What are those wedding pictures worth, now, later, forever.......
So, what are your wedding pictures really worth? If you’re a bride-to-be, you’ve probably budgeted the dress, the reception, the band or DJ, the flowers, the gifts for the wedding party, the cakes, the honeymoon, the rings and, oh yeah, the photography. If you’re an astute bride you’ve probably decided to spend a little more and hire a professional photographer. After all, you don’t want to cut too many corners on the pictures.
When you’re an “old married woman” they will be worth ever so much more. They are memories of the most special day of your life. Something used to trigger all sorts of wonderful memories. Something to show to and discuss with your children and grandchildren. Something wonderful and priceless.
How does a bride decide what to budget for each of the numerous aspects of her wedding? Well, many brides simply pick numbers out of the air. The astute bride uses the bridal magazines as a source for what to expect to pay for each of those categories. Where do the bridal magazines get their figures? Well, they compile figures from around the country and quote averages.
Quick, what should a couple considering marriage plan to spend on the rings? You know the answer to that one, don’t you? The equivalent of two to three months salary!!
Here’s another quickie: What will you and your husband still have in twenty, thirty, forty or more years? That’s right, the rings, oh, and the pictures. Here’s another one: if couple falls on hard times, what is the least likely thing they’ll try to pawn? OK, OK the wedding album isn’t the hottest thing on the pawnbroker’s list of desirable items. How about this one: if their house catches on fire or, as so often happens in my neck of the Louisiana woods, a flood is eminent, what is the most likely item to be taken out with them? Pictures, pure and simple. And a really nice wedding album will be the thing used to hold up the rest of the family pictures as they’re carried out.
How important are the wedding pictures? I have a good friend who’s been married for about twenty years. Whenever the subject of wedding photos comes up, he goes nuts about the photographer guy who was doing some things they had told him they didn’t want and missed the grandmothers being escorted in, which they really did want. I just don’t bring up wedding photos anymore because of what it does to him. They were pretty important to him. (For us it's all part of "Protecting The Dream")
I have known of a young lady that was living in Tehran at the time of the American evacuation. She is still heartbroken over the fact that when she and her family were evacuated (by helicopter off the roof of the embassy building) she could not take her family pictures because of their weight. She had to leave them behind.
Well, I believe the pictures are every bit as important as the rings and should be budgeted the same way. (two to three months salary) When the reception is over, the band or DJ goes home, the hotel keeps using the rooms, the food and booze end up “wherever” along with the cake. The rings go with the couple, as do the pictures. This is why it’s so important to choose a photographer who will do a wonderful job and isn’t afraid to charge for it. This is not the area to cut corners. Do your homework and spend the money.
Wedding pictures are like so many other things in life: we just have no
idea how important they’ll be until we are way past that time in which
anything can be done about them. Choose wisely and carefully. Beware of low
priced “bargains. Above all, hire a highly skilled professional and be happy
to spend the money.
If you really want to know the value in great wedding photography.....
ask someone that got a bargain, a great deal........until they saw the photographs
we have had many brides bring us photos and asked us if we could "Fix" them
all the magic in the world will not make them what they could be if it is done right the first time and talk about
expensive, art work on fixing others mistakes is very expensive.
Hire a Pro that will get it right the first time
Hire a Pro that has emergency and contingency plans
Hire a Real Professional Photographer
You will be glad you did !