CONTRACT FOR SERVICES

 ________________________ hereby engages Montaluce LLC. to provide the following services:

GUARANTEED NUMBER: In order to properly plan and staff your event, we require a guaranteed & final guest count 10 days prior to your event. Ifyour party falls below the guaranteed number you will still be charged the guaranteed amount.

BAR SET UP FEES:

BEVERAGE SERVICE: All beverage service is billed per consumption. See prices below: Coffee and Tea-$2 (refills complimentary) Iced Tea–$2(refills complimentary) Soda–$2 Beers–$4 All beverages, including wines and beers are charged per consumption and are NOT included in the menu price. Wine selections should be made in advance to insure availability for your entire party.

FACILITY FEES:

 MENUS and PROGRAMS: To be determined Cost Breakdown:

Client agrees to ________food and beverage minimum

PERSONALIZED MENUS: Montaluce provides personalized menus with our compliments. Please let us know at least 3 days prior to your event how you would like your menu personalized on the cover.

RENTALS: GUEST LIST: In order to insure privacy and security for your guests and other patrons, we ask that you provide us with a typed, alphabetized guest list 72 hours prior to your event. Final confirmation is complete upon receipt and verification of your guest list by Montaluce LLC.

VALET PARKING: Parking is NOT included in the cost of the event. To host the valet , the charge is $550 .00. Gratuity is not included. Parties of 75 are required to post valet service to ensure the safety and comfort of their guests.

SPECIAL ARRANGMENTS: Montaluce LLC .assumes no responsibility for any charges incurred for floral, equipment or incidentals for outside vendors.

GRATUITY & TAX: 21% service charge on all FOOD AND BEVERAGE will be added to your total and final bill. 7% Sales tax on all FOOD AND BEVERAGE will be added to your total and final bill.

 DEPOSIT: ________ DUE DATE:

25% deposit required to save date. An additional 25% deposit is required 60 days prior to event. A signed credit card authorization is required for all events. Your reservation is confirmed once we have received a signed event agreement, policy agreement and a deposit of the total estimated cost of the event.

WEDDING DAY SCHEDULE: Ceremonies may start after 5pm. The schedule of events must be approved by Montaluce prior to sending out invitations to your guests. Deliveries and set-up must be coordinated with Jennifer Beecham any may not interfere with the restaurant/winery operations. The wine Tasting bar is open daily until 5pm but will move to gift shop by 4:00 for the day of the event.

HOLD HARMLESS User must follow all local, state and federal laws, and will hold harmless Montaluce, LLC from any repercussions from violations of those laws, acts of God, or any other event not the fault of Montaluce, LLC. User agrees Montaluce, LLC is free from liability from harm to patrons at User’s event. A wedding insurance policy is highly recommended.

WEDDING INSURANCE: Insurance for your event is highly recommended by Montaluce, LLC. A policy insuring against weather, loss of deposit, injury etc. is available through many sources including: Julia Stokes The Sloan Agency, Inc, 678-341-8050 Office, 678-643-0977 Cell

PAYMENT: The total estimated cost, less the deposits, is due 10 days prior to the event. If booking less than 10 days prior, the total estimated cost is due IN FULL. Any and all overages and on-site fees are payable at the conclusion of the event by cash or credit card only. If payment is not received, the credit card on file will be processed for the balance owed. All events at Montaluce require a signed credit card affidavit to guarantee any unpaid balances at the conclusion of event.

CANCELLATION: In case of cancellation, 10 days notice is required in writing, but the deposit remains non-refundable. In booking less than 10 days prior to event, all payments are non-refundable. I, the undersigned agree to the terms and aforementioned payment for services. All changes are subject to approval by Montaluce, LLC.

What is wedding insurance? It  is just what it sounds like a policy that will protect you from any type of misfortune or mishap that may occur. More brides and grooms are purchasing a wedding insurance policy and they are fairly inexpensive to buy. A policy can cost anywhere from $100 to $500 and can give you or the person paying for the wedding and reception peace of mind should any emergency situation arise.

 
Is Having Wedding Insurance a Good Idea?
Whether you choose to purchase a wedding insurance policy or not is a very personal decision. This will impact your budget, but it will protect you financially against any type of unforeseen disasters or accidents that may happen. A wedding is a costly venture, averaging about $25,000 or more . If you bought a new car for that amount of money, you wouldn’t think of purchasing one without an insurance policy to protect your financial investment.

