Your best friend has asked you to take pictures of their wedding, and you don’t want to mess up this important task! They may have decided not to hire a professional photographer and instead are relying on you to do the photography for them.

You feel the pressure, and want to make sure you don’t mess up. Here are the top guidelines to help you from Jim Whitesell, a wedding photographer in Edmonton:

1. Use the best equipment possible

A small point-and-shoot camera is fine for capturing family memories, but doesn’t do as well as a digital SLR with an external flash. The focus time, shutter delay, and limited reach of the small built-in flash will all cause problems for you. If you do not own or have access to a digital SLR camera and external flash, you can probably rent them from a camera store. Be sure to test and practice with the camera before the wedding day! A professional will likely have multiple lenses as well, but this is often beyond the ability of a casual shooter.

2. Take at least two memory cards

Although it doesn’t happen often, memory cards can fail. Keeping an extra card with you is cheap insurance that will keep you shooting if your card does quit working. Be sure the cards are of ample size so you don’t run out of space half-way through the night. 4GB is the minimum size you should have with you.

3. Batteries, batteries, batteries

Be sure to charge the camera batteries the night before, and preferably have a second battery charged and ready. Most external flash units use AA batteries so have a couple extra sets of these, too.

4. Attend the rehearsal

Taking pictures at the rehearsal is the best way to be prepared for the pictures you’ll take at the actual ceremony. You’ll have a feel for where to position yourself for the best shots. While a professional wedding photographer won’t usually shoot at the rehearsal, they will often make an appearance to not only reassure the bride and groom that they are prepared for the next day but also to scope out the building. Their experience will enable them to know where the best shots are just by seeing the facility.

5. Posing the bridal party

When taking formal pictures of the bridal party, watch the details. Make sure everyone’s face is visible, and pay attention to the placement of hands and feet. Pleasing poses are important.

6. Photographing the ceremony

If the wedding will take place inside a church, you’ll need to shoot the ceremony without flash. Use a tripod to hold the camera steady or camera shake caused by longer exposure times will likely ruin the pictures.

7. Shooting the reception

If possible, try to get a shot or two of the reception hall before everyone arrives. Takes some shots of other details, too - like the head table decorations, cake, etc. Once things are underway, it’s always nice to go table-to-table and get pictures of all the guests.

8. Shoot the details

Take pictures of the little details. The rings, bridal bouquet, ring bearer, flower girl, bride’s shoes, etc. are all great details to capture and the bride will be quite pleased to have these.

9. Capture the fun

There are always fun, unplanned moments that make each wedding unique and memorable. Always have your camera ready to capture the moment!

10. Back up the photos

As soon as possible after the wedding, burn all the original images to a CD or DVD for safekeeping. Do this before you make any changes to them. If you accidentally delete an important picture or have a computer failure you’ll still have the originals to fall back on. Even a professional budget wedding photographer will make backups.

You have been given a very important task. The pictures are the best way to remember the wedding and all the fun details. Even though a professional wedding photographer will do a better job, those with limited funds may not have the ability to hire one.

If you aren’t confident you can do a good job, why not suggest you pay for all or part of a professional photographer’s fee as your gift to the bride and groom? And if you just happen to be near Edmonton, Alberta, please check out Jim Whitesell’s site for Edmonton wedding photos.

Has your family chosen where you want to go on your summer vacation?  You are not alone, most families have not yet decided where they want to go.  It can be a very time consuming process to find that perfect vacation escape, so explore the choices for your Rhode Island tourism.  You will discover various options and it certainly will not be a simple choice!

However, if you are thoughtful and take the time to do some planning, it should make your summer vacation fun and one of those “family memories” that you will treasure forever.  The most common mistake people experience is first choosing a “destination.”  The best vacations start when you first choose “what you want to do”!  Do you want to go hiking, tanning on a beach, playing and relaxing at a pool, or touring educational or heritage attractions?  By deciding “what you want to do” first, you are off to the best start of selecting that perfect family tourism destination!

Once you know “what you want to do” – you can sort through the various tourism destination areas and find those appealing attractions that you hope to go see or do.  By taking a little time planning, you can also discover those destinations that have a number of attractions that are of interest to both you and your inclusive family.  Online travel guides are invaluable that can help you find comprehensive information about activities that are more detailed than a short attraction name and address.   Now that you know “what” you want to do and “where” you want to go, a real high quality online Rhode Island destination brochure will provide you a comprehensive article describing each attraction to help you make an informed decision about what you want to do and where you want to go.

Here are 3 Rhode Island vacation locations that you may want to consider:

Idea #1: Located in the Blackstone Valley Region, Kids will Love a Visit to Daggett Farm in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Located on the old grounds of the Slater Park Zoo in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, the Daggett Farm and Greenhouse was established in 1999. The proceeds from the Daggett Farm and Greenhouse and Gift Shop support programs to benefit those with developmental disabilities. This means that a visit to the farm and gift shop is more than just fun and educational; it can also make a difference in peoples’ lives.

Idea #2: Fort Adams State Park is a wonderful attraction to visit in Newport, Rhode Island.  Its natural harbor location made Fort Adams an important and heavily armed fort from the Revolutionary War all the way through modern times. In addition to preserving an important historical attraction, Fort Adams State Park is the site of popular annual music festivals. It is also a favorite spot people visit to enjoy a variety of water-based activities, field sports and picnicking.

Idea #3: One of Rhode Island’s most interesting museums also happens to be the only museum of its kind in the state. The Museum of Natural History in Providence is the only museum in Rhode Island dedicated exclusively to natural and cultural history, and it is also the site of the state’s only public planetarium.

As you have discovered, you have a significant variety of options available to you when it is time to select that perfect family vacation escape.  Enjoy your time to plan carefully what you want to do and where you want to go.  Select a professional travel guide to help you discover those perfect Rhode Island attractions.  And you will find that you will experience a wonderful vacation with a lifetime of memories.