This post is sort of "tongue in cheek" if you would indulge me for a minute.
I have been giving HUGE discounts on wedding photography packages lately. Why am I doing this? A couple of reasons come to mind. First, the state of the current economy. Many, many people are without jobs and/or have lost their homes and let's face it, it could take some time for things to really turn around.
I am trying to help my brides and grooms have the same fantastic wedding photography services that I was once providing at three times the cost.I understand how tough things are right now.
I have had too many brides come to me after their weddings, showing me their wedding pictures with tears running down their faces in disappointment. These are brides that had wanted desperately to hire me because of my work and my reputation, but chose to have a family member or someone that they found on Craig's List to shoot their weddings in order to save money.
One particular bride said "If only I had given up the chair covers, I could have had you shoot my wedding, I'm so sorry now. How many guests really cared or even noticed the chair covers?. I hate my wedding pictures, and it's too late to do anything about it".
For some brides, their wedding pictures are the most important aspect of their wedding budget. Your pictures are the one thing that you will have for the rest of your life. You will look at them time and time again, show them to friends, family and co-workers. They should evoke the same emotions that you felt on your wedding day.
There are literally hundreds of "newbie" wedding photographers popping up every day. The choices for brides are overwhelming. Take your time finding the perfect match for you. Ask questions of each photographer that you interview. How long have they been in business? Are they licensed and insured? Do they belong to professional wedding photography associations? Ask to see a COMPLETE wedding, not just the "best of the best" pictures that they showcase in their albums and on their websites. Be a smart consumer.
If your wedding photography is very important to you and budget is a concern, look at ways to cut back in some other areas (chair covers perhaps?,or using the standard chairs that your venue provides for your reception instead of upgrading to Chivari chairs, have a smaller cake to cut in front of the guests and sheet cakes that are served from a back room (no one will notice, I promise!).
If you skimp on your wedding photography, it WILL show. You WILL be disappointed. No one wants that for you on the most special day of your life.
