Years after your wedding, you will treasure the wonderful experience of looking at your photos and your video and showing them to your children. This can bring back so many memories for you both, and the experience can give your children a glimpse into who you were before they were born and the romance and holiness of the Jewish wedding that brought you together. Hiring the right photographer and videographer now and being savvy about how you hire and instruct them will help to ensure that your wedding memories are accessible in years to come.

Questions to Ask

Photographers and videographers are an expensive but important part of your wedding. When you interview potential photographers and videographers, you will want to find out if they are familiar with Jewish weddings that are similar to yours or are willing to learn. Many of the powerful moments at a Jewish wedding that you will want captured do not exist in non-Jewish wedding ceremonies. You should ask to look at some of their past work; if you know people who have used them, find out if they were satisfied with the result. Try to get a clear sense of what will be included in the package and what will not. Ask if there are any additional charges for nighttime versus daytime weddings, for retouching photos, for negatives, for a disk so that you can make reproductions at will, or extra fees for assistants or overtime charges.

The photographer will probably show you examples of previous wedding photographs and videos she has taken. Be sure to realize that these are set up well, that the locations, clothing, and makeup are probably done by professionals, and that the bride and groom may be models. Don't be taken by only the romance you see in the photos. Ask your potential photographer and videographer the right questions so that you may go into the deal with your eyes open and without breaking your bank account.

Some couples attempt to save money by asking a friend or relative to be their photographer, but be wary of this option. Ask yourself the following questions: If you are not happy with the results, what toll will it take on your relationship with the photographer? If the designated photographer is sick or has an emergency on the day of your wedding, is there a backup? Will your friend be able to take the type of photos you desire without feeling they missed the wedding themselves?

Photography at Jewish Weddings

There are several types of photos, both formal and informal, that you may want to have in order to remember your wedding day. Some photographers are very adept at studio-type formal photos that you will probably take before the tish and after the yichud but are less comfortable with informal shots. A Jewish wedding often has some raucous dancing and celebrating at the beginning of the reception, and the photographer and videographer might need to jockey for position among hundreds of guests dancing in a big circle, some of them perhaps juggling fire or skipping rope. Will he be able to handle this? Has he ever photographed a wedding like yours or one that had similar challenges?

Some rabbis do not like to have flash photography or an intrusive videographer at the wedding ceremony, and other rabbis do not mind at all. It can be helpful if the rabbi speaks to the photographer before the ceremony to point out where the members of the wedding party will stand and explain the procedures of the ceremony. Be sure to discuss this with your rabbi or wedding officiate well before the wedding and tell the photographer and videographer of your officiant's requirements. Sometimes even a rabbi who prefers no intrusive photography will be fine if there is no flash or if the photographer is a bit farther away using a zoom lens.

If the photographer has not worked at many Jewish weddings before, be sure to give her a sense of the different parts of the wedding, such as the pre-wedding ceremonies like the tish, the kabalat panim, and the bedekin. Give her an outline of exactly what will be happening at each stage of the wedding and what parts you want photographed. In addition, if there are any members of your family or friends that you want to make sure are included, give the photographer a list of these individuals beforehand.