More than an image, it's a relationship.
Now, that’s our slogan, but what does it really mean? Is it some fancy sounding jibber jabber that we just made up to sound cool? No, it’s not. It seems to me that with the current economic climate many brides are left not knowing what to do. They are trying to plan a wedding on an uncertain budget, everywhere they turn wedding vendors are having sales and specials and deals and doing everything short of back flips to command the attention of the stressed out consumer. I can’t help but feel the need to make a statement.
What I have to say is actually not meant to come off as a sales pitch, or a critique of any other business, rather it is meant to calm the waters and to remind everyone that somethings will always be true regardless of the economy.
Some important, and universally true things, to keep in mind while planning a wedding:
#1 – Price should absolutely not be the primary determining factor in your decision making process.
In my many years as a wedding photographer I have found that the most expensive is not always the best nor is the least expensive necessarily the worst. Your best bet as a consumer is to find the best value. The thing that gives value to the money you spend and the service a photographer provides is, in the end, your happiness. While it may seem to be over simplifying things, the bottom line is that if you are happy with your images then you spent your money well and, if you weren’t, then it was money down the drain. This is true across the board with all photographers in all price ranges. Selecting one photographer over another based on a nominal price difference is unlikely to increase your happiness with the final product when all is said and done.
#2 - No substitute for experience.
I can’t speak for everyone but at Dry Heat Photography, we want to help you and we take our obligation to our clients seriously. Your photographer is, with the possible exception of a wedding coordinator, the only vendor that is actually with you all day on the day of the wedding. Therefore, it is vital and I can’t stress this enough, vital that the photographer you select has the skillz to pay the billz as it were. What I mean by that is that your photographer absolutely must be sensitive to your needs, have a game plan, maintain a time line and be mentally organized at all times during the wedding. This person must have the technical skills and the creativity to deliver the goods, the decision making skills to figure out what to do if something goes awry, and the people skills to bring it all together. Most of all they must possess a passion for their craft that drives them forward. Everyone has to start somewhere, and we’ve all had a first day, but in the end there is just no substitution for experience. At Dry Heat Photography we absolutely do not take on inexperienced amateurs and attempt to pass them off as professionals in the name of high volume. We take pride in ourselves and in the photographers that work with us.
#3 - Make your decisions with a calm mind
There is no doubt that planning a wedding can become very stressful. All the decisions can be overwhelming and especially so if budget limitations are looming in your mind. My best advice is to resist the urge to just go and hide under the bed, or to blindly make decisions just for the sake of getting it done. Your wedding deserves the best and you owe it to your self to make sound decisions when selecting your wedding vendors. Don’t let anyone pressure you, this includes well intentioned family members who may be helping you do the planning and it also includes vendors. A high pressure sales pitch is the first sign of desperation and a major symptom of things to come. Take several deep breaths, clear your mind, and follow your heart. Make the decisions that feel right to you. Remember, your gut is usually right.
We at Dry Heat Photography wish all of you the best of everything for your spectacular, once in a lifetime, wedding!
We’re here to help, give us a call at 505.730.8576.
