Recession Wedding Photography: 5 Tips

Nowadays every young couple seems to want to get married and recreate some of the fairytale celebrity weddings they see everywhere. But the cost of a wedding can frequently cause a lot of misery both before and after the big day. Last year, the average US couple spent k on their wedding, with the average in the UK being far higher at a whopping £20k, or k. That’s probably the most expensive day you’ll ever have (unless you one day throw a winning lottery ticket in the wash). As the recession gets worse and job security declines, brides and grooms to be are become incresingly wary of such expensive weddings and are naturally looking for a cheaper way. 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. Below are my top five tips on how to keep your wedding photography budget low, without compromising on 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 since there are so many photographers jostling for space the problem is it can be easy to miss out on some great ones by not searching deeply enough. Don’t be content with just looking at Page 1 of the results or the first few sponsored listings. By ensuring you take your time on your search you can get the best possible short-list of potential wedding photographers to choose from. Also don’t just go for the obvious search terms – make sure you vary your searches, and always include a few local areas and towns to find photographers who are slightly further afield but willing to travel. My wife and I live in Sussex, and when looking for our photographer we not only searched “Brighton Wedding Photographer“, we also made sure to look for photographers in London, Kent and Hampshire.

2. Watch Out for Hidden Costs

Nowadays the vast majority of photographers use digital cameras rather than older film cameras requiring development in a darkroom. That means the wedding photography pricing are a lot more simple now too. However believe it or not a lot of wedding photographer still work on a pay-per-print model, where couples have to choose which pictures they want and pay extra for them! Always look for photographers willing to give you all the images from the day on CD. Like this you can choose which prints you want to get done at leisure and get them printed for relatively low cost.

3. Optional Extras and Photo Books – DIY!

With digital photography the era of the traditional wedding photo album has passed. These days contemporary wedding photography 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. Be Wary of Wedding Photography Scams

I have heard so many stories of unfortunate couples who have been taken in by unscrupulous con artists posing as wedding photographers. These swindlers will poach couples with cheap prices and slick sales pitches, receive their deposits or even full booking payments and then never be heard from again. It is a heartbreaking and cruel practice. However the good news is that they’re easily avoided. Make sure you pay any deposits via secure bank transfer as this can be traced in the event of a problem, and that you receive an invoice and receipt for your payment. And be sure to get a proper contract from the photographer which makes clear what you are getting and what you are paying for – this provides protection to the couple. 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 Go Over the Top!

My last tip is perhaps the opposite of a moneysaving one, but just as important as the others. In your quest to cut your wedding budget don’t go too far! It’s worth repeating that out of all the services you pay for on your wedding day, the photography is quite possibly the most important to get right. There are a lot of amateurs out there with little experience, talent and lacking in the proper equipment. If you look at their prices they seem like a bargain. 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?