Wedding Photography Prices Are “Wack”

This has been sitting on my desk for sometime now (almost a year), waiting for when I had a little free time to formulate a proper response to this Craigslist post for wedding photographers :).  While I’m sure this particular bride will never see the response, I hope other brides and/or grooms with the same nagging question will get to see a response from at least one photographer who has been in the industry for 10+ years now.

A few weeks ago as I was contemplating raising our photography prices, I decided the first thing I needed to do was breakdown the time spent not only at the wedding but all the time spent before and after the wedding with post production work.  There’s this fabulous myth that wedding photographers only work the 6-10 hours one day a week while earning a large sum of money.  Unfortunately that is only a myth and not a reality.  It was much to my own dismay I realized I made less than a part time McDonalds employee flipping hamburgers!

Now those of us (I’m included in this at the moment) who charge less than $2,000.00/$3,000.00 are the photographers who lack  the strong business skills  and eventually learn in order to have a healthy business that can properly care for their customers and supply an adequate income to pay for the basics of life (roof, heat, food) that we need to charge at least $2000.00 in order to survive.

Many of the photographers who are in the price range that this particular bride is looking for are only part time photographers who hold down full/part time employment and because of these demands on their time they are unable to pursue training in photography and have little time for editing which leaves brides waiting 6 months or longer for their photographs.  That is one of the common complaints I hear from our brides is that this is what has happened to their friends and they want to be assured they don’t have to wait as long or get images that are substandard.

Another downfall of these photographers, is they get burnt out and fold their business, sometimes before a bride ever sees her wedding photos.  How high on the priority list do you think your wedding is to them now?

Now how many brides say “On my wedding day I hope there is rain, snow, driving wind or fog”, no one!  So living here in the Northwest means that most weddings occur during a three month window.  Now take into consideration that weddings most often are on Saturday this means that you can expect around twelve days a year to make the bulk of your yearly salary.

Then we have to remember that we are now entrusted by our customers to preserve their memories on one of the biggest life changing events in their life.  What an incredible honor to be selected to photograph this amazing day for our couples!  With that honor comes a huge responsibility, there are no ‘do-overs’, no second chances to get this right!  With that responsibility it means we have to know our camera inside out, meaning being technically proficient while being creative on the fly.  Uncle Bob, simply doesn’t have this experience!

As a professional wedding photographer, it means we are small business owners that not only go to fun weddings to photograph the event, we are also the photo editor, accountant, website designer, the marketing guru, customer service department, and so much more, it’s a surprisingly large amount of work involved for one day of photography! 

We haven’t gone into the expenses of owning the business!  The gear, the training, the gas to drive back and forth, the taxes, insurance (for the business and our health) and other miscellaneous expenses that come along with owning a business.  I’m not going to breakdown each of those expenses, there is no need to bore you with those.  However, I assure you they certainly add up and take a good portion of the money received.

With all that said, it’s true we have an AWESOME job!  We get to go to wonderful weddings to photograph people looking their best, meet some amazing people, be creative, be our own bosses, and have the joy of preserving your wedding day memories! 
In closing, many couples have no hesitations in spending over $5,000. for a wedding dress, thousands just to have the right venue, plus several hundreds on wedding cakes and guest favors, etc..  Yet they are willing to cut back on the photography and video, which is the one thing that preserves those special memories!

Contributed by Puget Sound Wedding Professional Member, Monica of Family Affair Photography.

 

Jazz Up Your Wedding Reception with the Right DJ

Many couples, who are planning to get married, often encounter a roadblock when it comes to the right entertainment for their wedding reception.  This is because the groom might have his own preference for the music genre while the bride is more attracted to other types of music.  Naturally they will have to compromise on this at some point.  One solution that can help them come to that compromise is to hire a professional DJ for the special occasion.

A DJ can help the bride and groom find pieces of music that will appeal to both of them without alienating anyone.  Hiring the right DJ can also help the couple figure out what music their guests would like to hear and dance to during the reception.  A DJ who knows the world of music well can make key suggestions then guide the couple towards specific artists and songs that the DJ thinks would suit their respective styles.  This will help soothe frazzled nerves that are already wired due to wedding preparations.

To hire the right DJ it may be important for the bride and groom to ask around their circles for recommendations.  Most likely at least one of their friends, colleagues or relatives knows of a DJ who has a good reputation already.  And if the DJ has a unique style of work that can be great because it means you are not hiring an amateur.

Take note that a DJ does not just play music and stand at his booth all the time.  Your DJ must also be able to work the crowd at the reception with humor, patience and his own charming style and great voice, so that everyone has a nice time no matter how long the reception party will last.  Your DJ could also be the host for the party to make sure your guests stay informed of what’s going on and to keeps things moving along.  You definitely want a DJ who can also take requests for specific songs from the crowd.

