Being a wedding photographer myself, I can just imagine the shock that couples have to go through when they’re presented with today’s wedding photography costs.
If you’re one of them, below are 13 proven ways to save on wedding photography expenses and still get awesome wedding pictures:
- Decide on how much you’re willing to allocate to wedding photography and stick to it. If it can only buy the service of a photographer you like, so be it. That way, you’re already ensured that the pictures you’ll be getting will be pictures that you will love. Postpone the albums, framed portraits, prints, what have you. You can have it later when you have enough funds. In the Philippines, there are very good photographers who offer their service for only $300 for the whole event. Of course, that would be a different story if you’re in the U.S. or Europe.
- Remember the time when people just buy their albums from the mall and mount the pictures themselves? You could do that, too, after you’ve made prints of your wedding photos.
- Book early, say like 24 months, to get today’s prices. Most wedding photographers increase their prices yearly.
- Cut the timeline. The longer your event, the more it will cost to document it. Since photographers often charge based on the number of hours they will spend at your wedding, a shorter and smaller wedding celebration will yield big savings in your photography budget. You could also exclude the preparation part if you want to cut cost. But you can negotiate this. I’m sure you and your photographer can reach an agreement where both of you will be happy. I know I will.
- Get a photojournalist. (Did I just give you an idea that can take away potential business from me?) I guess I did but since this post is about you getting savings, that’s perfectly okay. Anyway, I think there are enough photography jobs for everybody. So, go ahead, call the newspapers. They employ good photographers. And these photographers are very good at what they do. Even I call them if I need a second or even third shooter.
- Commission a good local photographer near the place where you are getting married to avoid out-of-town charges. If you’re worried about the quality, there’s another post I will share with you later to determine if the photographer can deliver the goods. So watch out for it.
- Get a package from your caterer or event planner. These wedding caterers and planners sometimes bundle wedding photography with their services. You can definitely save money if you package everything.
- Want creative wedding pictures? There are lots of amateur photographers willing to produce cool and artsy photos. Why not try them. I’m sure they will give you a good package for the chance to do their own style of photography. Just make sure you want their style in the first place (more on this on a future post.)
- There are many photography schools right now. Why not ask them if they’re willing to refer students who might want to shoot your wedding. Just don’t expect these photo students to act the same as professional photographers in terms of interaction with you and your guests and handling difficult and totally unexpected situations because unforeseen and sometimes unpleasant things do happen in weddings. But who knows, you might get a photo student who may already be very good at these things. Oh, by the way, that’s why professional photographers are expensive. You’re not just paying a person with a camera. You’re paying mostly for years of wisdom and experience. Add to that the insurance that you’ll get what you wanted, and usually more.
- Make sure you get the high-resolution photos on DVD. Try to find a photographer who will let you have the hi-res files. There are many photographers who consider themselves to be photographers only – artists not in the business of selling photographs. After the big day, they’ll hand over your DVD and be on their way. They’re yours to keep and print whenever and wherever you like in any manner you please.
- Point your relatives and friends to the website or brick-and-mortar office of your wedding photographer where they can get their own prints and albums. This way, you don’t pay for their copies. I’m pretty sure they’ll understand. Btw, I’m planning to put this idea to work here in my website where people can order prints and albums from their events. Stay tuned.
- Avoid, if you can help it, any cancellation, and find out from the start the photographer’s policy regarding wedding-date changes. This thing may be another source of shock later on if you don’t ask because professional photographers will definitely charge extra for these things. I know I will. Also ask your photographer about alternatives if he or she is not available on the backup date.
- And finally, because of Photoshop and other photo retouching applications, you might be tempted to ask your wedding photographer to remove a double chin, make you more shapely, add Aunt Mildred in the picture, and on and on and on. You know what? These cost money. Of course, professional wedding photographers will be willing to do that. For a cost. So leave the fancy retouching and effects out and stay within the photographer’s normal digital post processing. Besides, if your wedding photographer is really good, he or she will make every shot as perfect as can be. On location.
There. 13 proven ways to save on wedding photography expenses while getting awesome wedding pictures. I hope you like it. If you did, you’d do me, and maybe someone who’s getting married, a big favor if you click any of the buttons below to share or tweet it. I’m also willing to talk with you if you’re one of those with budget concerns.
Oh, by the way, here’s a book which I believe could assist you in planning your wedding: Bridal Bargains: Secrets to Throwing A Fantastic Wedding On A Realistic Budget
