Reception Photographs

Along with the official photographs, another great way to capture the mood of the day is with candid photographs taken by guests or members of the wedding party.

Disposable Cameras

Put a disposable camera on each of the tables at your reception, along with instructions to your guests on how to use it. This is particularly important if your reception is inside and a camera flash is needed. The last thing you want is 200 completely dark photographs!

Buy a good quality brand of camera, and maybe test one out before you buy the rest of them. There is really no point in you paying out for cameras and developing just to get poor quality grainy photos.

Many of the disposable camera makers provide cameras specifically designed for weddings, and so you should be able to find one to coordinate with your colour scheme.

Designate someone (possibly the best man or chief bridesmaid) to collect all the used cameras at the end of the night. Many film-processing firms will put your photos on CD for you, which means that you can e-mail your favourite shots to your guests.

There are now many websites that will allow you to create your own online photo album, all you need to do is create an account and then upload your photos. You can then let all your guests know your album address so they can take a look at their handiwork.

Instant Shots

Ask your bridesmaids or other trusted friends to roam the reception or evening party armed with a Polaroid camera (such as the Polaroid i-Zone 200) to capture a picture of each guest or couple. This camera can be used with instant sticky film, giving you a picture (3.6 x 2.4 cm) with an adhesive back. Once the photo is developed it can be stuck into a guest book, and your guests can write any comments or messages they have for you next to their photo.

You'll end up with a book that really captures the mood of the day, and you'll find out just what your guests were getting up to whilst you were enjoying the reception!