Of course let us not forget the importance of your DJ having excellent sound equipment for the reception.  You should check to make sure he has back up equipment too just in case the unexpected happens.  By investing in their own equipment, DJs can assure clients of great service which helps give the impression that this DJ really knows what he is doing.  The last thing any wedding needs is equipment that is worn out, hard on the ears, and often breaks down in mid-song.  By getting the right sound equipment and hiring a capable DJ your wedding reception may be a roaring success that your guests and your new spouse will remember for years to come.

Contributed by Puget Sound Wedding Professional Member DUBREEZY ENTERTAINMENT  at 206-595-4948 or info@dubreezyentertainment.com.  You can check out and “like” their facebook page to see photos from  past events.

Meet Our Member ~ Lifetime Memories

Name: Janine Goehler Business Name: Lifetime Memories Weddings, Events and Officiating

Website: www.lifetimememorieswa.com www.lifetimememorieswed.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lifetimememoriesweddingsandevents

What’s your favorite part of the job? My favorite part of my job is standing at the back of the aisle and watching my Bride take that special walk. Months of work has finally come together and knowing her life is about to change forever. And then watching the Bride & Groom as they come back up the aisle as a married couple.

How did you get to where you are today? I got to where I am today by taking a lot of training, hard work, determination and learning from my mistakes.

What inspired you to start your business? I am a very organized person and I love weddings. Both of these elements are essential if you want to be in any facet of the wedding business. I have always been asked to coordinate parties but when I organized my daughter’s wedding (and we didn’t kill each other) and then a wedding for an international friend, I was hooked. I just loved it so much and missed all of it once the weddings were over. I then had that “light bulb moment” and I realized that I should join the wedding business.

How is your business different from your competitors? My business is different from my competitors in several ways. First of all, I list my fees on my website and they are lower than most. It’s not that I don’t think my experience is worth more money, I know how expensive weddings can be and I try to be sensitive to the budgets. When I started my business I did a non-scientific survey of 20-something gals and they all told me that if a price wasn’t listed they assumed it cost too much or they would be “sized up”, i.e., kind of car, dress, purse, size of diamond, etc., at a meeting and then a price determined by how much a coordinator thought they could afford.

Secondly, I do not limit the amount of contact a client can have with me. Some clients need more contact with me than others and I want to be there to support them all the way.

Third, I always bring an assistant to each wedding at no extra charge to my clients.

What is your range of services? I am a Professional Bridal Consultant and an Ordained Officiant.  As a consultant I can simply give advice, be a day-of coordinator, help you find a venue and vendors or assist with every aspect of your wedding. I prefer not to be the Officant and the Consultant at the same wedding so that I can concentrate solely on one aspect but I would certainly perform the ceremony, if called upon. Otherwise, I am always available as an Officiant for most types of ceremonies.

Maintain your engagement ring

(So you don’t ever lose your bling!)

Everything worth having in life is worth receiving regular loving care. This goes for marriages, relationships, your home, your car and also for your jewelry. I learned the hard and stressful way when I procrastinated on my engagement ring maintenance.

As I stepped out of the shower one day in June, I looked down at my engagement ring as I often do every day. This time the view was shocking instead of full of lovely memories of my wedding day. I saw empty prongs with a missing center diamond!

The next few minutes were spent saying “No, No, No” and a frantic search around the tub, the drain and floor of the bathroom. No diamond in sight. My heart was sinking and my stomach was tightening. I had lost my diamond from my ring. Needless to say, not much got done for work this day. After searching all the floors of my home and the dismantling of the shower drain with no results, I made the dreaded phone call to my husband. With tears streaming down my face, my husband, being the calm loving man he is, assured me that we would get it fixed, repaired, whatever it takes. He called our jeweler and made an appointment for the following Monday to have the broken prongs looked at. Two of the four prongs had broken off at the top.

The rest of my day was spent scouring the house, the furniture, our bed, sinks, everywhere for the missing stone. I knew it was somewhere in the house because I looked at it the previous night before going to bed. Later when my husband got home from work he went under the house and cleaned out the P Trap in hopes the stone would be found there.  Ladies you do not want to have to do this. It is beyond icky!  Still no diamond found! The only good thing about this ugly activity was I knew then and there that my husband would do anything for me.

