A picture says one thousand words. But what if a picture of your special day said one word and cost one thousand dollars? What if that one word was, “crap.”
Photography deception is a real thing. It could play out in a few ways:
- You thought you had an incredible photographer but it ends up the company sent some rookie who has no idea who you are, the feeling you want to be captured, or anything else for that matter
- You have an amazing photographer but you weren’t properly advised of the legwork that goes into making the details and background pop for exceptional photos
Or
- You spent so much time scouring your photographer’s past wedding albums that you completely forgot to consider your unique location, details, colors, ambiance, and feel; and completely missed the opportunity to explore the feeling that you want to freeze as memory
Your big day goes by in the blink of an eye. The one thing that you have to rely on for salvaging the overlooked bits of expensive details and invigorating exchanges of smiles from newlywed to newlywed is your photographer who should be there troweling each bit so nothing is left a distance or forgotten memory.
PRESSURE! AMIRIGHT?!
My point is, you don’t need anything else to worry about and you could do without the fear of being totally disappointed with your pictures after. So, I’m going to let you in on a secret. Everything you’ve been told about wedding planning is wrong. Well, not completely wrong, just completely backward!
Traditionally, the first few steps of wedding planning go something like this:
- Choose your budget
- Pick a date
- Pick a place
- Select the bridal party
- Chose additional vendors
- Plan an engagement photo shoot
- Engagement party
- And so on
When really, wedding planning should look like this:
- Choose your budget
- Choose your photographer!
Now, I’m going to stop right there and explain myself before a few of the steps you were lead to believe was key before you tell me I’m biased because I am a photographer.
Before the date: well, you want to make sure your extrinsic memory capturing device, aka your photographer, is available.
Before the place: chances are, your experienced photographer has the ins and outs of the venue. Additionally, venues have a “preferred” list. While photographers on the list may be amazing, they have to pay to be there, and/or money goes back and forth. You want a photographer that has your best interest in mind.
Before the engagement shoot: as a way for me to get to know my weds, their vibes, and feels, I offer a complimentary engagement shoot. This way, I can get to know them on a truly deeper level. Plus, I get to watch their love story unfold.
And so on: don’t be left with photo deception. If there’s a particular photo or feel that you want to be recreated for your special day, now is the time to start working with your photographer. Your photographer is an expert in colors, shades, moods, props, lighting, and more. Utilize their expertise. They can lend their knowledge of capturing many special days and talent for coordinating all of the moving parts to make sure that your day is a beautiful dance.