What Types of Wedding Insurance Policies are There?
Not everyone has such a big and expensive wedding, others choose a smaller, more intimate affair. You can certainly forgo purchasing an expensive wedding insurance policy and opt for a less expensive policy that will cover a smaller event or you can buy insurance for specific risks such as losing luggage if you are traveling to a destination wedding.

What Will the Policy Typically Cover?
Your policy will cover the costs of rescheduling if weather, such as a flood, hurricane or blizzard interferes with your wedding day. Or if  you are unable to use your venue due to fire. If you or your spouse was to become ill or get injured and your wedding needed to be postponed because of that, your policy should cover that situation too. Sometimes the minister or the officiate of the wedding will fail to show up, and often wedding insurance policies will help to recoup any losses that may have incurred because of this happening.

There are other riders you can buy for your special circumstances such as if the bride or groom are in the military and they are called to active service. You can also add a rider for the cost of any damages to your wedding dress or the groom’s tuxedo including protection against one of the companies going out of business.

Deciding if wedding insurance is for you is something that can make the difference between a bride who is relaxed and protected and one who is constantly worrying about things going wrong.

As a photographer, we see all the nervousness behind the scenes – the last minute jitters, the delirious flights of doubt that induce brief cases of Turrets syndrome, rashes, hives, and hi-test alcohol consumption. What’s so interesting is that if a cold-footed honoree leaves a fiancee standing at the alter – there is relief! Well, nothing that will mend a heart, but something that may keep the salt out of the wound. Wedding insurance is available through and endorsed by the National Alliance of Special Event Planners, Inc. is administered by R.V. Nuccio & Associates Insurance Brokers, Inc. and is insured by the Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company. One of our nations oldest and most respected insurance companies.

WHAT DOES WEDDING INSURANCE OFFER?

* The only policy which covers “Change of Heart” (can you believe that???)
* Covers weddings and other private events.
* Offers the best coverage in the USA.
* Has the best options available compared to any other major wedding insurance product
* Excellent financial security backed by the Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company.
* Offers up to $2,000,000/$2,000,000 Coverage.

WHY OUR WEDDING INSURANCE IS UNIQUE:
This wedding insurance policy represents a unique and exclusive packaged insurance product specifically designed to protect the financial investment of your rehearsal, rehearsal dinner, wedding and reception. When the individual providing the funding for this very special event begins to add up the total cost, they will find that it reaches a tidy sum, all of which is at risk should something unexpected happen. Most of the eleven coverages are available on an optional basis and can be tailored to meet the financial specifications of your particular wedding. The one time premium starts at $170 and coverage can begin up to 2 years prior to the wedding date.

The optional coverage available under this very special insurance product include:

* Cancellation or Postponement (including Change of Heart Coverage)
* Additional Expense
* Photographs and Video
* Gifts
* Rented Property
* Special Attire
* Jewelry
* Loss of Deposits
* Professional Counseling
* Personal Liability and Medical Payments (includes host liquor liability)

PROTECTING COUPLES FROM COLD FEET
Fireman’s Fund Insurance is the first to Offer “Change of Heart” Coverage with Wedding and Special Event Insurance available exclusively through RV Nuccio & Associates, Inc. Our new, enhanced policy protects couples from “Cold Feet”.

Doing business should not be exhaustive, emotionally draining, or result in severe disappointment.  However, this was not at all the experience that my firm or my clients had during their one-week destination wedding to the Dreams Tulum Resort in Mexico.

I believe in giving honest feedback. I believe in providing intuitive Customer Service. I believe in letting-go of what you cannot control. With this said, I submit the following report as a “Buyer Beware” to travel agents who book destination weddings but especially on behalf of the consumers who book these trips with high hopes – often spending tens-of-thousands of dollars in trying to make the destination wedding experience memorable for their family and friends.

Again, this post is very specific to our (client and my [La Ruche] ) recent experience of a February 21, 2009, wedding that occurred at the Dreams Tulum Resort in Mexico.

Your travel agent and their role in booking a destination wedding

Rule #1: Your travel agent needs to be forthright in explaining their knowledge of the area and specific resort that you will be traveling to.

Being mindful of what some could potentially consider libel or another form of defamation, I will not be using names or business names. However, the travel agent for our particular destination wedding to the Tulum Dreams Resort in Mexico was not forthright.  At the time of booking the trip, the Bride and Groom and the Bride’s parents (who were paying for most of the trip) were under the impression that this travel agent had actually been to the resort.  This was likely due to the comments about the resort in the first person made by the travel agent (which I can confirm).

