We all know that weddings are expensive. In fact, aside from purchasing a car and your house, weddings can be one of the largest expenditures you ever make in your life! Just about everything needed for your wedding is going to cost money, and a lot of it. Thinking about all the costs you’re about to incur makes you realize that you and your fiancé really need to sit down and decide on a budget.
When planning your budget, you’ll need to decide what items on your list are going to be a priority and which ones you won’t mind cutting costs on in order to save a few dollars for the more important expenses, or to save money overall. One item on your list that you will have to consider is the wedding photographer. While you may think that this is an area it’s okay to cut costs on, we’re here to tell why you should definitely not cut costs on wedding photography.
The Photography Is an Investment
When you look through your wedding album ten years down the line, you want to be looking at high definition photos that truly captured the experience of the day and the essence of you and your spouse as a couple. The images taen by your wedding photographer are all you will have to remember of one of the most important days of your life, so it’s important that they not a good, but an exceptional job. No matter how much money you spend on the venue, the flowers, the wedding cake, the food, the champagne, or the music, the only thing you get to keep years later are the photos. The value of these photos will increase as time goes on. And because you don’t get any do-overs, this is one investment you should make.
Friends or Un-Professional Photographers Aren’t Experienced
Think you can find a friend or a brand-new wedding photographer who can do just as good a job as a wedding photographer who has been taking photos for years and years? Think again. Experienced wedding photographers are wedding photographers for a reason. Professional photographers attend weddings regularly, so they know precisely when certain moments are going to happen and how to capture them. They know what emotions are going to be captured on the lens at certain moments, and they know where to be at any time during the day of the wedding. Wedding photographers are also experienced in capturing the story of your wedding based on the theme and the couple that you are. Most photographers will spend time with you before the wedding to better understand you two as a couple.
If you have a friend who is an aspiring photographer and they’re new to the scene, you have every reason to not hire them, and here’s why. Sure your friend may cost a lot less, and perhaps they’ll even offer to shoot your wedding for free. Doesn’t that sound great?
But what if the photos don’t turn out great? This happens more often that one would think, and it can be difficult to bring up with a friend, both when it concerns refunds and letting your friend know that they were unable to capture your dream day the way you wanted. Relieve yourself of any possible stress, arguments, and regrets by hiring a professional photographer. In addition to all that, if someone is you friend, wouldn’t you rather have them enjoying your special day with you instead of working during the wedding? With today’s technology, we already find ourselves missing out on moments by spending too much time capturing it on our phones. You might realize it’s better to have your friend in the crowd and enjoying it themselves, rather than watching it from the sidelines.
Pricing is an Indicator of Quality
You should always browse the past works of any photographer that you consider but checking the price a photographer charges can often be a good indicator of the quality of service they provide. Price is often reflective of how much experience they have, the quality of their lighting and camera equipment, and the quality of their final product. To make up for cost of expensive equipment, a vendor will charge more to make up for the cost of their expenses, A high price means that many other couples have been willing to pay the price for their services – which means the quality of their photos are worth it.
When sitting down with your fiancé and setting your budget towards the beginning of the wedding planning process, remember not to skimp out on the budget you choose to set aside for your wedding photographer. There are many items that you can choose to cut costs on for your wedding, and other items where you can find great wedding alternatives, but the wedding photographer is not one of them.