We all have been witnessing the changes which photography has gone through quite a few decades now along with the advent of digital age, from Polaroid to disposable, cameras to DSLRs, DSLRs to Mirror less and back again. Not only this but also the photos we take these days from a party to picnic. Today, photographs predominantly exist digitally as files on a smartphone or on our hard drives and our smart phones with all those JPG and PNG files, needless to say our social media account feeds are always swamped with selfies, somewhere in this digital era, the role of photo prints has shifted, and is now limited to digital post-processing and editing.

However, when it is about your wedding or Pre Wedding, there should be no second thought on printing the wedding photo album or photo book. Not to mention, these wedding albums are not just any book, these are the memoirs of your big day, of your wedding. These wedding photo albums hold special place in our heart as our emotions are connected to these photograph of ours. Printed wedding album has charm of its own, nothing can ever compete that.

Yes, it is very much true that this is the era of digitization, but no matter how much your heart says so to you, or how many times the wheels in your head turns, the fact remains same that the importance of hard copy of your wedding photographs is incomparable, the feel and touch of those photos can make you re-live those moments even after your wedding forever, nothing, no JPEG file can do the same for you.

Not to forget, weddings are emotional affairs in our lives, not just any. Also, the touch and feel effect we get from the hard copies of our wedding photographs is just magnificent nothing can beat that feeling, those emotions.

Before you let inflame the thought of having only JPGs of your wedding photographs, here are top reasons why you should print your photos, even though it is digital era.

Here is why….

1. Create Memories till eternity

Your wedding itself is an event of one-of-a-kind, and your wedding printed photographs are more than temporary pixels on a screen. Printed wedding photographs are your memory you can hold forever for generations. And memories are surprisingly capricious. With time they fragment, fade or even mould themselves – our childhood tales from our parents and grandparents, our childhood photo albums. More often than not we don’t even have any remembrance of certain events, but seeing those printed pictures creates a makeshift memory in our minds. You may, for a moment think of having them permanently in your memories but that is not actually possible, a picture can tell you a lot about some special event. Printed wedding albums keeps the moment immortalized forever!

Your wedding photographs are timeless memories captured by your wedding photographer. Your moment, special moments are ceased in time so that you and your better half and your families can relive those moments years after your wedding. Wedding photo albums are the backbone of the memories created on the big day. If you have fine art prints of photos of your wedding, the memories of big day will forever remain in your minds to re live as and when you want to.

You can have big prints of the best of your wedding photographs that you can hang it on your wall at home. Frame it for your desk at work. Take it out years from now and show off to your kids and their kids. Your printed photos can be witnessed by your grandchildren, also they will witness timeless connections.

2. Is your grandmother on Instagram ? I am sure not

Yes, there are many on earth who don’t actually care about digital world, reason could be and it is not at all obligatory to be on social media for any reason. Well, you will also possibly have some people, some non-digital people in your life. They may not be able to see you online or your pictures online. Also, old people have their own taste and preferences and at this age to want to change them according to time is downright nasty. So, for that purpose your printed wedding album would do a lot to them. They will love to see those pictures of your as they have also had dream of your wedding in their own ways and these digital pictures will only confuse them. Having printed copies in their hands give them opportunity to have access to them as and when they want to flip and see you in that bridal attire which they always wanted to see you on.

Old people get immense pleasure and happiness in flipping those wedding albums of their grandchildren, as for them you are their world and they have always wanted to see you in those beautiful attires, that give them a sense of satisfaction whenever they see all those photographs of yours.

So, why not make Grandma’s day!!

3. Your privacy is what matters the most

Well, that’s good that you have planned to upload all your wedding photographs online but chances are there would be many people you care about and many who you don’t care about but they care about you.. Meaning you might not want to see everyone to see your pictures, may be for any reason but still there are pros and cons to everything, so does social media have it. You would want to maintain the privacy of your photographs which is to some extent is possible but still the threat is always there, anyone can invade your account – perhaps you don’t want your neighbor to have access to all your Facebook photos. That is only possible with printed photos, which gives access to you and to people you care about the access to flip through your photo book.

4. Have it your own way, you best way

On your wedding thousands of pictures are clicked all in all, but when you go to print your digital photos, you don’t print all of them, because not every photo is meant to be printed for that matter, some might be blurred, some might not be the way you wanted or you thought. Only few out of thousands of photographs will be exceptionally beautiful and up to the mark, you have the prerogative to select pictures of your choice and have it compiled in a beautiful album in your way, the way you always wanted it to be. The way you would always admire forever in your life and call it ‘An Album of Your Wedding – Your Story’ which you can cherish forever for generations.

Yes, that’s the benefit of having print photo albums of your wedding, you can curate a smarter, smaller collection of your choice. The best part about maintaining a printed photo collection in the era of digital photography is that you can really whittle down your photo selection to print the best of the best.