As it so happens – as was finally discovered while we were at the resort by the Bride and Groom and the Bride’s parents – our travel agent had zero first-hand knowledge of the resort. The Bride and Groom and their families felt that this late-discovered tidbit was very disappointing and affected the result of the destination wedding and of the decision that they may have made if they would know known this (pre trip purchase).

Rule #2: Your travel agent is NOT a wedding coordinator.

As a wedding coordinator we rely on the information which a travel agent can provide; in regards to resort contacts, timelines, restrictions, general resort information (layouts), and likely weather scenarios. Each of these items are extremely important to properly planning a wedding. In the context of wedding coordination for a destination wedding, resort contacts, restrictions, and weather scenarios are the most important.

Once La Ruche was hired by the Bride and Groom, the very first contact with the travel agent was not merely appalling. If I were to state that the travel agent was haughty, rude, had poor direct communication skills with the Bride and Groom, and had a threatening tone when she asked me (the hired wedding coordinator), “I’m curious, what exactly do you do?  I told [Bride and Groom] that I was able to plan their wedding.”  Well, I wish I were exaggerating. The travel agent was wildly and preposterously off-base with her personal affirmation that she – being in a completely different industry with a completely different role – would be the cornerstone of the Bride and Groom’s wedding planning.

To her [travel agent's] credit, she boasts at least ten (10) years in the industry, and has likely assisted many destination wedding couples align their preferences with the resort of their choice. However, choosing the cake flavors and the flowers does not constitute calling oneself – or claiming oneself to be – a wedding coordinator. Needless to say, her claim was insulting to both the travel and the wedding coordination industries.

Rule #3: Confirm your transportation from the airport to your resort with your travel agent.

The Bride and Groom and their families arrived to the Cancun, Mexico, airport on Monday, February 16, 2009. Upon arrival it became immediately clear that the travel agent had failed to properly book transportation from the airport to the resort for the Bride and Groom, their two small children, and the Bride’s parents; who, incidentally as mentioned previously, were the ones paying for the entire trip.

Throughout the entire process the travel agent had said that she would have her cell phone on during the group’s travel times, however, the Bride’s father soon found that trying to reach her once this issue was discovered yielded the travel agents voice mail. The group was resigned to being forced to book a private shuttle bus by paying cash out of their pockets to get to the resort.

Rule #4: Travel Insurance will not cover anything that the destination resort does wrong.

Long story short, if something goes wrong at the resort and it doesn’t involve an injury, theft, or transportation issue, you are not getting your money back without a very big fight.

The resort is M.I.A. for over 60-days. Why won’t the resort write us back?

The resort’s wedding staff – had up until October 2008 – communicated well via e-mail.  Communication by phone would have meant international long-distance rates for everyone.  NOT ONE E-MAIL WAS RESPONDED TO – NOR WAS ANY EXPLANATION GIVEN – FOR OVER 60 DAYS IN OCTOBER OR NOVEMBER 2008.  I contacted everyone I could think of: the Dreams Sales Team, the Dreams main office…anyone with an e-mail address or toll-free telephone number.

I was becoming desperate. I contacted the travel agent to explain the situation, and she responded by giving me an e-mail address to someone that I had never heard of at the resort. It was worth a try.

In December 2008, “that someone” that we had never heard or worked with finally e-mailed us back. We soon found out that our new resort contact was not even a resort wedding coordinator. The wedding coordinator we HAD been working with – Landy Cahum – handed-off our file to an assistant.   Until we reached the resort we never again got to work directly with or ask questions to a resort wedding coordinator. This lack of proper communication proved to be devastating to the wedding day details.

Note: On the last day of my time at the resort I found out why Landy Cahum (or anyone else at the resort for that matter) had been M.I.A. for that two month period.  Apparently, the resort had some permitting issues and had been shut-down for the whole of October and November 2008. Now, this still does not excuse why – once the resort opened again – Landy failed to EVER get back to us, again.  Upon my return from the trip I told the travel agent about this discovery about the permitting issues. Her response was that “…yes, she had heard that.”  I felt disappointed that the travel agent had at some point heard this information but failed to let us know.

