And, while keeping within your budget can be extremely important, and sometimes even critical, we at MasterPiece Weddings firmly believe that photography should not be the place to skimp.
Take a look at these photos. These are beloved photos from our very own Melissa's wedding back in the early 1990s. For budget reasons, Melissa opted not to hire a professional photographer and regrets it to this very day.
The sad part is that a fair amount of these people are no longer with us, and these are the last images I have of them.
Instead of opting out of hiring a professional photographer, we suggest hiring the best photographer you can find and just getting their cheapest package.
Instead of opting out of hiring a professional photographer, we suggest hiring the best photographer you can find and just getting their cheapest package.
Do you have any thoughts on skimping or saving with photography?
13 comments:
I freaked out when I realized what the price would be for the photographers we wanted. But a kind friend reminded me that I had said a few weeks earlier that I wouldn't skimp on photography because the pictures last forever and are something you will be showing your families and friends for years. So we sucked it up and paid the extra penny to make sure we got what we wanted.
That being said, there are ways to get it for cheaper. Find someone in the journalism department at your local college who has an abundance of photography experience, or someone who is early in their career but whose work you've seen and trust.
Even though we're planning to keep our entire budget under $10,000AUD both my fiance and I agreed we would never skimp on photography. 1/4 of our budget is going to this, but it's the one thing we'll have for years after to look back on.
We'll never regret it!
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I think you should renew your vows. That way you could get some really great shots. We used Powers Photography, and they were worth every penny.
As a wedding photographer I couldn't agree more with this post. Yes, I know some of us can be pricey but it's worth it.
One suggestion I have is to ask about payment plans. I know a lot of photographers are doing these now- we do and it's proved to be very helpful for our brides to not have to pay large sums of money at once.
Those photos say it all. That's so sad, Melissa. Think you could talk John into an anniversary shoot?? :-)
So very true! I made the same mistake years ago... so sad. Thanks for this post! - Michelle Loretta
This is so true. We did hire a "professional" photographer, but the images are not anything that we love. Fortunately they are in focus and the color is good, they are just boring. I wish I would have known better to go out and really do some research, I got married in a small town and thought I only had 2 options. {did you know we photog's will travel, wow, who would have thought} But, if I wouldn't have had that experience, then I might not have gotten into the business.
As a wedding photographer it saddens me to no end to see work like this. Choosing to go with a cheap photographer is a mistake that you have to life with for a very long time.
Best thing to do is check around. Most cities have a large amount of outstanding wedding photographers.
We decided that the main thing we would have after the wedding were the pictures and prioritized accordingly. The food gets eaten, the flowers dry out (even if they get pressed), friends and relatives go back home, but the pictures remain.
Cut the budget somewhere else. Use an experienced photographers with the right equipment, enough assistants, and a gift for capturing "moments." Invest in the pictures, especially now that they can be edited and preserved digitally.
As a someone who's so passionate about wedding photography and the importance of who's with you through your wedding day, the priceless images that are captured and the only thing left from the wedding I love this post!
Sometimes we just aren't educated on the importance and reality of the decisions that we are making, especially with all the energy and newness of planning a wedding...
IF anything, don't skimp on the photography! The difference is quite evident, mostly.
I knew from the beginning that photography was important to me! However, being on a limited budget, I decided to go the "find a journalism recent graduate" route. I found a girl who seemed passionate, had a great camera, and spoke about doing the kind of photos I wanted! I saw her limited portfolio (no weddings) and booked her with a small deposit. Since she offered free engagement photos, I jumped on that right away. Thank goodness I did! I found that I didn't care for her style, her personality, her way of giving direction, her editing skills, etc. After a little soul searching, we went over the budget, found some wiggle room and added more money to the pot. Then I contacted my dream photography team and booked them! I'm also getting more engagement photos soon! I now feel MUCH more confident about my wedding images. I suggest that everyone get engagement photos..if for nothing else more than feeling out your potential wedding photographer!
I agree with the poster. As a professional photographer, check out the person's work. Many people call themselves professional photographer and produce unprofessional results. I say the proof is in the pudding (photographs). So you can check out our work and see what you think. We want you to be like Jeff and Julie. Every time they looked at their pictures they smiled and were happy at the great number of amazing photos that we took for them and that will last them a life time. Those are their words not ours. Comments on Facebook and in customer comments.
http://kwmastersphoto.com
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