1) Because you get what you pay for!
I’ve met so many brides that bring their married friends to the bridal consultation. It’s sad how many of them decided not to have a professional photographer at their wedding and cry when they see what they could have had. They thought they were doing the right thing by saving money but they found out too late that “you get what you pay for.” I feel so bad for them as they look through the albums with their “bride-to-be” best friend and say “My wedding pictures were terrible. I wish I would’ve hired a professional to do them. We don’t even have an album.” They decided to trust the most important day of their lives to a friend or relative or an inexperienced photographer. Everyone understands that most couples have a “ceiling” on their budget. But when the day is over, the dress is put away, the cake is gone and the flowers are wilted, the images from your wedding are the only thing left to remember all of the details and special memories of your day. If you are working on a tight budget, consider cutting costs in other areas that aren’t as important. This is the day you’ve been dreaming about since you were a little girl. Do you really want to trust all of your memories to Uncle Joe?

2) Just because someone has a nice camera doesn’t make them a good photographer!
I have a hammer and nails but would you want me to repair your roof? Most consumers don’t understand the internal light meter in a DSLR. They don’t understand that what may look like a great shot turns out to look completely different once the shutter releases. The human eye sees light in a different way than a camera lens. Have you ever taken a picture of a subject with the sun behind them? When you’re taking the picture your eyes can see both the subject and the beautiful sun in perfect balance. So you are disappointed and confused when your pictures have a blown out sky and your subject is completely dark. It’s situations like this and others that make it hard for people with good cameras to get good pictures. There are other technical considerations as well. Does this person with a good camera understand: lighting, posing, composition, exposure, depth of field, subject matter, white balance, or how to choose the best lens or camera angle for a given subject or situation? What about social skills? Have you ever been at a wedding and there’s a goof-ball so called “professional photographer” who is inappropriately dressed, makes buffoonish blunders and thinks the wedding is all about “him”, while embarrassing the bride and groom and irritating the guests? I assure you this is “NOT A PROFESSIONAL”! A professional should be technically precise, highly creative, organized and know how to properly photograph a wedding and work well with people while keeping the photo flow of the day flowing smoothly!

3) Professional products and services
True professional photographer’s use quality camera equipment and have all the equipment needed to successfully capture a wedding. We only partner with professional vendors and can offer a host of quality products & services. On-line galleries, retouching, special effects and artistic album design are a few of the benefits of hiring a professional. I met a recent bride who, in my opinion, had been overcharged by an unqualified photographer. He uploaded her images onto a photo-sharing website and from there it was the bride’s responsibility to handle everything. She didn’t get a professionally designed album, no high quality prints. It was very sad.

4) Experience
When you hire a professional, you are getting years of experience & expertise. It takes time to build the necessary skills to really master the art of documenting a wedding to ensure that your wedding memories are preserved in beauty & perfection. There are many that call themselves professionals, but truly are not. There are some beginners which lack experience and therefore are quite a bit cheaper. Just know that you will receive an inferior product. If you are okay with that, that’s fine, because it is your choice. As long as you know the risks and are willing to take them, hopefully you won’t be disappointed. Your disappointment is what I am trying to help you avoid. Your wedding memories are a one-time shot, NO DO-OVER”S!

5) Reputation and successful business
Typically, if a person or persons have spent the time, money & effort that it takes to build a successful business, they are going to come through for you. I have heard the horror stories through the grapevine, like photographers not showing up or a year after the wedding the bride and groom still don’t have their wedding images or the dreaded story of the couple getting their images and they were terrible! It can be risky trusting someone with such an important responsibility. Do your homework.

Last thoughtsYou will spend more time with your photographer than any other vendor. Make sure you not only like their images and trust them, make sure you like them as well. Avoid arrogant, cocky, “I’m all that” photographers or your wedding day will be all about them and what they want. You deserve to have the day be about you & what you want! You are the star of the day! Carefully consider the information above, before you decide to trust the most important day of your life to a well meaning, yet very unqualified “picture taker”. Even the most well meaning people are not qualified to handle all that it takes to make your wedding day a smooth running, photographic success. Don’t live with regret…invest in your memories! I hope this was helpful. I would be happy to answer any questions that you might have, just e-mail me or give me a call at 843-245-7320.