Trying to plan the details and how it did not matter

During the planning process our Bride and Groom requested several requests which were in addition to the regular resort wedding package:

1.  We would be providing our own canopy altar instead of using the resort’s standard four-wooden-post canopy

2.  We asked for a specialty cake (3-layers, 3-flavors, individually decorated then stacked)

3. We asked that the Bride’s and bridesmaid’s floral contain no roses, be of specific colors, and be made to include one (1) specific variety (orchids). We were to provide materials (upon my arrival), including peacock feathers, that were to be used for all bouquets.

4. Corsages for the mothers and grandmothers were to be of the same varieties as were the bridesmaids bouquets.

5. We were to provide floral materials to the resort (which would then be given to the off-site florist) to be used in all floral arrangements.

6. We provided instruction as to how to construct the boutonnieres.

7. We wished for the guitarist to play specific songs for the ceremony. We provided this list to the resort 3-weeks before the wedding, to which they – on two occasions – confirmed that this was possible.

8. We asked that musicians (included in the package) played during dinner.

9. We were bringing damask chair ties which were to be used on the ceremony guest chairs, and then moved and used for the wedding dinner.

Preparations are under way…so we think.

As mentioned above, we were assigned to an assistant resort wedding coordinator. Basically, someone that had no input or decision-making power, or the intuition necessary in informing us of any possible roadblocks to getting our requests properly met.

Through our assistant resort contact, the resort required that we complete several forms, including an event order which would layout the specifics of our requests (as shown above). The resort required that we return the form by January 15, 2009 – a little over one month before we arrived to the resort.  All forms were returned including photos and descriptions of what we had requested (you know…just in case the language-barrier would become an issue).  We headed down to the resort feeling good about having completed our resort event order.

A resort that did not know anything about us

In order of occurrence, we should have known that there would be major wedding day issues when:

• A new and different resort contact – a wedding coordinator unbeknownst to anyone (even the travel agent) – was assigned to our event. This wedding coordinator had literally just been handed our file, and knew nothing of our previous correspondence, requests, or concerns.
• Upon their arrival the Bride and Groom were notified that there would be two other weddings occurring that day, and not two total wedding as we were previously led to believe.
• The Bride and Groom were notified that – although the previous resort contact had said that there would be no problem in having 3 different flavors for the 3 cake layers – that the were no longer allowed to do this. The Bride and Groom had to choose one (1) flavor…which would have been fine except this was the first that they were hearing about it.

We asked for a specialty cake (3-layers, 3-flavors, individually decorated then stacked) No dice.

• The pricing for the dance floor went up from $600 to $800 without notice. (I was later able to negotiate $660.)
• Upon my arrival to the resort (the day before the wedding) our newly assigned resort wedding coordinator, Natalia, looked at me in puzzlement, confusion, and concern and asked me, “Why [hadn't we] told them that we were providing materials for the floral order?” We had

We were to provide floral materials to the resort (which would then be given to the off-site florist) to be used in all floral arrangements. No dice.

• During the Friday night wedding rehearsal (the night before the wedding), Natalia told the Bride and Groom that the the guitarist that they had hired ($300 for 45-minutes) would be unable to play the songs which we had requested 3-weeks before. They were forced to select a few Beatles’ songs.

We wished for the guitarist to play specific songs for the ceremony. We provided this list to the resort 3-weeks before the wedding, to which they – on two occassions – confirmed that this was possible. No dice.

The day of the wedding

On the resort’s daily roster we were merely “Wedding #3″ for the day, and out of this realization it is likely that the incorrect floral, cake, and music orders which were to follow were borne.  More about this soon.

At noon sharp I met on the beach with Natalia (our newly assigned resort wedding coordinator) and some laborers to put together the canopy which we had shipped down.  At 1:30 PM, under “unseasonably windy” conditions [or so the resort told me then], we took down the canopy – even after trying to reinforce it – because I did not want to imagine what would happen if the canopy were to fall during the ceremony. Imagine the restraint I had when Natalia asked, “Why did you not tell us that you were bringing this [canopy]?  You have used our time that we did not know we had to use.”  That had been our number one request. We had told them and had even asked them if there could be any complications with using our own canopy.

We would be providing our own canopy altar instead of using the resort’s standard four-wooden-post canopy .   No dice.

Floral was delivered in the early afternoon. Despite our request that “No roses please”, ALL of the arrangements contained roses.  The Bridesmaids’ bouquets were made only of roses, and contained none of the materials which we had provided (peacock feathers, etc.).  The Bride’s bouquet did contain the right color of flowers, but had been so shoddily made using substandard floral materials (florists foam, plastic container, etc.), that it was literally falling apart during the ceremony.

