Say "save your money and cheese"

Photography and videography is a touchy subject in the bridal world. I can understand why. You spend whatever you have on your wedding. You oversee every detail and spend months planning it so you need your pictures perfect. But you dont want to lose an arm doing it. So whats a gal to do? Well some say "DIY" and others say "Dont even try" and unlike catering which all the big wigs say that you should never try to do, I think that so care and professionalism should go into pictures.

Here are some cool sites I like:

Ritz Pix: Here you can send your prints or digitals via pc, phone or online and they will enlarge your pics (4x6) in an hour or they're free. You can share them with friends or family. You can also go into any Ritz Pix location and make a dvd out of camcorder/film, design your wedding album in a hardcover book and much more for less. http://www.ritzpix.com/

YouShoot.com: This site is super cool!!!!! YouShoot lets you rent out digital cameras for your big day!!!! Rent a digital camera for only $19.95! Seriously!!! Keep only your best pics, record video and more! I love it: https://youshoot.com/s_home.php

Panraven: is another great site! You can make a story book (hard copy) with your wedding pics for only $29.95 for twenty pages.The pages are beautiful! Edit your photos here, share your "stories" with your friends and family and more. http://www.panraven.com/home/homepage.html

IdoStream: What do you do if people cant come to your wedding? Let them watch it online live! For $395 (the basic service), you can have a live webcast of your nuptials.Also it includes On Demand access to video for 30 days after the event, live technical support chat for viewers, guestbook for your viewers to sign, up to 50 concurrent viewers and more! No one has to miss anything!http://www.idostream.com/index.html

Here are some ways to get professional pics without the money drama:

1. Ceremony only: Have a professional take pics of the ceremony only.
2. Be on the lookout: For talented photography students at universities or community colleges. Ads in the local newspapers (city papers or criagslist) or online too. Be sure to take a look at their work before booking!!!
3. Disposable cameras at the reception: Yea some pics may be total flops but there will alot to choose from. or you can use YouShoot.com!
4. Get the proof with proofs: hire a photography who will sell you the proofs.
5. Get to see CDs: Hire a photographer who will put your prints on a cd. You can use your prints to make your wedding album, or get more pics etc.

there you have it some tips for DIY and/or budget savvy folks! love ya! picture from Budget Travel Magazine. which rocks!