Towards a Perfect Wedding

A Low-tech Wedding Limo

Loving Congratulations

 A professional photographer is the only person who is going to work your whole wedding day, from before you slip into your dress all the way through to the time you climb in to your limo at the end of your reception. As a professional wedding photographer I have attended 100's of weddings, and I have had to become something of a wedding expert by default - this blog is a fun way to share some of the  'insider' knowledge I've gleaned along the way. 

Brides want their marriage ceremony to be perfect. Part of making this memorable occasion nothing short of spectacular is to involve the right people behind the scenes. Everything from the cake, to the music, to the photographs need to be spot-on, and when it comes to pictures, competent direction and, lighting and posing skills that a professional wedding photography brings to your wedding assure the bride-to-be that she will look absolutely stunning. 

Strolling in the Grounds

So, how much should wedding photography cost? I know that every bride would love to have a Wedding Photography Price List and go shopping with it in her hand, but that's just not practical  in the world of wedding photography. However, you can get your hands on one price list for wedding photography to help you with your comparison shopping. 

Go to my website at http://weddings.davidrichphotography.com and click on the Prices and Packages tab. You are welcome to print off the prices for different levels of wedding photography services and use these to compare with other photographers... you can also click the links to see exactly what you get at each price point. Don't worry that most wedding photographers do not post a price list on line; they are not trying to make things difficult, but too many couples get stuck on the price question, and ONLY shop by price. Lots of effort goes into weeding out "tyre kickers" from real clients, and holding back price details until the photographer is sure that you are a legitimate client is a common practice. Hard to be specific when you haven't spoken to the bride and groom.

Wedding Hide and Seek

Once you have phoned or emailed them, explaining what you hope for (use the details from my site as a starting point) most will be happy to quote you. If they insist on an interview first, there are plenty of others who are more open about their pricing policies.

Be cautious about low price upfront offers. If your wedding photographer charges a base shooting fee, telling you to order albums, DVDs, image files and so on after the wedding, you can run over budget very quickly. The same is true if you hire someone who just charges for their time and a disk full of images for you to print out later... It seems like a way to save some money, but the chances are that you are going to pay more in the long run and get a far less professional result - if you ever get around to making those prints and albums at all!

You should also be careful not to take on the job of supplying photographs for your guests and relatives who want photographs from your wedding day; that can be trying, time consuming and, sometimes, expensive. It is better to look for a photographer who will facilitate everything you need in one easy package at a price you agree with them in advance. If you wish to add something after the wedding (a parents album or canvas wall hanging, for instance), a professional wedding photographer will have secure copies of all your files and be able to ensure you get the best prices and quality.