We asked that the Bride’s and bridesmaid’s floral contain no roses, be of specific colors, and be made to include one (1) specific variety (orchids). We were to provide materials (upon my arrival), including peacock feathers, that were to be used for all bouquets. No dice.

The ceremony was to begin at 5 o’clock. At 4:40 PM – despite 40-minutes of phone calls and waiting – the resort had not yet picked-up the decorations for the wedding and the wedding dinner in the hotel room.  I was desperate and was supposed to be in position to officiate the ceremony. Our saving grace was that the ceremony area had not yet been completely set-up by the resort, and some members of the wedding party were still getting ready.

Literally just before the wedding started Natalia came over to dispense the corsages and boutonnieres. One word: laughable.  Not only was the order incorrect, but the cheesy wrist corsages (we had requested pin-back lapel corsages) looked ridiculous.  The materials which we had provided were used in the boutonnieres, but had literally been stuck-into the flower as an afterthought.

Corsages for the mothers and grandmothers were to be of the same varieties as were the bridesmaids bouquets
We were to provide floral materials to the resort (which would then be given to the off-site florist) to be used in all floral arrangements
We provided instruction as to how to construct the boutonnieres. No dice.

At least the ceremony was a “10″…emotionally-speaking.

After the ceremony I RAN over to the cocktail hour to set-up before the wedding party arrived for the cocktail hour. It was still “unseasonably windy” and so we could not use any flame, nor any of the paper products (seating assignments, guest scrapbook project) that we had intended on using.  Of course the resort is not to blame for the wind! However, the resort is certainly to blame for the outdoor lighting not having yet been installed, and for the mariachi band (which we had requested play during dinner) arriving and beginning to play before seating for dinner even began.

We asked that musicians (included in the package) played during dinner. No dice.

At this point I am defeated.  It is obvious that we have zero control.  I press on putting on my best fake smile hoping that the wedding dinner would go well, and that the reception would be fun and memorable for everyone.

The next (but not final) issue occurred when Natalia disappeared, and the damask chair ties were never brought over to be used for the wedding dinner.

We were bringing damask chair ties which were to be used on the ceremony guest chairs, and then moved and used for the wedding dinner. No dice.

At last, it is time for the cake cutting…only the cake is nowhere to be found.  Natalia was still M.I.A., and the wait staff was awaiting her instruction to bring the cake out. Cut to the cake being brought-out…

As the cake is being brought into the light the Bride and her mother gasp. I giggle out of sheer surprise.  I briefly meet with the Bride’s mother and with the Bride, and it is official: the cake is a big joke.  Now, I am a realistic person.  My expectations are not sky-high.  I am reasonable and willing to concede if a few very minor points to executing a wedding were to go awry, but this…well…took the cake. The cake looked like a building.  A 3-story building complete with little frosting windows.  You know those little frosting scallops that grandma’s put on little girl’s birthday cakes? Well, we had those, too.  The best looking part of the cake was the knife service set which I had brought.  Keep in mind that because we had 32 guests, the resort was charging us $8/per person for each head over 20 guests. This crazy cake was costing us $96 (in addition to the pricing the resort rolled-into our package).

We asked for a specialty cake (3-layers, 3-flavors, individually decorated then stacked). No dice.

It was official: the resort definitely owed us a refund for floral, for cake, for musicians that weren’t informed that we had requested special songs.  Before I left that evening – defeated by an “all-inclusive” resort, I found Natalia and announced that we would be needing a refund. She was actually shocked, and asked me to phone her on Monday morning (a few hours before my departure) so that we could talk more.

Monday morning is a disappointing blur.  With my airport shuttle leaving at 11:15 AM, I am failing to reach anyone in the resorts wedding department in order to set-up a meeting.  I could not get a call-back: not from Landy (the “head boss” who had ultimately ditched us in November 2008 and had not talked to us since); not from Natalia (who was conveniently in a meeting all morning). Finally, at about 10:15 AM I get a phone call in my room where I had been busy packing-up all of the sad decorations that were unable to be used effectively because of the “unseasonable wind”.  Remember the assistant to the wedding planner that we had been handed-off to in November 2008? Well, she was the one calling inviting me to discuss our needs.

