E-Pics

katanne9 · February 2010

I'm hemming and hawwing over whether FI and I should do e-pics or not.

PROS

- I really want them. It would be nice to have nice photos taken of us that I'm not taking my sticking my arm out in front of us. I know we'll have these taken on our wedding day, but it would be nice to have some of us wearing normal clothes.

CONS

- We would probably wait a few months. Whether we do them in MA or NY, it's an ugly time of year outside, and I think we'd want outdoor shots. Plus, FI was cheap and got an awful haircut (sometimes paying an extra $10 is worth it, ugh FI). He needs time to recover.

- Is it stupid to take e-pics after we've been engaged for 6 months? Technically if they're done before the wedding they're e-pics, but it does seem a little strange

- $$, we could always put it towards something else, and right now the photog we're looking at doesn't include it in our current package.

What do you think? Is it worth it? If you paid extra, how much did you pay?

babybchbum · February 2010

I found a freelance student photographer and paid $100 that included all high quality pictures on a CD and I had them in my hands editted within 3 days. Use facebook as tool to find an inexpensive photag student in your area

Ana_2985 · February 2010

I didn't do them and I doubt we will. They're usually not my style, but I know what you mean about not having any pictures of the two of us. Most of our pictures are of one us, taken by the other.

But since it is something you really want I would definitely do it. I don't think it matters at all that you've been engaged 6 months. Unless you were planning on mailing them out to people, that might be odd.

I would look around and get some ideas about pricing. If it seems like they cost as much as something else you really want for your wedding maybe skip it. Otherwise I'd go for it. Did you book a photographer yet? Sometimes they include them in the package?

KD+BC · February 2010

They are something that I would like to do but I'm not going to pay extra for them. I'm trying to get in touch with my mom's cousin who is a photographer. If we go with him, we will not get them but all of the other photogs I like include them in their packages so then I would do them.

FWIW I don't think it's weird to get your e-pics done a few months after engagement. Like you said, it's not a pretty time of year to get them done outside. I don't think anyone will care.

paintgirl · February 2010

Before TK I had never heard of such things. To me, it seems like a waste of money. If you wanted pictures for invites, STDs, something related to the wedding, I'd go with some fun photos taken by friends or family. The formal ones... well I just don't get 'em... (Although some girls here have great e-pics.)

swim1011 · February 2010

Do you have a photographer yet? Mine included the e-pics as part of the package. And, no it's not stupid to do it 6 months later. We're doing ours 2 months before the wedding, mostly bc FI started working an insane schedule after the photog's summer schedule slowed down.

katanne9 · February 2010

We don't officially have our photog yet. But the one we're looking at doesn't include epics in the package. Hence the debate

We do know a friend who is just starting out, I'm trying to figure out what his price is.

I want them, I think I'm just trying to justify spending the extra $$ for them.

jeanacorina · February 2010

Since your photographer package wouldn't include them, I'd definitely look for a friend or photography student.

We're having ours done at the end of March. We got engaged in August. We're getting married in June. I thought it would be a little odd, but really... by the time we booked our photographer there wasn't much green left outside. It'll look much better in the spring with flowers everywhere.

We won't be using the pictures for anything, but it's so difficult to get good pictures of us together. FMIL took some nice pics on Christmas, and STILL hasn't emailed them to me.

This is worth it. When we're 75 years old I can look back and see how young we were! I don't want ALL my nice pictures to be in my wedding dress.

tafft1 · February 2010

i just started debating this very topic with FI this week. We have like one pic of us together , all mine are self taken and he hates pics of himself so it's definitely rough. We have a local photographer here that is highly recommended by friends and just emailed her to start to ball rolling to try and get some sort of planning done and compare work/prices , etc. Since the venues we want to look at we won't have time to tour until end of next month anyway.

i definitely want them done as well but if they dont come in the package of any photogrpahers i like , i will definitely be doing the suggestions above for a student photographer or what not. Photogrpahy , the dress and food are the 3 things we agreed NOT to skimp on in any way however we also refuse to break our budget at the same time because we are simple people but certain things are important. We both have waited to meet the right person our whole lives and want everything we can to remember this time by. i think it's worth it - i somehow even stumbled onto the perfect dress i want to use in them and i wasn't even looking , hah. i know it's hard to justify "extra" costs , but in the end i would rather have a few special and candid photos capturing what we have even if they aren't "profressional" , then to lose these moments forever.

Whatever you decide i hope it works out!

loopy82 · February 2010

Our photographer also does not include e pics in our package. But lucky for us FI's dad has awesome camera equipment and is turning out to be quite the photographer. So, we are just going to take some photos with him.