5. Print won’t go feudal, technology might

We are in era of advancement, every now and then there is something new taking place in technology. Nothing remains same even for the year let alone the decade. Do you still bother to watch movie on your old VCR which your father bought it long back from Delhi ? Or do you still listen to the music on the old Walkman which your mom got you for your sixteenth birthday, obviously not, as the technology is out-dated now. Even these days we don’t use floppy disks or even CDs to store files anymore. And with this rate of advancement and change in technology on daily basis who knows how long pen drives and hard-disks will be in use to store date. Notwithstanding the digital era, a print has survived amidst every change and advancement and has a much longer life for that matter. Stored files and their formats might get outdated, but you’re your printed wedding album will always act as a souvenir, a memoir of your love story.

6. Printing is safer than just storing digital files

Getting your wedding photographs printed is safer than storing them in your hard disk. As, no one can guarantee that the computer of tomorrow will be able to read the photos you take and store today, unless you persistently modernize your digital archives. Cloud services can certainly help with this, but the way things changes and with that everything changes, companies that run them aren’t guaranteed to be around forever, either.

For your most important photos like your wedding photos a printed album can be the right choice for you.

7. JPGs are not lasting, JPGs deteriorate!

JPG files often get deteriorated over time. As you open and close them, also duplicate the file, in the process the quality of your original image, which is saved as a JPG by your camera or smart phone, gets worse. So, it is always advisable to print your photos while they are at their prime. You can’t trust technology completely as technology can fail. It doesn’t matter even if it’s new, top-of-the-line, and well-reviewed, it can deflate or be damaged. You never know when your computer’s hard drive get corrupt, your paid cloud storage might go out of business, or if not this your storage device can be lost or theft, you might not have backups for those pictures. In such a case nothing can be better than having printed backups of your wedding pictures which will surely last longer than you think.

8. Print wedding photographs are the tattletale of your wedding story

Your wedding photographs tells about your wedding story. They are the telltale of your wedding and your love story with your better half. Your wedding albums often give you those immersive experience. Whenever you will flip through your wedding album, you will be taken to the moment, the elements, the colors, the technique, the message in your best of the best pictures will seize you and your mind in the time in that moment. You can only have the best of the experiences while holding the printed photographs of your wedding. A printed photograph contains every aspect, which one looks for in the memoir!!

9. Printed photos can be sized to fit your needs

Printed photos are just not edited or filtered and styled but also can be sized to fit your needs. You have myriad of sizes to select from for your wedding album. Gone are the days when you had only few options to choose from. Now is the time when you can have your wedding photographs in motley sizes and can fill your wall with the best of the best pictures. You can have your wedding pictures in larger frames or if you want it in comparatively smaller one you can go with that too. Whether you want it printed for your wall, or for corner tables or for the photo frame which your friend gifted you on your wedding, any size print is possible today. Which you surely miss in the digital photos.

10. It is about emotions

As I said in the beginning that wedding is just not any event it is an emotional affair and printing for archival reasons is a logical thing to do, but the real reason one goes for printing is emotional. Seeing your wedding printed photographs can be mesmerizing. Holding a finished print in your hands cane be infinitely more satisfying than seeing your photo on a screen — especially on smaller screens, your smartphones. Printed wedding photographs are tangible, permanent memories of your wedding you can hold whenever and wherever you wish to.

When it comes to planning your wedding there are a lot of things to think about, consider and budget for. The list will seem endless and you may not know where to start, yet when it comes to wedding planning there are certainly a few things that should be your starting point and priority.

Why Photography should be a Priority when Planning your Wedding ?

The most important part of a wedding is the couple, and that is what it is all about and that is all that matters at the end of the day. However, when it comes to planning the big day you shall speak to a lot of suppliers, from florists, bridal boutiques, caterers, Band walas,  Make-up Artists, Mehandi wala,  Pundit ji,  the list goes on, all these people will tell you how important it is to get it right. Getting the right flowers, having the best food, it is all about the dress that is good, the best make up and Mehandi, you want to work with passionate people, however are these a priority when planning your wedding? Of course they should be included and we are not saying you should leave out any of these, but are they more important than wedding photography?

We read and hear about a lot of families and couples who only have a small budget left for their photography; couples who are struggling to find a photography they like for their wedding coming up very soon and couples who are not having a good photographer as they just cannot afford one. These couples haven’t put very much importance on photography…

Why is wedding photography so important?

Is wedding photography the most important thing when it comes to your wedding?  Nope, not at all, however when it comes to planning your special day it should be up there on the priority list of things to look at, budget for and book.

Wedding photography is important because it will capture your day, it will capture your memories, it will tell a story and not just any story, it will tell a beautiful story of your special day, a day you will never forget. A story that you can show friends and family, your kids, and grandchildren, something you will have and can treasure for ever.

You see your flowers will wilt, your cake will quickly be eaten, no one remembers the brand of Liquor they had in a wedding, your dress shall be worn once, those shoes shall go back into their box, this isn’t me trying to be glum and miserable, this is about perspective, this is about helping you focus your budget on things that you may not put importance on, such as wedding photography.