30-minutes later I had finished meeting with the assistant. Our list of demands was simple: the resort would not make any money off of the cake, the floral, or the mariachi.  (After all, we did not specifically know that it was the florist’s or the mariachi’s fault. There was no way for us to confirm.)  Our demands were met, signatures were gathered, and I made my airport shuttle. I was headed home with a very different perspective then what I had come with.

In conclusion

If you have read this far – please protect yourself by adhering to the following guidelines:

1. Consider having your destination wedding in an English-speaking area

2. Ask your travel agent this specific question, “Have you ever been to this resort?”

3. Ask your travel agent for referrals of past clients who have married at the same resort, in the area, or at the same brand of resorts in which you are staying. If they cannot provide these referrals save your time and energy by finding a travel agent with this experience.  Once you get the referrals be sure to contact them and ask them about specifics, including rating both their destination wedding experience and their travel agent.

4. Consider purchasing a wedding insurance policy to cover things which your travel insurance does not cover. (If spending $10K or more I always recommend insuring your event no matter what.)

5. If you have decided to get married at a non-English speaking destination, consider not planning for anything  “special” or “custom” to happen. The liklihood of getting what you want lowers substantially if language is a barrier.

Please note that this was not our first time planning a destination wedding; rather it was our first time planning a destination wedding in a non-English speaking location with a travel agent who had not experienced the resort first-hand. Keep in mind that our Bride and her family spoke fluent Spanish, and that we still had these issues with the resort.

I truly hope that the results of this wedding are not typical of the “regular” Dreams Tulum weddings, however:

Buyer Beware of having your wedding at Dreams Tulum, or any of the other Dreams resorts.

Buyer Beware of hiring travel agents who are truly difficult, have poor communication skills, poor follow-up skills, and are not fully informed about the resort conditions in which they are sending their clients into.

You can reach me at studio@enterlaruche.com for more information about this post.

Posted in Design & Decor 101, Event Design & Decor 101, Event Design and Decor 101, featured blogs, tips and tricks, Uncategorized, wedding advice, wedding consultant Tagged: buyer beware, destination weddings, distinct destinations amity tingley, dreams resorts, dreams tulum, inclusive resorts, La Ruche, language barriers, out of town weddings, planning destination weddings, resort weddings, tulum mexico, wedding disasters, wedding planning

Introduction
Photographs are the lasting reminder of your wedding day. They record the atmosphere of your wedding, your choice of dress, colours, venues and guests. They will be on display in your home, and the homes of the people who shared the day with you, or those who were unable to attend. They are a record of the most special day of your life for you to look back on with future generations

Finding A Photographer
It is important then to find a photographer who is well qualified, experienced and aware of the requirements for your special day. You need to feel absolutely sure that the photographer you choose will capture the essence of your wedding and be able to make you and your guests look a million dollars.

You will find there are many photographers available to you. Photographers are a varied breed specialising only in weddings or doing weddings only as a sideline. Some do little or no advertising, others advertise in many places. A good place to start would be to make enquiries with the selected photographers that appear in the photographers category of our products and services section. You may also consider asking friends and family for recommendations.

There is a professional Guild of Wedding Photographers to which some photographers choose to belong that publishes a list of it’s members. Although it is not an exhaustive list of good wedding photographers, it could prove a useful reference point if you have difficulties locating a suitable one.

Making Contact
Once you have decided on a firm date for your wedding you can begin approaching your choice of photographers to see if they are available. It is worth starting your search for a photographer early, as the better photographers will become booked up quickly. It is important that you view photographer’s work before you book them for your wedding. Never book over the phone.

You may like to invite a few people to come with you when you visit a photographer, especially if they have a hand in paying for the photographs. The presence of a parent, bridesmaid/best man or friend will help you to keep a clear head and give you another opinion on the appearance of the photographer and his work.

Have a Clear Idea of What You Want
You need to have a clear idea in your minds of what you expect your wedding photographs to be like, or at least some idea of style or specific shots required.

	Would you like traditional or more journalistic style of photographs?
	Do you want exclusively formal shots or would some relaxed photographs of friends and family help you to remember the whole day?
	Would you like some portraits of special people taken at home on the morning of the wedding, where you can ensure everything looks perfect (the photographer could visit you both separately)?
	Would you like a confetti or bubbles “in the air” shot, and do you mind if this is staged rather than spontaneous?
	Are there some people you would like your photograph taken with apart from the traditional selection? For example are some of your guests travelling from another country who you see rarely?
	Are you inviting an old school friend that you had a photograph with when you were very young that you could update on your wedding day?
	Would you like all colour shots, black and white or shots using other effects such as sepia toning?