That night I went through the house one more time with a bright flashlight and all the lights in the house off….searching the floors and rugs. As I went through the half bath down the hall with my flashlight, I was feeling I would never sleep this night. Searching around the back of the toilet and toilet topper I saw a little glint. Could it be? In the cabinet over the toilet on the bottom shelf was a small round shiny object: MY DIAMOND! Yes! Yes! Yes! Happy tears and running through the house yelling “I found it! I found it!” One of my luckiest and happiest moments!

I was lucky that my center stone did not dislodge outside of my house. Don’t let this potential loss happen to you. Here are some steps to preventing this very upsetting experience.

1. Twice a year inspections - My jeweler warranties the integrity of the ring if you bring it in for twice a year inspections. Add this to your reminders on your calendar so you do not forget to schedule this inspection. They will check your ring for wear and tear, for the integrity of the prongs and to check if the stone is still in the setting properly. At this same time you can usually get your ring cleaned professionally. It will sparkle like new!

2. Regular cleaning at home – Clean your ring at home monthly.  It depends on the type of stone which cleaner you should use, if any. Ask your jeweler what the proper care is for your stone(s). A toothbrush is a good tool for a light gentle cleaning under the center stone and around the setting. Very mild dish soap is what I use. Rinse well.

3. Remove when doing yard work or other hand work - Ladies, most of us wear our diamonds every day not matter what we are doing. We do house cleaning, yard work, as well as many other things. We risk bumping or harming our engagement ring during some of these rigorous processes. I know that I always feel weird without my ring on but I take it off now when doing yard work, scrubbing and some types of food prep as well. Have the same safe place to put your ring every time you take it off. When I told one of my friends about my experience, she shared with me that she had lost her center stone while gardening.

4. Insurance – Most homeowner’s or renter’s policies have an extra “rider” you can purchase for jewelry. This can cover accidentally loss or theft…it depends on the policy. There are also separate companies who insure just jewelry. I found a really informative article on TheKnot.com about this subject. I encourage you to read it. http://wedding.theknot.com/getting-engaged/engagement-rings/articles/engagement-ring-insurance-101.aspx?MsdVisit=1

I hope my experience will end your procrastination to have your precious ring checked twice a year. See my ring below all fixed.

Ladies, don’t let my experience happen to you. I found my stone and was very fortunate.  Make the appointment to maintain your engagement ring so YOU don’t ever lose YOUR bling.

Contributed by Puget Sound Wedding Professional Member: Nancy Skipton of Simply Celebrations & Events LLC.

Unplugged Wedding ~ Guest Blogger

In the past I’ve blogged about being a photo friendly guest and also about guest photographers but I felt that this needed to be expanded upon a bit more… and of course I have some images to show to support why I think it’s best when the guests put their cameras down.

Last year one of my friends got married and I was so thrilled to be her photographer that day. What was even more amazing was that she had an “Unplugged Wedding” after seeing pictures and reading my rants over the years about well-meaning guests whom have inadvertently (or heck, even completely on purpose) ruined images. Prior to the ceremony, the officiant read this, “Welcome, friends and family! Good evening everyone. Please be seated. Dan and Jennifer invite you to be truly present at this special time. Please, turn off your cell phones and put down your cameras. The photographer will capture how this moment looks — I encourage you all to capture how it feels with your hearts, without the distraction of technology. If Dan can do it, then so can you.” I can’t tell you how many happy leaps of joy my heart did when reading this!!! The guests all obeyed and even after the ceremony many decided to keep their arms down and their hearts open and enjoyed the day instead of being an observer from behind their cameras.

Recently “Guest Photographers” came up in one of the photography groups I am apart of online and someone asked what the big deal is, why wouldn’t we want more people capturing images for our clients? I thought this was a great question! I don’t have a single problem with guests taking images and sharing them later on with the couple. It makes me happy to know there will be other pictures and photos of moments I may have missed or alternate angles that I couldn’t cover. I also completely understand that some have a love for capturing images and enjoy taking pictures at weddings they are guests at. However, my heart literally breaks when a guest ruins an otherwise lovely image or jumps in front of me when I’m capturing a key moment from the day. It completely slays me when this happens because while I am not remotely egotistical at all, I am fairly confident that my image would have been better than the one they captured. In the past 6 years of being a professional wedding photographer, it’s also been sad to watch the progression from seeing smiling, encouraging and happy faces as the bride is escorted up the aisle to faces hidden behind the backs of cameras and cell phones that line the aisle. These are all reasons why I am elated when I hear of couples opting for an Unplugged Wedding – or at the very least an Unplugged Ceremony.

