Black Stealth

Five Tips for Choosing a Photographer for your Budget Wedding

Weddings are, usually, beautiful occasions for the couple getting married as well as their guests. But the cost of a wedding can frequently cause a lot of misery both before and after the big day. The average American wedding cost the couple an incredible $20,000, and in the UK the average figure was even higher at £20,000. That’s probably the most expensive day you’ll ever have (unless you one day throw a winning lottery ticket in the wash). 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. Couples are cutting down guest lists, asking for friends and family to help out instead of hiring caterers, DJs and videographers, and brides are increasingly considering pre-worn wedding dresses. Hiring a wedding photographer is one area where a lot of brides and grooms are not, however, willing to cut corners, and rightly so. 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. Here are a few tips on how to stay within your budget for wedding photography without having to take a cut in quality.

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. However with competition being so fierce it’s not hard for prospective brides and grooms to miss out on some really special and talented photographers by not looking far enough when searching. 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. When my partner and I were looking for wedding photographers we not only searched for things like “Sussex Wedding Photographer” – we also looked at other surrounding areas such as Kent, Hampshire, London and Surrey.

2. Be Wary of “Stealth Charges”

Nowadays the vast majority of photographers use digital cameras rather than older film cameras requiring development in a darkroom. All of which has meant that wedding photography prices are a lot more simple now too. Yet many photographers are still working off the model of charging couples for each print they want after the wedding – that’s an additional cost on top of what you’ve already paid for their time! Always look for photographers willing to give you all the images from the day on CD. That way you can get prints done at a fraction of the cost at your local photo printing lab.

3. Optional Extras and Photo Books – DIY!

With digital photography the era of the traditional wedding photo album has passed. These days contemporary wedding photo 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. Dont Get Taken in By the Scam Artists

I have heard so many stories of unfortunate couples who have been taken in by unscrupulous con artists posing as wedding photographers. Such criminals, who it must be said are few and far between, lure couples in with a too good to be true package, often stolen photos, and once they receive the deposit you never hear from them again. It is a heartbreaking and cruel practice. The thing is, if you’re vigilant they’re pretty easy to spot and avoid. 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. Also make sure you get a legally binding contract from the photographer which states clearly what you are getting for your money and will protect you. Finally, and probably most importantly, the phrase “constant vigilance” applies here – go and visit the photographer before money changes hands, make sure you see examples of their work and ask questions about how everything will work – a good photographer will put your fears to rest.

5. Dont be Overzealous in Your Moneysaving Crusade!

My final piece of advice is actually against the whole saving money grain, but I feel it’s really important when it comes to wedding photography. 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 a lot of amateurs out there with little experience, talent and lacking in the proper equipment. By focusing purely on the price you could be misled into thinking these offer a great deal. 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?

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