What To Look For
There are a number of things to look for when you examine the work of a photographer.

	Are you offered a complete album of photographs from one wedding, rather than a collection of good pictures from a selection of weddings?
	Do you feel that the album tells the story of the whole wedding?
	Are the pictures of the couple different from each other: some close up, some mid distance, some full length?
	Can you see a selection of tidy, well organised group shots, and are all of the group positioned in the shot, or have people been missed off at the edges?
	Do you feel yourself looking at the subject of the picture or a distraction in the background?
	Can you see detail in the pictures: of the dress, the cake, the flowers, people’s faces in shots taken from a distance?
	Do the people in the photographs look relaxed, happy and comfortable? It is helpful to check not only the bride and groom but also the friends and relations in the photos.
	Would you feel happy owning your version of the pictures you are shown?

Don’t forget that there are a variety of different styles of photography and of presentation. If one photographer does not share your ideas of style, then try another one. It is difficult for photographers to drastically change their style to suit yours.

You should also make sure that the photographer you choose quickly establishes a good rapport with you and makes you feel comfortable. He should be able to advise you on where and how to stand without making you feel stupid!

You can always opt to have two photographers of varying styles at your wedding, if photographs are particularly important to you.

Questions To Ask
Remember, it is important to discuss all of your requirements with your photographer. They can do a much better job of your wedding photographs if they are totally aware of your hopes for the final outcome. Consider taking examples of photographs from friends’ weddings or sketches so you are clearly understood. Leave as little to chance as possible.

Here are some important questions to ask the photographer.

	Ask if the person you are meeting will be the person there on your wedding day. If not, ask to met the actual photographer and see some examples of their work. If this is resisted, be a little concerned.
	If you meet an alternative photographer from the same company, ask the same questions. Don’t assume the same standards or experience as their partner or employer.
	Check the photographer’s qualifications and ask if they were gained in wedding photography (if this is important to you). Also ask how long they have been a photographer, and how long they have been taking photographs of weddings.
	Ask if the photographer has professional indemnity insurance to cover the cost of retaking your photographs if something goes horribly wrong. If the photographer does not have insurance, you should take out your own wedding insurance policy to cover such an eventuality.
	Find out how long the photographer spends taking their shots after the ceremony and/or at the reception. There isn’t really a standard time for this, you should decide before you visit the photographer how long you think it is acceptable to keep your guests waiting, and see how close the photographer’s estimate comes to yours.
	Ask how the photographer copes if the weather is not as beautiful as you hope. Here it will help if the photographer has worked at your wedding and reception venues previously and knows the local area.

Making A Booking
Having found a photographer that suits your requirements you need to discuss a price for the job. You will find that you generally get what you pay for and the more experienced photographers are likely to charge more, but this is not always the case.

Make sure you ask each photographer to quote for the same job otherwise you will not be able to compare quotations. There are some variables in the cost of a wedding photographer: how long you want the photographer to be in attendance, the approximate number of photographs taken, the number of shots to be included in the package that is presented to you and the type of album the final photographs will be presented in. Be on your guard here. Make sure that the photographer anticipates taking more shots than they intend presenting to you, as this leaves a greater margin for error. Also be aware of “too good to be true” offers as these are usually just as they sound.

Always make sure that the content of the photographs, not the number of shots or the size of the prints is what you are considering. You can always enlarge a print, or have your photographs digitally changed to include fewer people, highlight one particular area or even to change the weather. The possibilities are endless if you are dealing with a good print, but nothing can change a set of photographs that do not have the content you require.

Finally, make sure the photographer explains their quote and tells you of any extras that may be involved in advance. Every wedding operates on some kind of budget, and keeping a track of your spending is easier if you have the full picture up front.

Adding To Your Collection
In addition to the official photographs of your wedding, many couples are opting to have a collection of photographs taken by the guests themselves. This is achieved by placing single-use cameras on each table at your reception.

Imagine the thrill of having another collection of one or two hundred informal shots of your wedding, many of scenes and events you didn’t even know happened! Single-use wedding cameras, with flash, film and free developing are available from our Wedding Store.

Information from http://www.weddingguideuk.com/articles/planning/photographer.asp