5 Ways to Stay Frugal Yet Classy With Wedding Photography

Posted on | October 3, 2009 | No Comments

The popularity of weddings seems to have increased in recent years, despite the decline in ‘traditional’ values. When you look at the amount of expense that goes into that one day, however, you may think it causes more misery financially than it does happiness on the day itself. The average cost of a wedding in the US last year was $20,000, and £20,000 in the UK. That’s crazy money when you consider it’s just one day. But more and more couples are feeling the pinch of the recession now, and are looking for a way of getting married on a budget, without spoiling any of the magic of the occasion. Among the drastic measures being taken are asking guests to help with food or music, trimming down invitations to close friends and family only, and the idea of a ‘pre-worn wedding dress’ has appeared in recent years, which was unheard of just 10 years ago. Yet the photography is one area few are prepared to compromise on, and with good reason. Of all the possible expenses you could lay out for your wedding day, its the photography that will stay with you and your family long after the others are just a hole in your bank account. I’ve put together my 5 top tips for how to find a fantastic wedding photographer without breaking the bank.

 

1. Have faith in Google

The majority of modern wedding photographers have their own websites, and one of the most common ways of finding them is via search engines like Google. Yet with the market being so saturated it’s easy for couples to miss out on some amazing photographers and great prices by not using the power of Google enough. Do not make the mistake of not going beyond the first page of results or the top few sponsored links in Google. After a thorough search you should have put together a good list of photographers that you can now start comparing on price and style. Additionally use specialist search terms like “black and white”, “reportage”, etc, as well as looking for wedding photographers from other towns within a couple of hundred miles from you, as most are happy to travel. For example for my wedding I not only searched for “Sussex Wedding Photographer“, we also made sure to look for photographers in London, Kent and Hampshire.

 

2. Watch Out for Hidden Costs

Gone are the days when your wedding photographer had to develop their own prints in a darkroom – its all digital now. Which means that the wedding photographer prices are a lot more simple now too. However believe it or not a lot of wedding photographer still work on a pay-per-print model, where couples have to choose which pictures they want and pay extra for them! Always look for photographers willing to give you all the images from the day on CD. Armed with this CD you can then trot down to your high street photo printers and get the prints you want in the size you want at minimal cost.

 

3. Make your Own Photo Books!

Traditional wedding albums with flowery covers and peeling pages are becoming a relic of the past. Nowadays modern wedding photography books are a big hit with most couples – but the problem is if you go through your photographer these will often cost you an arm and a leg. But if you can be bothered and have a flair for creative design, you can now design photobooks yourself using specialist software downloaded from the net, and get them printed up at ludicrously cheap rates. Ditto when it comes to canvas prints or blow up posters really – as long as you have high quality original image files from your photographer, you can pretty much do it all yourself!

 

4. Be Wary of Wedding Photography Scams

I have heard so many stories of unfortunate couples who have been taken in by unscrupulous con artists posing as wedding photographers. These swindlers will poach couples with cheap prices and slick sales pitches, receive their deposits or even full booking payments and then never be heard from again. It breaks my heart to hear about this sort of thing. However the good news is that they’re easily avoided. Firstly, ensure that any payment of deposits or fees are done via bank transfer – its the most secure method of payment, and can be traced and reversed in the event of a problem. And be sure to get a proper contract from the photographer which makes clear what you are getting and what you are paying for – this provides protection to the couple. And lastly, just make sure you have your radar up – try and visit the photographer, see lots of examples of his work and ask lots of questions.

 

5. Don’t be Tempted to Cut Corners!

My last tip is perhaps the opposite of a moneysaving one, but just as important as the others. Whilst trying to get the best possible deal and price beware of taking things too far! Like I said, the photography is quite possibly THE most important part of your wedding, especially when you look back. There are hundreds of amateur and inexperienced ‘photographers’ out there who are trying their luck as a side income. If you look at their prices they seem like a bargain. But if you ignore the very cheapest prices that’s where you often find the best compromises between price and quality. The bottom line is this: if you look at your photographer’s previous work and it doesnt make you go “wow” then is it really worth paying for a professional?

Tags

photography

Comments