Affordable Wedding Photography Solutions No comments yet

I had a bride, which has booked me for her upcoming wedding, call me a few days ago in tears. She had just lost her job and her & her fiance where already on a tight budget. She didn’t know how she was going to pay for her wedding, including her wedding photographer and she couldn’t postpone her wedding. After a brief discussion with her, we had worked out a payment option that we could both live with this way she wouldn’t have to compromise her wedding photography.

This phone call made me think; we’re in a recession and I have seen business slide a little. I’ve actually had brides email me trying to barter for services. I had one willing to do a new website for me in exchange for wedding photos. Others try to cut deals or modify packages. Nevertheless, people couples felling the pinch and know other photographers are too. So, I have a brief list of suggestions for both brides and photographers; the former on how to acquire affordable wedding photography, the latter on how not to lose potential business due to price.

Affordable Wedding Photography for Brides:

First, let me preface this list with a note: You should always hire a professional photographer when you can. I have had many brides, where I was not their wedding photographer, contact me asking me if I could fix their wedding photos because their “friend” or ‘”cousin” photographed the wedding and didn’t do a good job with lighting, etc. So, if you can afford it, hire a pro. Because, by the time I get done charging them to fix their photos, they could have hired a professional photographer.

1. If you want to hire a specific wedding photographer, ask if they can take payment arrangements. You’ll find some are willing to help you here. But keep in mind you may not see any images until you are done making payments.
2. If you’re getting married during the week or in the winter, you may want to ask if your photographer offers a discount. Some photographers don’t publicize any discounts, while others may. So it does not hurt to ask.
3. You can try bartering. It may or may not work. Most photographers I know tend to shy away from this, but it’s worth a try.
4. If you truly can not afford a professional wedding photographer, then you can try a photography student. Try your local community college. If you’re in the Azusa area, try Tri-Community Photography School as well. (This is not a paid advertisement, just know of them.)
5. If you can’t locate a student at a college, then you may want to try some online resources. I don’t really advocate this approach, but have seen people use it with success. One source is craigslist.com or another site, guru.com.
6. Or, you can have a friend or family member photograph your wedding. But keep in mind, you may not get the quality you had hoped for. The again, you may have a very talented friend or family member.

Tips to Getting the Wedding Photo Booking:

As a photographer, I’ve had to make concessions when it comes to getting a booking. Especially during times of economic hardship like now. While you as the photographer get to decide your business practices, you’ll find that by being flexible, you may gain more business in the long run. Here are a few tips I’ve learned over the years:

1. If you already don’t, you may want to try taking a payment plan. I have been able to book a few more weddings by doing so. However, put it in your contract and be very specific. I had a couple once take two years to pay. That meant they didn’t receive their images for two years. I don’t take such long payment plans any longer, but do what feels comfortable for you and the couple.
2. While I mentioned this above for the brides, you may want to barter. I personally don’t, but you never know what someone may offer you. It’s worth hearing the offer at least.
3. You may want to postpone the retainer you collect. I do collect a retainer, but when I meet with a couple who may not have the full amount, I will have them sign a contract and let them know that the date is not officially set until I have the retainer. I also inform them that if I get a call for the date they want to book, I’ll call the couple first and see if they have the retainer, if not, I’ll inform them that I do have to meet with another couple for the same date. Typically, I get the retainer from the original couple. However, by doing delaying it, it gives the couple a few weeks or month to get the money together and you really haven’t lost a date since you can book it if you get a request and the original couple could not get you the retainer.
4. Offer a modification of your wedding package. A bride may truly want to book you based on your photography style. However, she may be discouraged on your packages as she may not need everything you offer. So either offer individual pricing or be flexible in your packages.

The bottom line, if both the couple and photographer are flexible, I think they can work out a deal where the couple can afford to hire a professional photographer and the photographer can continue to do business in a down economy. I think it’s a win-win solution for all.