text: wedding & engagement photo horror stories? do any of you have photography horror stories?  what would you do differently?  what would you suggest to other soon-to-be brides and grooms? you have been married for a year or however and you get a call from a stranger asking about your wedding.... sorry i dont do that. i hate calls like that, any kind of call that isnt for me as a person is a call i do not want. i do not give out clients names and numbers. it is not professional at all. it is an invasion of privacy. i have letters i have received and i have albums that i show.   now on to the good ideas. talk to the photographer. find out what he uses/ film, digital / what quality camera? etc. tell the photographer if there is anything special about anyone at the wedding.   your child is the ringbearer flowergirl etc.   as a photographer i take set shots all night long, but if you tell me that your grandmother is 101 the day of the wedding ill make sure to get lots of extra shots of you with her. you get the idea.   like any relationship talking is needed. you must communicate your desires to the photographer so they can make things perfect for you.   i also strongly agree with "dont let a realtive do it" you want to be able to get mad at someone when things go wrong.   the number one thing i see happen with photography is people try to skimp on it.   i will not create the wedding in 1 hour for you. ie i will not do shots that look like you are cutting the cake, or look like you are throwing the garter etc.   when i do a wedding i stay thru all of the important things. often the bride and groom are not planning to make a departure so i leave early. but if they plan a departure, im there.   you should have 3 things left 20 years from the wedding...  1. eachother 2. your rings 3. your photographs.   people will skimp on the photos, yet pay thru the nose for the food. think longevity what will you have 20 years from now?  i offer something a lot of other photographers either do not or do not offer as simply as i do . digital backup of your purchased photos. this means you get a cd or dvd with your photos on it to put away in a safe place. i have been contacted several times about water damage, fire damage etc and i dont keep the photos for that long. once you send me a completion email i archive the ones i like for future use and delete the rest. i do offer storage for a fee, but it is easier to just let the bride and groom store the disk.   the last wedding i did, last week, i will be doing a album, a parents album, and 3 dvds.