I also want to add this: if you are a guest at the wedding, please make sure to withhold posting pictures of the Bride & Groom online until AFTER the ceremony. I can’t tell you how many “first looks” have inadvertently happened online before the wedding because a bridesmaid or groomsman have uploaded pictures to social media before the wedding and a Bride and/or Groom who were killing time by browsing Facebook saw their future intended before the ceremony. Don’t do it!!!!! Also make sure with the couple that it is OK to share the images on social media, sometimes people prefer to keep things quiet due to varying factors and you don’t want to cause undue stress.

One thing there is absolutely NOTHING I can do to combat is a flash from a guest photographer’s camera. There is rarely anything that will save the image and no repositioning will change the outcome.

These are just two of the hundreds of images of the wedding processional that I’ve had ruined from a camera flash.

I also rarely, if ever, use flash for the ceremony so the light you see here is ALL from the one camera’s flash.

This girl’s father literally shoved me aside and gave me grief because I was blocking his daughter from standing in the aisle to get an image. This sanctuary only had one aisle and very little room to move due to a small space being full with guests. I took this image to protect myself later in case the clients were upset that I had to stand slightly off center for a portion of their day. Also? The Nintendo DS made the LOUDEST noises when it took pictures. It was crazy.

Since this image was taken 4 years ago the DS’s have been replaced with iPad, which are a million times worse when it comes to eyesores.

This kid’s Dad yelled at my second shooter during a wedding and shoved his kid up in front to make sure he got an image with his iPhone during a destination wedding in Cozumel. Note, he wasn’t a guest of the wedding, just a guest of the resort.

This whole situation literally broke my heart. In many churches, photographers are HEAVILY restricted as to where they can go for images and the Heinz Chapel is perhaps one of the strictest I’ve ever worked at. We are only allowed to be outside of the sanctuary in the door opening where the center aisle is and in the balcony. We are not permitted to move during the service. My second shooter thankfully was in the balcony but it didn’t make these guests go away but luckily he was able to get images of the service where you could SEE the bride and groom. I argued, begged and pleaded for the church lady guarding me to at least allow me to go into the side aisle so I could get a clear shot of my clients when these guests jumped into the aisle but I was not allowed. Instead I just had to take what I could get and cry a bit on the inside.

Another image of a guest who jumped in front of me during a ceremony where I could not move to get around him.

The flashes don’t quit for the service either and with the white dress there isn’t a lot I can do to save these images.

This almost made me cry. Not kidding.

I had my eye on this gentleman since he was standing up on the altar with the bride and groom during the service but I was able to zoom and crop around the couple so that he wasn’t in too many of the images. Then after the pronouncement of the couple and he swiftly moved and stood RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME during the first kiss. I jumped quickly to the side but I missed the quick kiss and luckily still was able to capture the hug after but I still am SO SAD that I missed their first kiss. I sure hope he got it…

I also felt doubly awful because I had to jump in front of guests view of the couple and during a ceremony my goal is to never block a guests view. I apologized profusely after the wedding and thankfully they all were very sweet and understanding.

While this image wasn’t completely blown out, the shadows are bothersome from a guest’s flash.

Back to the Heinz Chapel and as you can see, the guest did not move for the majority of the ceremony. I’m still sad when I look at this image.

It doesn’t matter what kind of camera – how big or how small – the flash is almost always too bright to work with once it is fired.

Standing in the aisle always makes me sad because your attention immediately will go to that person and not on the subject of the image.

I really cringe when guests try to take pictures during formals because not only am I generally under a time crunch but the flashes ruin at least one or two shots for each batch I take. Eyes also tend to wander and rarely do I get everyone looking at me at the same time when there are multiple cameras present. This is the only time that I will sometimes tell guests that they have to stop taking pictures and I have been told off more times than not when I’ve had to do this. However my priority the day of the wedding is on my clients. I don’t care about the sale of the portraits but I do care about the quality of the portraits and if there is a circus going on behind me it rarely ends well for everyone involved. So, trust me when I beg and plead for you to tell people to put their cameras down and go enjoy the cocktail hour while we take some portraits with the special people in your life.

The reception generally is a time when I can quickly move if a guest decides to take pictures but when I can’t move around it? The special dances. Although I have to say, this little old guy does warm my heart a bit. He was pretty cute with his disposable camera even if it was a bit distracting with the winding.

Another guest deciding the first dance is a great time for that portrait of the bride and groom.

This is another one that makes me a sad panda when I look at it. This guest came up at the last bit of the Father/Daughter dance and there was no where I could go to get her out of the picture. Luckily I have numerous beautiful images from the dance but the last hug is always my favorite.

Another pet peeve of guest cameras during the wedding? THE RED (OR GREEN) DOT OF DOOM! These focusing beams are quite irritating because again, there’s not a lot that I can do to get rid of it outside of turning the image black and white (which still will leave a light circle). There’s quite a few images that I’ve had to toss due to these beams, this is just one of the many.

