Digital photographers may charge
anywhere from $1,000 to
$8,000, while videographers
command $1,500 to $10,000, depending
on the sophistication of the final
product.
Some photographers display photos of
couples' weddings on their own sites. In
addition, wedding planners hook up couples
to professional wedding-planning
Web sites - unless the bride and groom
to be choose to design their own.
The mother of bride-to-be Cordy
Frieze was unable to accompany her
daughter to a wedding-gown fitting. No
problem. Digital photos were taken and emailed
to her mom, also named Cordy,
who lives in Dallas.
"She was thrilled," says Frieze, 24, an
accountant who will be married Nov. 23
to attorney Jeff Bankowitz. "It really
meant a lot to her. And now she's online
nearly all day, researching gifts and music
and other details."
Rebecca Grinnals, formerly affiliated
with Walt Disney World, is intimately
familiar with the technological changes
sweeping the matrimonial field.
"Brides have more faith than they did in
the old days about technology," she says.
"Once you had to worry about the film
getting wet or exposed to the sun. Now
you have backup images stored on digital
cards and discs. It's almost fail-safe."
When she was married just four years
ago, Grinnals says, digital photography
and wedding Web sites were in their
infancy. Now they're as much a tradition
as the wedding gown and multitiered cake.
Like other experts, Grinnals advises
couples not to cut corners in budgeting
for their wedding photography.
"At the end of the day, all you have left
are memories and pictures," she says.
"The wedding gown is stored, the rental
tuxedo is returned. There are no more
flowers. But what you do have are your
photos and your videos, which you will
have to take you through life. And they
will be there for generations to come."
