting dark.

have2flushtwice

The album shots are what you want the photographer to get.
these are completed before the meal. it can be over an hour from meal to first dance, a dead hour for a photographer, yeah they can take lots of people and natural pics during that time but none that will be in the album!

eoglyn

lazygal wrote: »

I don't see why a photographer would tell a couple what is and isn't necessary, you're hiring them for what you want.

They are pros that hopefully have been closely involved in a lot more weddings than the B&G. You are hiring them for their professional judgement and they will advise you how to get the best value, professional integrity and reputation is important in an industry that thrives on referrals. I see no productive reason that a photographer wouldn't tell a couple what he or she believes is necessary, unless they were going all out for an upsell, but i don't think many people respond well to that type of pressure.

eoglyn

have2flushtwice wrote: »

The album shots are what you want the photographer to get.
these are completed before the meal. it can be over an hour from meal to first dance, a dead hour for a photographer, yeah they can take lots of people and natural pics during that time but none that will be in the album!

Horses for courses, the album is obviously important to you. Other people don't even get a proper album, we went for a cheap photobox job, but got all the candids printed out and put one or two in each of our thank you cards.

lazygal

have2flushtwice wrote: »

The album shots are what you want the photographer to get.
these are completed before the meal. it can be over an hour from meal to first dance, a dead hour for a photographer, yeah they can take lots of people and natural pics during that time but none that will be in the album!

We went for a storybook style album, of the whole day. There's a good few shots of dancing and after dinner in the album. I wouldn't have liked to only have shots up to when we went for dinner. I wanted the whole day captured.

And it wasn't an upsell. We were on a budget and we knew what we wanted so we researched within that framework and found a photographer who's standard day's shooting from from bridal preparation to dancing. Of course we took her suggestions on board. We simply ruled out photographers who scarpered after a fake cake cutting shot.

pooch90

Our photographer stayed on for the first few dances and I love those photos, few great ones of my dress spinning and us just having lovely looks at each other and real joy in our faces. He also got one of my mam dancing with my brother. She has very bad lungs and we wont ever get her dancing again.
They are some of my favourite ones.
Also, our formal shots weren't at all stiff. He is just a great photographer!
Mark McGuire in Newbridge.
And we are most definitely getting some of those shots in our album.
We even have one of them ordered in canvas.

Gatica

We got them to stay till after the 1st dance. We have lots of great shots of people on the dance floor and tbh our videographer didn't do a great job of capturing our first dance, luckily we had the photographer's photos, which were great.

jon1981

Thank you, this is all really useful feedback. For those who had the photographer until the 1st dance , was there any hassle getting the photographer to both houses in the morning time?

lazygal

Himself didn't want getting ready shots and he got ready on his own! We did family shots in my house, photographer went to the venue, then did his family pictures before the ceremony and my arrival. My venue was very close to where I got ready on the morning though. So there was no rushing about at all.

pooch90

We booked a second photographer to come with him tbh.

eoglyn

lazygal wrote: »

And it wasn't an upsell.

I'm sorry if i gave that impression, i wasn't suggesting at that it was in your case. But i was suggesting that the pros that you hire can and will give advice on the running order of the day.

I do believe some of the more epic photos will come from a later session - not at the meal itself but as a photographer you can do so much with flash on the dance floor - making it look manic - plus you'll get really nice pictures of the speeches with teary eyes and laughter. But whether its worth the extra cost is up to each B&G.

FWIW, i am now in future going to consider offering that as an option, but i think its only really practical with a second shooter.

Gatica

It's not typical to have photographer go to both houses, they'd usually just go to the bride's house, but I'm sure you could ask. We had 2, so there was no issue on sharing her time.

Fionn

I know lots of photographers that finish at a set time usually before the meal starts, then there are others that hire out for the whole event, it can be a very long day, as long as 15/16 hours especially if you have to travel a distance to the different venues. Some people don't want them there that long while others do - there's no hard and fast rule I'd say!

The notion of having people you invited doing photography or whatever for you is certainly a way of cost cutting, however two points that come to mind are;
1. theres an expectation of them to produce, some may think that it's not fair to them to have to provide this for free.
2. there can be recriminations if they don't produce, forgot the camera, got a bit drunk, was distracted etc.
last wedding i was a guest at i didn't have any sort of imaging device, why would I, there were people there that were being paid to take photos/vids!

Personally, I concentrate on the bride as far as the getting ready portion of the day is concerned, there's nearly always an opportunity to capture a few moments of the groom as he awaits the bride. I have hired a photographer in the past where couples wanted it but most are happy enough with the bridal preparations

fits

I have to say, and its a personal opinion... I really don't dig the "getting ready " shots. Photos of the dress, the shoes... the bride getting makeup on. Later on just before the ceremony, yeah I can understand. Each to their own I guess, but I think the whole morning thing would be a waste of money for me.

lazygal

It really is personal. I love my 'getting ready' shots. My favourite one of me with my siblings was taken when I was getting my makeup done and there's also lovely pictures of us with our parents all relaxing with champagne in our pajamas. I love having those candid shots alongside the more posed ones - but we didn't do many posed shots anyway.

nosietoes

My photographer did both my siblings wedding. He started about an hour or more before the ceremony (so 2pm ish) and ended up staying till 11pm tho his contract only says till the 1st dance. I have made albums of both weddings ( we opted for full quality digital packages so have close to 2000 images for each wedding) and loads are from the speeches and dancing as I really don't like the formal photos.

My OH would love to basically skip that part of the day but I've managed to talk him up to 30 mins of portrait type shots during our 2 hour drink reception.

It depends on what you really want memories of - your family posing, or your friends and family looking like themselves (regardless of how flattering this may be) and being natural.

kkcatlou

Like you jon1981, we didn't have a videographer, so it was really important for us that a photographer capture the full day, in a relaxed way.
We also contacted lots of photographers, but basically ruled out any who didn't stay til the dancing as part of the package. Our aim was to get a photographer with a full package - not add ons for everything. The one we got (KatieKav photography) included morning, full day, dancing, photobooth, online slideshow, storybook album with 120 photos and 2 smaller albums for the parents. Our photographer was amazing, we are now really good friends with her. After your partner, they are probably the person you get most intimate with on your wedding day so you really really need to get on with them!

Like anyone else who had a photographer stay til the dancing, we love our evening photos - while the daytime shots capture the people and the venue, they don't capture the fun or the magic in the same way as the nighttime ones do.

I will say though that looking back now, I am not sure if the photobooth was completely worth it, as it was the same people using it over and over again, and it might have been worth more while getting the photographer to use that time taking more candid shots of guests dancing or deep in conversation. We do love the photobooth ones we have now. Also, photobooths seem to be getting a bit gimmicky now, which they weren't when we booked.

Oh, and our photographer also filmed a few small parts of the day and put this into a vimeo slideshow with our photos, which was amazing for sharing. While we didn't want a videographer, it was really cool to see some parts of the day in full motion!

chocaholic04

We hired our photographer up to the meal, then had my FIL take a few photos of the first dance and our photographer is putting it in the album

CarpeDiem85

I never understood why photographers didn't stay for the whole entire wedding. If I ever get married, I'd have a small wedding but I'd want proper pictures of me with my guests too at the reception. They're the pictures I'd treasure forever, not just the ones with the groom and immediate family.