It’s no secret that technology is always changing. Cell phones, computers and TVs are always being updated and some media is left behind. Remember cassette tapes? How about floppy disks? When it comes to technology and storage, you must keep up or risk losing your files.

What does this have to do with wedding photography? Everything!

Most couples will end up with a disk of their images after the wedding, and it’s a fair bet that most of those will also upload all the images to their hard drives. But what if your hard drive crashes? Your only backup is your disk. If technology has moved fast enough, that disk of your amazing wedding pictures could be obsolete. What is to be done?

The best bet is to make sure you have prints in some form from your wedding. Think about your parents’ and grandparents’ wedding photos. They didn’t hand down a negative, they had prints, or perhaps a matted album. Even if they did have the negative, they aren’t really viewable in their raw form. Proof books, or perhaps a custom image box of 4×6 proofs, are a wonderful way to ensure that your wedding images will always be viewable, even if technology has outdated your digital format.

Another great way to preserve your memories is to purchase a wedding album from your photographer. Not only will you be utilizing your photographer’s skill and craft with the images and design, but your album will be of professional, heirloom quality that is built to last. These leather or fabric bound books are gorgeous and something you will be proud to show everyone, and to hand down to your children and grandchildren.

The final tip for making your wedding images last forever is to be sure to keep up with technology. If CDs and DVDs start becoming a thing of the past, do transfer your images over to the new medium de jour. While you’re probably not going to pull out your wedding disk to show people when they come visit, this will ensure that you always have a backup. Maybe even make a backup of your backup. Professional photographers will usually have three redundant backups in the form of hard drives, disks and online storage. This means that even in the unlikely event of a major disaster or catastrophe, your wedding images will still be safe. These images are once in a lifetime and can never be replaced, so take care of them.

Continuing my series of tips for brides is the wedding toast.

Many people don’t think that wedding toasts are a prime source of great wedding images. However, these can be some of the most emotive pictures from your wedding. You can do a few things during your toasts to make sure that you get the best photographs of the event. The best wedding toast photographs come from a combination of a skilled photographer and a little pre-planning by the couple.

Have the people giving the toasts stand next to, or near, the couple, not on the other side of the room. This is especially important if you only have one photographer. It is much easier for your photographer to capture the best reactions from both the toast-giver and the couple if they aren’t constantly turning back and forth.

Have your champagne or other toasting beverage poured and ready before the toasting begins. Nothing ruins a good group toasting shot like one or more servers right in the middle of the crowd.

Don’t be afraid to laugh and show any emotions without reserve. Many brides and grooms are very aware that all eyes are on them during the toasts and will hold back their true emotions. However, truly great wedding toast images are full of genuine, heartfelt emotion, so don’t be afraid to laugh. (or cry!)

Consider limiting the number of toasts given. A few toasts are great, especially if you have some well-spoken attendants in your bridal party, but your guests will get bored quickly if there are too many, and it will show in the wedding images. Have a discussion with your wedding planner or DJ beforehand and ask them to make sure that only the planned speakers give the toasts.

Weddings cakes are probably the most expensive cake you will ever purchase. You’ll want to be sure you have some great images to remember it by. Many cake shots can be static and boring, but here are a few tips from a photographer’s point of view that can help you get the best pictures of your cake and the cake cutting on your big day:

Try not to place the cake under an exit sign. Every shot, both professional and guest, will have the sign in the background and it will become the focal point instead of the bride and groom.

Also try not to put the cake in a corner. Your photographer won’t be able to get a good angle while you are cutting the cake and it will be very crowded around you. You want some breathing room and separation between you and your guests so you don’t end up lost in a sea of faces during the cake cutting.

Do make sure you give your photographer plenty of time to get a few great detail shots of your cake before you cut into it, even if that’s the first thing you do at your reception. This is a once in a lifetime cake for you and your photographer will want to make sure its documented.

Make sure that your photographer knows ahead of the guests when the cake cutting will be happening. This way they will have time to get a in a great position for the event and not be in the guest’s way. Ensuring either you or your coordinator gets a day of schedule to your photographer will go a long way in preparing them.