It's Not The Wedding Book Your Grandparents Had

Wedding books are arriving. And wow, how things have changed.

Wedding albums used to be rather plain and boring, but now there are a range of choices and options available, and sometimes those choices can be overwhelming. LaVere Media decided to take the "simple yet elegant" route, and use a company called "KISS Wedding Books". We couldn't be happier.

First, the books arrive extremely well-packaged with lots of TLC given to every detail. Instead of a cardboard box, the book is packaged in a beautiful cloth sleeve:

The binding is incredible; we've had a sample book that has been to countless wedding shows, handled by hundreds of people, even loaned out for potential customers to take home, and it still looks as good as new. These folks do amazing work:

The pages are thick, with a heavy substrate. The books are available in a variety of sizes and colors; our bride chose a 10" book with a black leather cover. The leather is smooth and supple, and the book feels substantive when you hold it.

What we really like about these books is that the two-page "spreads" are printed without a visible seam in the middle; the printing goes across the two pages. Again, our sample book looks as good as the day it arrived; there's simply no breakage across the seam. You almost have to see it to believe it.

Wedding books like this are available with any photography package purchased from LaVere Media, and are included without extra charge in our deluxe wedding package. We do all our own layout and design, using photos you choose from the proofs you receive with your package. We also provide you with a PDF file for review before we send the book off to print to ensure that you're getting exactly what you want with no surprises.

These books aren't just for brides—we can assemble them for senior photos, pets...we can even scan your parent's wedding album and put it together in a stunning presentation book that can be handed down for a whole new generation. The possibilities are endless!

Seeing the looks on the faces of our customers when they view their book is one of the best parts of our job. We can't wait to put one together for you.

Stop. Collaborate and Listen.

Yes, today's post takes inspiration from the great bard. No, not Shakespeare...Vanilla Ice.

No, I haven't lost my mind.

This summer, I've been asked several times to work as an assistant photographer at weddings for other photographers in the area. It's a privilege and an honor to work with these folks, some of whom I've looked up to and emulated over the years.

Working as an assistant photographer brings with it its own unique benefits and challenges. I've worked with a handful assistants over the years, but haven't had the opportunity until this season to do it myself. Here's what I've learned.

Yes, the advice of Vanilla Ice is solid. Stop. Collaborate, and listen. Being an effective assistant means that, first and foremost, the principal photographer has the responsibility for directing the work that's being done. So here's what I do.

First, I make a concerted effort to stop doing things "my way" and learn the ebb and flow of a different photographer. There's no way I can emulate his or her style; that would be an effort in futility, and that's not why I was hired in the first place. But what I strive to do is emulate their personal style. Some photographers are very subtle, quiet and passive. Others are more upbeat, involved and have an up-front style. The photographer's style is usually why they were hired in the first place.

I'm there to collaborate. It's fun to work as an assistant, because a lot of the pressure is off my shoulders. I don't have to worry about shot lists, locations, timeframes, etc. I get to share ideas with the main photographer, work with him/her on different ways of shooting, and come up with ideas that may not have been possible otherwise. For instance, on one shoot I was able to photograph the bride and groom from a third-story hotel room with a long lens while the primary photographer worked with them on the ground. We came up with some great shots that wouldn't have been possible with a single camera.

Most importantly, I'm there to listen. Listen to the needs of the photographer, the family, the venue. I'm always free to offer my own ideas, but I was hired to assist, not direct. I've learned more by listening and learning than I could ever have imagined.

So there you have it. In the immortal words of the IceMan, Stop. Collaborate, and Listen. It's good advice.

About the author: Rich LaVere is a videographer and photographer based in Elmira NY. It's not true that his personal motto is, "If there was a problem, yo I'll solve it."

Wedding Video Highlight

As part of LaVere Media's "Deluxe" wedding video package, we include a highlight video of the day's events. It's an overview of the much longer video of the day.

This is one of my favorites. The wedding was held at the library of Elmira College, and the reception was at the Elmira Country Club. A great couple, and a great day.


Wedding Video Highlights from LaVere Media on Vimeo.

A Race To The Bottom?

With the economy limping along over the last few months, people are looking to cut corners wherever they can. Photography services are no different. What we've noticed in the past few months is a "race to the bottom", with photographers cutting services, scaling back packages, and offering less...for less.

There's also a new phenomenon—plenty of people with inexpensive Digital SLRs are offering photography services at rock-bottom prices, often before they have the experience or the knowledge to offer quality services.

We think this is a mistake.

This weekend, LaVere Media will attend the Arnot Mall Bridal Expo in Big Flats, NY. We'll be competing with many photographers...some new, some old, and at a variety of price points. While we recognize the need to save money during difficult economic times, we also recognize that 20 years from now, when you're looking at your wedding album with your family, a substandard set of photos won't make up for the few dollars you saved in hiring the equivalent of "Uncle Bob with a camera". We don't believe you need to go overboard, but there is such thing as cutting back too far. We often talk about the temporary nature of what goes into a wedding—the cake gets eaten, the flowers wilt, the dress gets put in storage. How do you share the memories of that day? Through photographs and video.

With that in mind, we've re-worked our photography packages to reflect the realities of the current economy, while offering what we believe is the best combination of quality and price in the region.

So here's our pitch:

We offer quality photography and video services at a very reasonable price. We offer a basic "digital-only" package, but we don't just shoot the photos and dump them on a DVD. Each photo is reviewed, color-corrected and edited if necessary, and provided to you at high resolution. We offer upper-tier packages with options for albums, proofs, reprints...all at very reasonable prices with quick turnaround.

We never impose a time limit on our services. When you hire LaVere Media, we're there all day—no matter which package you purchase. We always send two experienced photographers, which lets us shoot in different locations simultaneously. We attend your rehearsal. We generally shoot between 1500 and 2000 photos per wedding. We offer a video option with every photo package, and our video-only packages are the most competitive in the area.

At LaVere Media, we don't compromise personal service or quality for price. There will always be someone with a lower price; that's just the nature of a competitive business. We think it's more important to find a photographer that you can work with, who you want to spend your entire day with, and who will offer great service at a great price. We've been photographing and videotaping weddings and special events for over 20 years, and we believe that once you give us a look, you'll like what you see.

Stop by this weekend, or give us a call. We'd love to talk with you.