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November 2001 Photographers, Accommodations, Invitations... oh my! by Gill Cheshire ... Photographers    One of the big decisions you need to make for your big day is choosing the photographer. This can be one of the things that can make or break a wedding. My advice is to choose carefully. When we were at Leeds Castle for our open day, there was a photographer around showing his album of previous weddings. Andy, himself being a photographer (not of weddings; otherwise I would have drafted him!), looked through the album on display and both of us were most unimpressed. In speaking with the registrar at the same venue she had remarked exactly the same thing. Before you decide on a photographer, decide what kind of photographs you want: black and white, colour, sepia etc. Also decide how you want your photographs to look. Visit a couple of photographers and look through their books to give you a much better idea of the kind of look you're after and the photos may even inspire you.    You really do need to have a good rapour with your photographer. Don't be afraid to tell him what you want. If you want certain shots of guests taken, make sure you tell him - don't just assume he will know. I know a lot of people who, after the wedding day, were disappointed because various members of their family and friends were not in the photographs. More to the point: you might know whom great Aunt Hilda is, he won't. Brief him on your requirements.     We're after informal shots. Our venue is stunning so we want to make the most of the scenery. We want informal romantic shots, including indoor shots of the library and every one seated at the table. The photographer we have chosen is under no mistake what look we want and also knows the venue well which is always an added advantage. Accommodations    Well, I've finally blown my top. When we looked at our venue we specifically said we would be interested in accommodation. The Castle, not being a hotel, specifically opens the Castle bedrooms for wedding guests. We thought there would be nothing better than to retire to the exquisite bedrooms after our wedding. With four poster beds and antiques littering the room we felt it would be a lovely finale to the day. Problem number 1: They haven't booked us any rooms.     Problem number 2: Although the prices quoted for the room are very expensive, it is a once in a lifetime opportunity and most of our planned guests are keen to stay. However, when Andy spoke with the Castle they reneged on the cost of the rooms quoted and have bumped up the prices. They were absolutely adamant they were not budging. I spoke with them and really had to get cross. They eventually relented and gave us a token reduction for two rooms; however, we have to fill eleven at the full price to get two discounted ones. In speaking with our friends most of them cannot afford the new costs; therefore, they will have to find alternative accommodations. Both Andy and I felt that the wedding has lost its sparkle due to the inefficiency of the Castle and that now our friends are going to have to stay elsewhere when it would have made a perfect end to the day having everyone around. C'est la vie! Invitations    I never thought it could possibly take so long to choose wedding invitations. We saw an example of some fantastic ones whilst at Leeds Castle but at $250 for approximately 20 they were way beyond our budget. This wedding lark can definitely get out of hand and your budget can explode into thousands of pieces if you aren't careful. Therefore, we have had to cut down on the unnecessary expense. Andy is fortunate to work in a department store that has a wedding invitation department; therefore, we were able to scan the books for a suitable invitation.    It's funny, but I have always known what I like and what I don't. I normally see something and make a decision quickly (rather like my wedding dress). But as the time rolls by, trying to make a decision is becoming harder and we both have to discuss things several times before making up our minds. I'm sure this is Andy's influence as this is out of character for me, but he likes to think things over. Fortunately, this wedding is a long way away because if it takes this long to sort things out, I might just about have time.