You have dream all your life for mr. right and for the day you say I do. You have envision it, spent countless hours clipping away from Bridal magazine and watching My fair Wedding looking for inspiration and cool ideas. You have save and put away hard earn money for the day.
Then when the time finally comes you are faced with many choices and decision and all cost you money. In some cases lots of money. But you know that all is worth it because it is YOUR Day. It is the day you have dreamt.
There are many big ticket items, like the ring, wedding gown and venue. And wedding photography is for sure one of them. And like anything, there are many choices for wedding photography in all prices. And when you look at it, don’t all wedding photographers offer the same products and services? They all offer “X” amount of wedding day coverage, usually all images on a disc and, of course, a wedding album. And although we all say we offer the best album for the price, aren’t all albums the same? Aren’t they just two covers that hold images on stiff pages. And in some, even all the images in their websites look the same to the next photographers…
If all is equal, then, why shouldn’t you go for the cheapest one? Because all is not equal.
Yes, it is true that from the outside, every photographer seems to offer the same services and products. Some even use the same albums companies. So, how they can justify charging sometimes 3, 4, 5 and even 10 times what others charge for the same?
In order to explain it, let’s go back to the dream… and to the reality… YOUR wedding day, YOUR Day!
A Wedding photographer offers you much more than a menu of services and products. Although that is the context we get to structure our packages and prices, what we offer you is much more than “X” amount of hours, all images on a disc and a wedding album. Because of this fact, and only because of this fact, is why you can find good photographers in all price brackets. But to be able to find the right photographer for your budget you need to see pass the typical offering and see what really matters. That is the only way you can avoid choosing wrong.
You commission a wedding photographer not just to be “X” amount of time at your wedding and to give you the wedding images on a disc and give you a wedding album, but you are entrusting him to capture, document and preserve YOUR DREAM, your wedding moments, emotions, people. Then you are entrusting him the design of an album in such a way that every time you look at your images you will once again live YOUR DREAM.
You hire a professional wedding planner to make real YOUR DREAM and you hire a professional photographer to forever preserve YOUR DREAM. The real difference between us is the way we do it. Our artistic (or lack of) sensibility. Our technical knowledge and proficiency (or lack of). The experience, customer service and quality we each provide. And, most of all, the chemistry between you and your wedding photographer.
That is why you need to talk to and not just email them. Yes, email will get you information, prices and answered questions fast and conveniently, but you need a real conversation. Remember, you are entrusting a lot to the wedding photographer. And I mean a lot! So call or have us call, or even better, request a personal consultation.
In first place, you will be able to see and judge his/her work and see if there is technical knowledge and proficiency and if he/she is consistent (everyone can get a wow shot once in a while). Can he capture beautiful images? Does he/she has good timing? Does he pay attention to important wedding details? Does he understand weddings? Does he/she likes them or is just one more job? You will know by how he speaks about his past weddings and his work. Is he passionate about what he/she does? Can he/she tell a good story? Check his albums. Watch how he/she handles them. Watch how he/she speaks about past brides. Does he/she speak good about them? or does he/she gossip about them?
Talk to him/her about YOUR DREAM. See how he/she reacts. Does he/she hangs in every word trying to understand you and your dream? Or is he waiting for the next break in the conversation to keep selling him or herself? Is he/she helpful beyond his area of expertise or he/she just want to sell you? In other words, what is the bottom line? It is you or the sale? Is he passionate about your wedding and photography? And I mean, truthfully passionate or is just a cover just to make a sale? Only by having a one on one consultation, in person or by phone, you will be able to see and judge if you are dealing with the real deal or with a poser, with a “rock star” or a solid rock photographer, you will know if there is chemistry or not between you and the photographer. You will be able to really see i this photographer is one more of the same or the real thing.
How you remember your dream and your wedding will depends of the photographer you entrust your dream to. So, not all photographers are created equal.
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