When it comes to wedding planning, it is more than just one day; it is about a lifetime of memories.

One day, and a lot of memories

Earlier we mentioned about couples who didn’t put too much importance on wedding photography, and it can easily be forgotten or put down the pecking order because on the day itself, you don’t have anything. If you go to a florist they will create beautiful bouquets of flowers for you, your cake maker will make the most delicious and gorgeous looking cake for your day, the list goes on, the thing is here, these are things and items that will be there on your day, things that you and everyone will see. Yet when it comes to wedding photography you are paying for something you won’t see till after, and the best wedding photographers will go unnoticed, your guest won’t even know they are there.

What are you paying for?

When it comes to wedding planning, it is more than just one or two days; it is about a lifetime of memories. It is about capturing moments, it is about capturing emotion, it is about being able to relive the day through beautiful photos, it is about smiling at moments that you never knew happened, seeing the emotion on your family and friends faces, and most importantly of all, having a story you can treasure forever.

If you are just thinking about your wedding and looking at your budget, make sure you maximise your budget for your wedding photography, it’s not just a few photos of you and your partner on your wedding day looking beautiful and happy, it is about a beautiful story of your wedding day, from getting ready and smiling with your friends and cousins, to the emotion on your dads face as he sheds a tear and looks on with pride. Capturing the beautiful details on your day after hours and days of planning, from the beautiful flowers, your dress and venue, capturing the day as it unfolds, capturing the emotion of your guests, the nervousness of the groom, all the way through to the Jai Mala, Pheras and Vidaai, this is not just any story, this is your story.

Make sure you capture your day and your story, don’t regret not hiring a professional wedding photographer.

Things to consider

Maximise your budget. Will the guests notice if you saved a little money on your flowers, will your guests really notice if you saved a little on the food, will they notice if the  liquor you served was one brand lower ? Save a little where you can and maximise your photography budget, it is the only thing you will have left at the end of the day.

Find your style. There are hundreds of wedding photographers to choose from  and most will travel all over the country and even abroad, take time to decide on a style you like and find a photographer that reflects this. Make sure you view more of their work and complete albums, you don’t want one or two beautiful photos, you want a beautiful story that is of high quality throughout, from beginning to your 

Book quickly. The best wedding photographers get hired and booked upto 2 years in advance, so once you know the dates, get them booked.

Final thoughts

All this planning is for one day only, one day you marry the partner you wish to spend the rest of your life with, one day you share this beautiful moment with all your family and friends that you love. Make sure you hold onto those memories and don’t look back and wish you had hired a good photographer.

Wedding Photography is about unique moments, it’s about being able to relive the day through beautiful photos, this is smiling at moments you didn’t even know happened, seeing the excitement and emotion on the faces of the your family and friends, and, above all, having a story that you shall take with you forever…

Here’s what you’re paying for !

Good Photographers want everyone to feel excited for their Pre-Wedding photos!  We have gathered some tips to assure that you feel comfortable and arrive ready to get some great shots with your fiance.

What to Wear

• Wear something that helps enhance your best features! The focus should be about you, so you don’t want to wear anything that is too distracting.
• Make this photo shoot special ! You want to feel comfortable, so choose an outfit/ outfits that fit your personality.
• Spice it up! These professional photos may very well be the last before your wedding day, so make them count by wearing statement pieces or sentimental accessories.
• Make sure your outfits match the style of the location you’ve chosen for your shoot.
• Coordinating outfits are great, however avoid getting too matchy.
• Hint: complement each other with accessories or similar colour palette
• Remember to think about your shoot location when picking colours for outfits
• Too much white can wash you out
• Too much black could cause a silhouette effect
• Clean lines look really good–avoid bulky clothes
• Avoid busy prints, big logos or shiny fabrics
• Bring an emergency layer (a nice cardigan/jacket) in case the weather isn’t as nice as you’d like it to be!
• Don’t emphasise on changing too many outfits, it is you and the chemistry between both that really matters, this will waste your as well as your photographer’s precious time which could be utilized for capturing more moments.

Tips for Great Photos

• Get as close to your fiancé as you can, without squishing cheek! Squished faces don’t look good on anybody
• Focus on each other and your love!
• If you are both present, your love will shine through your photos!
• Practice fake laughing   (tried and proven method!)
• This helps for those that are ‘camera shy’
• It will start as a fake laugh, but we guarantee it will quickly turn into a real smile/laugh which will in turn make your partner naturally smile!
• Practice any shots you may want at home
• This can include some formal shots, lifts or dips
• Take note of posture and practice what to do with awkward hands prior to your shoot
• Don’t emphasise much on poses, it should be more spontaneous, the love and compatibility  should reflect in the pictures.

Most importantly, HAVE FUN! The idea of this Pre-Wedding  session is to capture moments that display your love for each other! Whether you use these photos to share with family, save the dates, invitations or other purposes, they will create lovely memories to look back on and serve as a bonus practice shoot before your wedding!