Cautionary Tale about Wedding Photography

It's not often that I get too personal on this blog and that's because it's not about me...it's about you! I write these posts, add beautiful images, contact talented vendors and work hard for all of my brides and grooms, in an effort to make your wedding planning a little bit easier. Because even if you choose not to hire me, I still want to help you! But today, I am going to write a little about me to help you.

I spent 14 long months planning the perfect wedding on a small budget. I was still very young (20), living with my parents, while my soon-to-be hubby was working hard to pay off his student loans and working an extremely demanding job. Thankfully, my amazing parents offered to pay for our wedding.  I paid for small things here and there, but the overall expense was left on my parents.

In all the years I had spent reading magazines and bridal blogs, choosing the elements of my dream wedding, I knew it was an expensive event, yes, but I did not realize the real price tags of individual items until it was time to pay for them, and my parents were even more shocked than I was. This was the moment my real passion for planning weddings on a budget was born. I was determined to find an affordable option for everything. And choosing a photographer was where I began. After already booking one, I ran into an old family friend, who after congratulating me, reminded me she was a photographer. Knowing her and feeling comfortable with her, I went home, checked out her portfolio and prices and cancelled with the first photographer to book the family friend.

Biggest. Mistake. Ever.

A few months later, our engagement photos had turned out gorgous and communication was going smooth. On the day of the wedding, I felt that things went better than planned...until I thought back and realized a lot of the shots I had requested weren't taken. A few days later, I called my mom from our honeymoon, cried a little bit, but then reassured myself that I was overreacting and that my pictures would be beautiful!

Then, three months later and I get the photos in the mail. All that I can remember, after anxiously popping the CD into my computer, is tears streaming down my face. I cried a lot. And I cried for days. Instead of the typical thousands of images from a wedding, I received less than 800. Instead of flawlessly edited photos, I received blurry, dark, far away, awkward and duplicate shots. (These examples are the best of the bad, being that the awful ones are still on a CD in my office that I don't particularly want to look at.)

 

Even with two photographers, there is one photo of our first kiss and well, it sucks!

There is not a single photo of my husband and I at the altar. Not a single photo of my brother with my family and I. There are only a tiny handful of pictures that the hubs & I are even alone in...and most of them aren't very good. No photos of our first toast (except this staged one she asked to take as she was gathering her things and leaving the reception...)

I am still sad and I will always regret my decision and wish I had better photos to remember this day by. Thankfully, this photographer has sinced removed wedding photography from her list of services on her website so no other couples will have to go through what we did.

You can have the wedding photos you've always dreamed of or even better, if you make better decisions than I did. Here are some tips and things to look for in a photographer...

Don't book a photographer unless:

• you see several full wedding albums they have done in the last few years
• you read reviews online or ask for reviews or contact information from previous clients
• their main (or one of their main) focus(es) is weddings/ engagements
• they have a team or second photographer working with them
• they are professional!

Things to look for:

• good standing with the BBB
• referrals from other local wedding vendors
• they've been featured on wedding blogs/ websites
• awards from prominent wedding businesses and sites
• archives and portfolio listed on their website
• good editing skills in their work 
• check out their facebook page for recent activity
• a reasonable rate (you get what you pay for!)

Please feel free to contact me for any assistance in finding the right vendors for your wedding. Comment below and tell me what other things you think could be added to this list of things to look for!

Wedding Budget: Cuts to Avoid

No matter what your wedding budget is, it's likely that you will be looking for ways to cut costs where possible. And why not? There are so many small things you can do or change that will make a huge difference in the overall amount of money you will spend.  But there are endless amounts of articles about how to pinch your wedding pennies. However, there aren't a lot of articles explaining the things you should avoid cutting back on.

• Don't host a cash bar: Just don't do it. Alcohol can amount to a a large percentage of the costs for your reception, but you can host an open bar on the cheap. It's so common nowadays to go to a wedding serving only beer, wine, soda and signature drinks or a combination of the four. If your reception location allows you to bring your own alcohol, buy some kegs and plenty of wine and you will save big! If you're looking to save even more, think about hosting a morning bruch and serving only mimosas or even going sans alcohol.

Photo Credit: Wedding Bee

• Don't skip table decor: Centerpieces are the focal point of each table and an essential element of your reception decor. A room full of bare tables says restaurant, not wedding reception. Flowers are not the only option for centerpieces either. Think outside the box, but within your theme and use items that are unique to you.

Photo Credit: Benfield Photography

• Don't cut videography: This is often one of the first things to go when cutting costs, but it shouldn't be! Read what wedding pros, MPA Productions have to say about this essential service here.

• Don't serve food just because it's cheap: A deciding factor is your guests' enjoyment is how much they did or didn't enjoy their meal. Taste tests, whenever possible, are extremely helpful in making sure your guests will leave feeling satisfied and not heading for the nearest McDonald's. If the delicious catering service you prefer is out of your price range, think about serving an hors d'oeurves buffet in place of dinner or a brunch reception instead of heavy evening meal.

• Don't ditch the favors: Your guests may have plans to cancel, work to skip and traveling to do in order to attend your event. And aside from that, the people who attend your wedding have contributed a lot to get you and your groom to this point in your lives. For both of these reasons, they deserve a small thank you. 

Photo Credit: Steven Myers Photography and Once Wed

There are so many ways you should save money on your wedding costs. And if you need further assistance, email me and I would love to help you!

What do you all think about these no-no's? Are there any others you think should be added to the list?