day memories.

Capturing the big day on film is one of the most important parts of a couple's wedding plans. But if you're a top photographer like Ann Spurling, who do you choose to take your wedding pictures? Spurling, who will be marrying fellow photographer Bruno Zupp on March 6, jokes: "We did tell a few people we were going to do it ourselves and the look on their faces was just wonderful!'' Spurling, one of Bermuda's leading commercial photographers, admits wedding photography is not her forte. "I've only done about three and I'm terrified of them,'' she admits. "I think it's the pressure of the day. If you screw up, it's the one occasion in their lifetime.'' Instead, she usually directs any requests for wedding shoots to either Ernie McCreight of Visual Impact Photography or Wayne Todd at Quality Color, both experienced wedding photographers and Spurling herself has picked McCreight for her big day.

So what does a professional like Spurling look for in a fellow photographer? "What I look for myself in a wedding photographer is the format of camera - I want two and a quarter -and the experience of the photographer. The more weddings they have done the better.'' Spurling says couples should expect to pay anywhere from $800 to $1500 for a complete service with wedding album. "Price is pretty much all the same unless you're taking an amateur but then you are taking a chance.'' She advises couples to look at a photographer's work,"but remember they are showing you their best work and ask other people who have used them.'' Also, have a good idea of what type of pictures you want.

"The difficult thing at a big wedding is who do you shoot? The photographer doesn't know who your relatives are and people get upset when they don't get the shot of their long-lost relative. That should be established before the day. Make sure you know who you want in the photos. Decide whether you want formal pictures or a lot of candid shots and make sure you know what you're talking about - don't say candid shots and then get mad when you don't get that nice picture of you with your parents.'' In the picture: Ann Spurling and Bruno Zupp.

RG MAGAZINE MARCH 1993