I have heard many times from brides especially in the past year as our economy continues to have problems, that they just love my work, but it’s not in their budget. They feel torn, because they want artistic, unique wedding photos photos that tell the story and capture the magic of their day, but they also want their dream wedding experience, too. I have thought up a number of ways that brides and grooms can help to cut their budget without having to sacrifice the wedding photography that they REALLY want.
- Some vendors (including the photographer!!) may be willing to give a discounted rate for an off-day wedding, which occurs during the week (Monday to Thursday). Don’t count on an enormous discount, since working a wedding on an off day is just as intense as on a weekend, but since it’s a day that would otherwise not get booked, it’s worth asking about. Maybe you can score an extra hour of coverage, some additional photos in your album, or a complimentary custom print. In this day and age, every little bit can help!
- Book your vendors 12 months in advance, before prices go up. All vendors, including photographers, generally raise prices for events more than 12 months out. You’ll save more money by booking your wedding vendors a year ahead of time.
- Reduce your hours of coverage. While it would be great to cover your reception from beginning to end, you can save a few hundred to over a thousand dollars (depending on the total length of your wedding) by cutting out the last two to three hours of your reception.
- Postpone buying your album. The photos aren’t going anywhere, so why not purchase a few prints and hold off on the album until after the wedding is over. You can use some of the money you received in your wedding gifts to buy your dream album, or save up and purchase the album for your first wedding anniversary. There are also smaller album or brag book options for those who need something now but can’t afford to pay for the main album yet.
- Have an intimate wedding! Intimate weddings are the new black. With everything about the wedding scaled down to only include your nearest and dearest, you’ll have lots more room in the budget for things that really matter to you, like better pictures, or a nicer honeymoon. While I had a beautiful wedding, if I could go back and do it again, I absolutely would have gone this route. Aside from having more time to spend with your closest family and friends, you’ll also have more time with your photographer if you choose an intimate wedding – and you’ll be able to spend more time taking beautiful portraits that you’ll look back on to remember your day for the rest of your lives.
Finally, if you are really stuck financially and cannot afford your dream wedding photographer no matter how many sacrifices you make, find someone whose work you like who you can afford. Then, book a post-wedding bride & groom portrait session with your dream photographer. The post-wedding session can be anything from a stunning portrait session at a place like Vizcaya, Fairchild Tropical Gardens, or Morikami Gardens while wearing your wedding outfits, to a full on “Trash the Dress” session at one of our beautiful South Florida beaches. If you can’t afford to hire your dream photographer on your wedding day, I think that an after-session is the next best thing!
