This is the number one question Brides ask me.
Why is a wedding photographer so expensive? You show up take some photographs for a few hours and that’s it.
My job starts before a contract is even signed and ends a week or two after the wedding. Before the contract is signed there are meetings with the Bride and Groom, sometimes multiple meetings if parents are involved, or if the Bride and Groom can’t meet together. In most cases I meet with the Bride and Groom closer to their location rather than in my studio.
On the wedding day, I arrive early to scout the venue for locations to photograph formal portraits, shots of the couple, etc. Once the photographs are taken it’s on to “post-processing”. This involves culling through 1000 to 2000+ photographs and choosing just the right images.
Then the real work begins. I touch every single photograph that goes to the Bride and Groom. This can be anywhere from a few hundred photo’s to over 1,000. This includes enhancing colors, skin, etc. I also add special touches to many of the photographs to give them a unique look to match the setting, or the picture. This is where a Wedding Photographers style will truly standout among other photographers.
Bottom-line. . . you get what you pay for. Here’s one couples story from the UK.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/west_yorkshire/8293069.stm
I’d like to believe this is a rare occurrence, but I’ve heard too many of these stories from other Brides. While the couple fought back and won they will never have the opportunity to capture those once in a lifetime moments of their special day.
Whatever you do, don’t skimp on the photographer. At the end of the day it’s your photographs that will be the most important part of your wedding day.
Sacramento Wedding Photographer