How To Save Money On Wedding Photography Costs
Quick Tips to Help You Reduce the Price of Wedding Photos
© Qing Gu
Apr 21, 2009
Most couples planning their weddings underestimate their wedding photography cost by about half. That means if you've budgeted $1,000 for this service, you can expect to pay at least $2,000 or more. You can get great wedding photography on a budget by shopping around, choosing an off-season wedding date, and working with a wedding planner who has connections.
Getting Multiple Quotes
If you need to keep your wedding photography costs down, shop around. Too often, couples book the first photographer whose portfolio impresses them, but wedding photography rates can vary so much you should always get at least three quotes before making a decision. The cost of printing each picture can range from $10 to $40 per print. If you print 100 pictures, that's a difference of $3,000, not including the other changes associated with the photography services.
Even if you are not necessarily looking for wedding photography on a budget, getting multiple quotes is a good idea. You can use the other quotes to negotiate for lower costs, more prints, an upgraded album, or other extras.
The Importance of The Date
When try saving money on wedding photography, consider setting a time for the wedding that is not in the peak months for marriages. The period from May through August is the time when most weddings occur. Because demand for photographers is higher then, they can charge more. Even if they scare away one couple on a tight budget, another couple about to say "I do" won't be too far away.
If you are getting married during any non-peak time, you should receive a discounted price. Sometimes you'll need to ask about the price difference. Photographers aren't bad people trying to swindle couples, but they want to maximize their profit just like any business person does. If the photographer claims he or she doesn't offer off-season discounts, go elsewhere. You can always come back and negotiate a lower fee based on the other quotes you receive if you really want to use their photography services.
Using a Wedding Planner
A wedding planner can help lower your wedding photography cost, too. Experienced wedding planners or consultants have a solid idea of prevailing digital wedding photography prices in your area so they can give you the head's up on a good deal or help you avoid overpaying for your photo packages.
Also, good planners who have worked on many weddings will have developed relationships with vendors, and these vendors may be willing to offer lower prices on their services in exchange for continued support from the wedding planner. Obviously, this can benefit you by reducing your wedding photography costs. Of course, you will still need to pay the wedding consultant which can sometimes be a hefty fee itself. But if he or she can help save you money on your photography needs, as well as connecting you to other low-cost, high-quality vendors then hiring one of these professionals might not turn out to be a bad idea.
Here is the non-hype wedding photography course that can help you shoot amazing moment like these unique wedding photo ideas if you pull your hair out in saving money on wedding photography.
