CLOSING THAT GAP OF UNCERTAINTY: Engaged couples today have hundreds of decisions to make for their wedding (or their planner does!). They also might have so many photographers to choose from! One way to save time before actually meeting with a photographer is to find a way to pre-screen them first. An intro or promo video about them and their brand is a great way to accomplish this. Videos help close that gap of uncertainty for the discerning bride.
So what are some tips to bring peace of mind to your wedding photography investment? One thing would be to choose the best photographer for the job. Here are some steps to do that…
THE LAST THING YOU SHOULD WORRY ABOUT ON YOUR WEDDING DAY IS THE PHOTOGRAPHER
A wedding can be an important part of ones family history, and the wedding album is a keepsake for generations to enjoy. With so many photographers to choose from, trusting that responsibility to an experienced, responsible, and professional photographer is even more important today than ever before. The photos are the real tangible things that preserve your wedding day after all is said and done. Most wedding planners will agree that if you find a photographer you absolutely want to cover your wedding, do what you can to have them document your wedding day. It’s about having peace of mind at the beginning, middle, and end of the day! The last thing I want my clients to worry about is photography.
REFERRALS, REFERRALS, REFERRALS!
There is no denying that wedding photography today is not the same it was 5 or 10 years ago. More and more couples today are placing higher value and higher expectations on their wedding photographers. My clients do and so do the clients of several of my colleagues. For one thing there are more of us (wedding photographers) than ever before, especially in large city-regions like Southern California or the Washington DC and Baltimore regions. With the influx of photography “businesses” growing exponentially in numbers every year, competition is fierce. It’s no wonder that engaged couples are becoming more overwhelmed with the number of photographers to choose from and the number of referrals they get from their friends. There are hundreds, if not thousands of wedding photographers in my DC metro area alone. I personally have met a good number of them. There’s still no denying that getting referrals from your friends or your wedding planner is the way to go.
CLOSE THE GAP OF UNCERTAINTY
Nothing beats seeing and loving the work of an actual photographer that shot an actual wedding you attended before you even hire them (I get a lot of my business that way actually). The reason is that you already have a sense of how they work and what they’re all about. The gap of uncertainty is always there when a bride-to-be is searching for the right photographer. But when they have a sense of who the photographer is because they watched them work, it makes things so much easier for everyone, especially the bride. Or if you happen to have watched their intro video on their website, then that’s another way to close the gap. Several of my brides were confident in choosing me because of my video alone!
YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR
Now that you’ve chosen your photographer, it’s time to discuss fees. This can bring a bride to a stressful point in the wedding planning – among many stressful points – the investment in photography. And like any smart spender a bride will have to ask herself “why?” A few months ago Evan Reitmeyer of MyDeejay asked me that same question, “Armin, why is wedding photography is so expensive?” There’s no short answer to this. It’s like asking BMW, “BMW, why are your ‘M’ cars so expensive?” Or asking Apple, “Apple, why are Macs more expensive than some comparable PC’s?” We could go on all day about brand, value, and customer service. But we don’t have all day, so let me sum it up with some reassuring words like I did for Evan…
“The value of wedding photographs preserves important memories that can span generations. Cliche, but so very true. Those that understand the high value of wedding photography also understand the pressure and responsibility placed on the wedding photographer to document and create these important memories for their client. There’s no “take-two” on the set here folks. Weddings happen in real-time. Selecting the right photographer should be on the top of a bride’s list. Many wedding planners recommend to NOT skimp on your wedding photographer and prepare to invest in the one you really want.
There is more to it than just showing up and taking pictures at a wedding. Wedding photography today has evolved to a higher standard, almost an art form requiring the right equipment and skill set. Not only is it a physically and mentally demanding job on the day-of, but there are behind-the-scenes work going on before and after the wedding day the client does not see. It’s not unlike hiring an attorney to represent you in court. You’re not just paying him/her to show up on your court date right? You’re paying them for their level of expertise, education, the resources they have access to, and the time and labor put into building your case and executing the mission before and after the court date. It’s a professional service business, very similar to a smooth running photography business.”
I deliver a brand of peace of mind to my clients throughout the entire experience. The last thing I want them to worry about is photography. The clients I cater too have a high hopes and set high standards for their wedding, the photography is no exception.
by Armin
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