After seeing these pictures he has been taking lately I think our e-pics will look more professional than some of the wedding pics I have seen from some local professional photographers. It will be free so that's the best part.

We will probably put some of the pictures around our reception, as that is a fairly customary thing to do around here. Or at least the weddings i've gone to.

By the time we do our pictures we will probably be engaged for 4.5 - 5 months.

Acrosthec · February 2010

Ours were included. That being said:

1) I don't think it's weird to have them later on after you get engaged. If we hadn't been working on a tight schedule with the boat FI wanted pictures on leaving port, we would've been waiting until June, and we got engaged in October/are getting married in August. There's too much going on with other people's weddings in the Spring, and I was NOT a fan of pictures in the cold with my heavy coat on unless it was necessary (and it was, to make FI happy).

2) All pictures of us are snapshots taken by a friend at a party, at a game, most are us in costume because do a lot of acting and LARPing, and that's usually when the cameras come out. So it was worth it to me to have nice pictures of us in normal clothes. Like Jeana, I don't want all our nice pictures in life to be us in a wedding dress and tux, because we'll likely never look like that again. But we'll look like the "us" in our e-pics for a while to come, provided we keep our youthful looks for at least a few more years.

I would check with the photographer you're interested in about how much it would cost to add it to your package, and if it's too much, look for a student or photographer friend that may want to do it. It may not be worth the $$ if it's a lot, but I definitely think it's worth the time if you can find someone to fit your budget.

jeanacorina · February 2010

I forgot, I know a couple who had their e-pics taken the day before their wedding. They hired an out of town photographer ($$$) and squeezed all the pictures into two days. She was taking her bridals during the reception (which I would never do, because it really took a lot of time away from her visiting with guests and having fun).

Anyway, that was a tiny bit weird at the time, but looking back it isn't so weird anymore. I wouldn't let the timing influence you.

I WOULD, however, put a lot of thought into what these pics will mean to you in the future.

JenniferB27 · February 2010

My friend and her FI had their e-pics done over Christmas, after getting engaged in August. Their wedding is in July. They went through some photographer in Orlando and paid $150 that included a few print outs of 8x10s and 5x7s, plus a CD with all the rights to the pictures so they can print out whatever they want.

My FI and I are considering having our friend take our e-pics. She has a great camera and is taking a photography class right now for fun. Plus, she said she would do it for free and said she'd give us a CD of the pics. Another option we're considering is going to this garden/park and they have an e-pic package for $150.

Personally, I think it's worth the money, especially if you're a picture person like I am!

ccannady2 · February 2010

To add to your pros list that my best friend pointed out to me...this may be the only time you have professional pics taken of you and FI only. Any later professional pics later in life will be of your kids only or you, DH, and kids (if you're having them one day). Not that this is a bad thing, but it probably won't happen again.

We just had our e-pics done last weekend...we're getting married in June and have been engaged since September...major procrastination. So I don't think time matters that much. And, everything is brown, dead, etc. in NC right now too. Our great photographer was able to use other backdrops since there weren't any pretty flowers and greeness. We did them outside on family property at my great-grandparents house.

My FI had a bad hair cut as well, but we had two weeks in between his haircut and pics and it looked normal again. So, if you're going to do them, set a date and have FI get a haircut several weeks beforehand (and remember that before the wedding too...I personally hate that just-had-a-haircut look).

Money--this was included in our photography package...granted we didn't get the cheapest package, but it may have been included anyway; I honestly don't remember. I'm assuming you have a photographer (if not get one now!), so ask him/her.

I say get them done! It was fun and one of those few pre-wedding things that you and FI get to do together and he HAS to be there

. And, it's not stressful...i.e. trying to decide on minute details of napkins, invitations,etc...you spend time talking, smooching, etc.

Goldlie11 · February 2010

I wouldn't pay extra for them. My fiance would not agree to spend hundreds of dollars for photos that we don't need. We're not using them for our STDs (if we even do STDs). I believe that my photographer is including them, not sure yet because we haven't signed the contract yet.

Don't get me wrong, I think that most of the e-pics I've seen look pretty great. FI and I are on a pretty tight budget and would not want to spend the extra money.

For a cheap option, you could always go to a photo studio like JC Penney or an independent one and get a few formal photos of the two of you. Penney's has packages that are under $100.

honeybee724 · March 2010

I vote see how much they cost and then decide. I like the idea of the freelance photographer, but I've also heard its very good to do them with the same photographer who will be doing your wedding so you will be more comfortable with each other.
But....take my advice with a grain of salt since we've not done ours yet. I'm not sure if we would if they weren't included in the wedding package. And, FWIW, we're doing them in May or June- so 10-11 months after our engagement. Its icky here now too.

E-Pics

Re: E-Pics

Choose Another Board

Search Boards