Bottom line: my priority the day of the wedding is on my clients. They have paid me their hard-earned money to make sure I document their wedding and when an overzealous guest gets in the way, it makes me sad. I think often people don’t realize what they are doing and my writing this post was in hoping to educate even a few people that will take this advice and either have an unplugged wedding or think of the professional before jumping in the aisle for that shot.

Contributed by guest blogger Corey Ann Photography.

Meet our Member ~ Green River Conference & Event Center

Green River Conference & Event Center, 12401 SE 320^th St, Auburn, WA 98092 253.333.6010                                                       Email: eventcenter@greenriver.edu

Website: www.greenriver.edu/conference                                                           Facebook: www.facebook.com/greenriverevents                                                           Google +: https://plus.google.com/u/0/108316443236650197754/posts                       Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/grccevents/

PSWP Contact: Jaime Simmons, jsimmons@greenriver.edu

What’s your favorite part of the job?

My favorite part of the job is the first few moments of any event. To see the physical manifestation of someone’s vision, sweat, tears and good intentions is why I do what I do. I’ve been planning a long time and those first few moments always get me.

What should a bride know about your expertise and experience?

My whole team is made up our rock stars that have been in the business for over ten years! We all have the things we are really fantastic at and one of the cornerstones of our business is to match each client with the planner that is going to help them the most. Patty has coordinated weddings and other fantastic functions for over ten years. Benita is a Certified Meeting Planner who has been involved in the event industry for over thirty years who focuses on business functions. I’ve been planning events for fifteen years and am the go-to gal for offbeat events and fundraisers. Our tech team is incredible and can achieve the impossible.

How did you get to where you are today?

I am where I am today by having a diverse mix of experiences and gleaning what I to help me in the future.

In what ways do you take a leadership role in the wedding community?

I try to do my best to be an active part of the wedding professional’s community. I attend networking events, speak at them when asked and participate as much as I can. I also put together the My Wedding My Way wedding event every spring so that traditional and beyond couples have a resource for their weddings.

How is your business different from your competitors?

We are different than our competitors in several ways. We are an inclusive venue. Our wedding package includes lots of event rental time, linens, set-up, clean-up, and on-site coordinator, decorations and more… We are also incredibly affordable!

What is your range of services?

We offer everything from a classroom rental to conference services to a full-service wedding vendor.

What other wedding professionals do we like working with?

Everyone! We love some of our old faves… Pinhole Photographic, Lauren Bentley Photography, First Light Photography, Millennium Sound, Lucinda Larson, the list goes on… But, we ALWAYS love meeting new vendors! It’s fantastic to work with vendors that know their trade and it’s exciting to work with vendors new to the trade!

Meet Our Members ~ Bartending by Mallard

Name: Scott Mallard

Business Name: Bartending by Mallard

Website: http://tacomabartender.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bartending-by-Mallard/218194674921075

Blog: http://tacomabartender.com/blog.html

Google Plus: https://plus.google.com/101333569245165099187/posts/p/pub

How is your business different from your competitors?

My only real competitors are caterers who offer bar service. I focus strictly on the bartending side of service. Many caterers will give a quote for food service and tell clients "bar service is included". That alone should send up a big red flag. I strongly urge asking for a cost breakdown of all services to be provided.

Bartenders are the life of any restaurant and or bar. Shouldn’t they being sought for their personality behind the bar at a wedding? Identifying bartenders who are engaging and charismatic offers an added touch for anyone’s next wedding, party, corporate event or fundraiser.

What are some of the pitfalls a bride can expect if they don’t hire a professional like yourself?

Reasons to Go with a Professional Bartender:

Many brides to be might know a friend who has a Class 12 MAST permit.

* Can they tell the bride everything you need to make sure you have on hand and in what quantities?

* Will they be offered customized cocktail menus and signature cocktail drinks?

* When they show up and find cases of liquor, coolers of ice and tables strewn about the bar area, will they be able to get it organized, chilled and be up and serving efficiently in one hour?

* Can they manage a thirsty horde of crowds up to 300 or will the line back up while they're chatting with their friends?

* Will they want to work all night while all of their other friends get to party?

What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned, and would pass along to other new wedding (planners, florists, Officiants, etc) just getting started?

SEO (search engine optimization) and customer service reputation are everything. Skip the social networking to start. Anyone can put his or her name on Facebook. You need to get your name in front of people like event venue managers- People who, because of your reputation, are willing to recommend you.

What is your favorite venue and why?

Tough call. The Pioneer Park Pavilion and Foss Waterway Seaport. Why? The managers there are absolutely terrific to work with!