During all the posed wedding pictures, there is always some hustle and bussle. The groom’s mom pulls out her lip stick. The best man sneaks a kiss of the maid of honor. These sort of things are what I watch for. Sometimes the moments are not as grand but still fun.

Jamie, one of my two snowstorm brides, had a long list of formal portraits to take before the ceremony. The wedding party consisted of two groomsmen, three bridesmaids, two dogs, and two children. Here are a couple of shots that I took while the bride was attempting to get the ring bearer and flower girl to pose with her.

While photographing formals is not my favorite part of the wedding day, there is something special that happens when the bride and groom get alone for a moment. Here’s one of my favorite posed portraits from Bart & Kellie’s wedding.

As I am about halfway through processing Kellie & Bart’s wedding photos, I thought I’d post another little sneak peak. Their wedding was at the Acadian, close-in to downtown Portland, during the big snow storm. They had Christmas trees decorating the wedding venue. The snow piling down outside just seemed appropriate to their wedding celebration.

One thing I loved about this wedding venue was the bridal party dressing areas. In the first picture we are upstairs in a two room area, complete with a restroom, piles of mirrors, big tables and chairs. Attached was a balcony overlooking the entire venue. In my previous post, I show the men’s dressing area, which though small was complete with a projection tv. The guys were watching football as they were getting ready for the wedding!

I have gone back and forth on the idea of creating wedding packages. I truly believe that not one or even a handful of photography packages can meet each individual couples needs. At the same time, I think most engaged couples need a few suggestions so they can figure out exactly what they want.

I have decided to create four packages. These are meant to give you an idea of what you might need for your wedding photography. You are welcome to add time to one, or subtract an item from another. Just email me with your details and I’ll give you a customized quote. If you are having an intimate wedding or something a little offbeat, be sure to let me know so I can work this into your photography package.

How do you figure out what you want?

Consider how many hours of wedding day photography you will need. Do you want the entire day captured from the very beginning of your day or would you prefer not being photographed until the final moments before your ceremony? I generally recommend having a photographer for at least 30 minutes of your getting ready to capture shots of your veil and shoes going on, and the anticipation in your face. It’s really fun to have the story told starting with you in your sweats with no makeup, and the groom hanging out with his groomsmen nervously waiting, but some brides are more comfortable waiting until they are closer to ready.

When do you want to do posed pictures? About 45 minutes should be set aside for formals with your bridal party and family either before or immediately after your ceremony. You’ll also want to dedicate some time for photos of just the two of you. These are best done away from everyone else.

Consider what you want in the end. Do you want the high resolution images on dvd? I find most clients really want a digital archive of their wedding so the image dvd and personal use copyright is included with all packages. Is online image proofing important to you, or do you prefer printed 4×6 proof? Do you want professional enlargements made of a select number of images? Do you want albums? If so, consider the different types.

Think about portrait photography sessions. Engagement sessions are a great way to get used to being in front of the camera and working with me. The images can be used for guest books, or as a large framed print with a matted area for people to sign, or even for your wedding invitations.

Other options are bridal portraits, rehearsal dinner coverage, or a trash-the-dress/ day-after session. Boudoir sessions are a great idea to use as a wedding day gift for the groom and can be done as discreetly as you like.

If you have questions, or need help sorting through all the details, just let me know. We can meet for a complimentary pre-wedding consultation and together design your photography package.

My 2009 wedding packages are listed under the Rates page of my blog or the Investment section of my portfolio website.

Here is one more sneak peak of Jamie and Justin’s wedding photographs.  During the ceremony the ring bearer got down on the floor and looked the couple’s beloved dog, Leroy, in the eyes.  I took my camera away from the bride and groom for just a moment to capture this shot.

Now I am going to head out of my office and go enjoy the last several hours of 2008 with my husband, daughter and our two cats.  Happy New Years!