My S and DIL had the same arrangement with their photographer as @oldfort’s
I just asked D1 about pricing. She said including the rehearsal dinner, travel, engagement and wedding, it was around $5000.
D’s photographer was pretty expensive, but he gave her the images & she can do with them as she wishes (share, post, etc). He did the engagement photos, he was there ALL day the day of the wedding (morning to midnight - hair salon, hotel, church, Detroit Institute of Arts for after-ceremony posed pics, and reception venue), and he also had a photo setup at the reception where people could stand in front of a screen & have their pictures taken - had I known how awesome those would be, I would have forced everyone at the reception to get their pictures taken! D loved this particular photographer’s style, and she made sure she could fit the cost into her budget.
For my son’s wedding he walked his new mother-in-law down the aisle (which I had never heard of), my husband and I walked down together, the bridesmaids and groomsmen walked down in pairs and the father of the bride walked the bride down the aisle. It was their decision and their wedding so we just did what they wanted. My sister was the officiant. She did a lot of research and talked with the priest at her church. The priest said that writing your own vows is nice, but one person is often better at it than the other so can be awkward. Son and DIL did not want to have the wedding videoed because they wanted to remember it how they remembered it, not how it may have actually been (with imperfections).
The price of wedding photos varies depending on what you are actually buying. Ours was about $4200. This included one album for the bride and groom.
BUT it also included a DVD and online link for all of the photos…and we own them. In other words, we can get copies made, make albums, or whatever. Our photographer charges a bit more because this is what he does. He says…it’s way easier than trying to police what people do with the pics.
We did sign an agreement that he can use the pics himself for his website and publicity.
The photographer and a live band were the two big ticket items at our DDs wedding. Well…except the reception itself…
As my SIL is British, the couple mixed good old Southern and Jewish traditions with British. One item that made people giggle and everyone remembers is the recessional. Instead of my husband escorting me out, we switched it up; my husband escorted the grooms mother, and my SIL’s dad escorted me. While I had never seen this before, it was a nice way to show the joining of two families.
I love all the variations! I think DH is walking MOB out, and the best man is walking me. Or perhaps my dad is. Too early for that kind of detail.
Our church only allows vidoegraphy from a single stationary spot, no personnel with it, or moving around. We were just at a family wedding and the videographers were extremely intrusive (they circled the bride and her dad as they danced, for example) . But I’ve also been at weddings that were live-streamed to far flung relations.
I have to say we barely noticed the videographer(s). Both photographer and videographer had their own assistant. We had a walk through 2 days before the wedding to scout out where we wanted pictures taken. It was also a good opportunity for them to discuss how they were going to work together.
H seated both mothers at our wedding 36 years ago.
My son live-streamed his sister’s wedding ceremony to an aunt (my sister) who was unable to attend because of illness. He used his cell phone. It was not conspicuous.
Our church has ability to live stream since we do it for Sunday services. If ceremony is at church you might check to see if they have the capability since would be good quality.
We are having a videographer as well. It costs as much as the photos. My D church is very particular about music and does not allow “canned” music. If you want someone from outside you must submit an example of their singing/music.
My husband walked halfway down the aisle and seated his mother. I am trying to find a good hym for the mothers to walk down to as I don’t want Ave Maria. seem too much like a funeral. Yes it is a Catholic ceremony. This D is getting married in a church. I suspect my other D will not . The wedding needs to reflect the couple. It will be the gfirst of many decisions they will make together. I figure I had my wedding. As MOB I have more say. I guess , but I have to keep my mouth shut and say its not my wedding. Hard LOL. I will save my opinion for my special requests LOL
One thing D1 also did well was she had a whole spreadsheet of who and when were to get pictures taken. She had every combination and permutation figured out. She even sent out emails to people as to when and where they had to be for group pictures. And the message was, if you weren’t there at appointed time then you weren’t going to be in the group pictures. Everyone knew D1 meant what she said and everyone was where they were supposed to be.
DD made the picture list also. We did miss having one picture taken…not sure how that was left off the list.
She didn’t want pics of each table, but in retrospect, the second shooter could have gone around and done those. That way we would have been sure to have a picture of every single guest.
Yes, as I may have mentioned before, my kids chose a more “in the moment” type photographer and are regretting not having specified all the pictures they wanted. The family/more formal group pictures were rushed and we do not have one of the B & G with both sets of parents and siblings. All the rest of the more candid pictures are great, but I do think a photo list is a great ideate insure you get all the pictures you want.
D’s photographer also has a very specific list for the B and G to select, plus blank lines for anything not listed.I know I will be helping out this one. I just think most people tend to look better in posed photos than candids. D has also agreed to have pics of each table; S didn’t and some of their guests were in zero photos.
One of my favorites from S’s wedding is B and G, both sets of parents, the siblings, and grandkids from the bride’s side. That was NOT on the photographer’s list; I had added it. DIL put it on the cover of the book she made for me because I loved it so. It’s on D’s list.
My S’s photographer was more in the moment type. I wish we had gotten more formal group shots. It wasn’t my call as they didn’t ask my opinion. This next upcoming wedding I do have more of a day and I’m going to push for more posed group shots.
Ours 4 years ago was about $1000 for a daytime 4 ish hour block with a friend of the family professional. All the traditional stuff and the “before/preview” (??) shots --of B&G before the ceremony which we are SO glad we did. They are the best shots of all.
We did not buy any prints from him, but got a disk. That price was his time and a certain amount of editing/correction. He certainly would have been happy to sell the shots also in many varieties of prints and frames/albums.
We also hired a college kid for $100 to take “photobooth” shots …. mostly funny and silly.
I forgot to mention that our $4200 cost was for 12 hours with the main photographer and 10 with his second shooter. That’s a lot of hours. And we got thousands of edited photos on a disk and online…and one album. The price also included engagement pics with the main photographer taken 6 months before the wedding.
I know it seems like a lot of money…,but we felt it was worth it. At the end…all you really have left are memories…and the pictures.
Yes, our $5000 included 10 hrs on the wedding day, welcome party the night before and the engagement shoot. We also had the main photographer and an assistant, along with the photographer’s husband. We got a lot for the money.
I posted up thread about how my sister paid for her son’s photographer and the photographer took 0 picture of her and her husband, but had 20 shots of some random guest.