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Wedding Music (continued)
2. Reception music.
a. If you must have a band, make sure you know what you are getting. Either see the band playing in person or review their audition DVD. Make sure what members of the band will be present, what the charges are, how long they will play, what music selections they will play, what intermissions they will take, will they play CD music during intermissions, how will they dress, whether they will provide emcee services for the reception, what they will charge if you want to extend their agreed upon hours, etc. Don’t be afraid to ask for a discounted rate after they give you an initial quote. And if you are having an afternoon wedding, ask for a discounted rate since they will still be able to book another function that evening. Make sure any extras offered by the band (such as lighting, smoke or bubbles) are either included or at a reasonable price. Get a contract and check it closely.
b. If you do not want to pay for a band, a DJ may be a perfect fit, and is usually considerably cheaper. Many of the questions above for a band should also be asked of the DJ. Get quotes from at least three DJ’s and pick the one that suits you best. One advantage of a DJ is that since selected music is performed by a recording artist you know what you will be getting with respect to the quality of performance.
c. If you really want to save money and still have great music, get a reliable friend to be the DJ. Just set up your selection of songs, hook up the CD player or iPod to the reception hall’s sound system (or bring your own sound system) and enjoy the music.
Pictures, and often videos, are a must for ensuring those special moments can be remembered throughout the years. They also can get very expensive. Here are a few tips to keep the cost reasonable.
1. Hiring a professional photographer/videographer will most always produce better quality wedding photos/videos than an amateur. However, the cost is considerable. Ways to reduce the cost of a professional include the following:
a. Limit the photographer’s services to a minimal package of photos, perhaps including just the bride and groom, wedding party and family. Limit the photographer’s services to just the wedding. Let friends and family take the reception pictures.
b. Consider not doing a formal shoot at the bride’s and/or groom’s house. Friends and family can shoot these pictures.
c. Don’t keep the photographer employed for the entire reception. Once there are no more major events to shoot the photographer can leave.
d. Hire a photographer that gives you your negatives so you can make as many copies as you want without ordering them from your photographer. If they won’t give you the negatives, ask them how long they keep the negatives and if you can have them when they are to be disposed.
e. Check not only the initial charge for the photographer’s wedding packages, but also the charge for prints, enlargements, albums, etc. See what can be eliminated and purchased elsewhere at a lower cost.
f. Look for a professional photographer that is not a wedding photographer and offers low rates and/or specials. Ask them for their best deal, but be sure to check their qualifications and look at samples of their work.
g. Get bids from several photographers for similar photo packages.
h. If you are thinking about a videographer, consider packages with one-
i. And last but not least, make sure you get references and understand thoroughly what is included and not included in your contract.
2. A much less expensive way to photograph/videograph your wedding is to have non professionals handle either the entire task or part of the task. With today’s digital cameras and video cameras, if the individuals you choose know what they are doing with a camera, and everyone is clear what events are to be photographed, the results can be great and very affordable.
a. Ask one or more friends to volunteer to take either casual or formal photos at both the wedding and reception. But make sure you really trust these individuals.
b. Contact your local college to see if they have any photography students or faculty that are looking for work. They may be a good choice to do a video of the wedding and reception, and perhaps even photographs. The cost may be very affordable and their work very good, but be sure to check their reliability.
c. Ask everyone invited to bring their cameras and share the pictures they take with the bride and groom.
d. Supply disposable cameras at various places throughout the reception for use by the guests to take candid pictures. Consider putting a note with each camera explaining what you would like the guests to do and where to drop off the cameras at the end of the reception.
WEDDINGS & HONEYMOONS -
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