Wedding photography packages vary greatly, but you should be able to find a quality wedding photographer who can provide you with a package within your budget. Firstly, decide how important your wedding pictures and video are to you, and budget accordingly. A word of caution, after the big day is over it is the wedding photo's and video that you will return to time and time again to relive the memories of your big day, so think carefully before you trim away extra costs.  

Here are a few tips for getting the most out of your wedding photography investment.  

Always shop Around: Wedding photographers' and videographers' fees vary widely depending on their background, experience, and how in demand they are. Take your time researching the best available wedding photographers within your price range. 

Add your Parents needs in: If your parents plan to purchase wedding albums themselves, you may get a better rate by incorporating their wedding album requests into your initial quote, rather than buying them post-wedding. 

Album: Leather wedding albums can be pricey and not the only option - wedding photographers usually offer more basic albums. If your budget is really tight, your wedding photographer can simply provide the photos and you can put them together in your own album. Note; make sure you use acid-free paper. 

Keep It Short And Formal: Need to cut a few more rands and cents? Hire a wedding professional to capture only the posed formal wedding photographs. Wedding photographers who shoot candid shots use more film, and the cost adds up. Supplement your formal photos by asking a few shutterbug friends in the bridal party to snap candid pictures throughout the wedding reception. 

Choose Colour: Black-and-white photos are often printed by hand and can be significantly more expensive than colour photography. Ask your wedding photographer, and if you find this to be the case, ask your wedding photographer to work entirely with colour film. 

Feeling Brave?: Hire an advanced photography student from a reputable photography or film program to photograph or film your wedding. As a bonus, many students will charge a flat fee and give you the negatives. Be sure to research very carefully if you choose this option. Remember, these are your memories you are risking........ 

Too Good To Be True: If you find a wedding photographer whose prices are very low, make sure to go over a large sampling of their wedding-related photos and talk to at least three references before you hand over the deposit. Beware of any wedding photographer who insists that you pay in full before your film has been developed. You'll find it hard to get your money back if the pictures don't come out. Note; photographers do not have to show a formal qualification, as for e.g. a doctor does, so unfortunately there are quite a few "chancers" in the industry, therefore always be sure to check the wedding photographers credentials.