A PSA…Of sorts!
Dear Brides,
I promise this is not snarky, snide, or any of the like. Don’t read it that way. Read it like you bestie is reading you an informative article out of a magazine. It’s TRULY meant to be an eye-opener…and something that makes us (professional wedding photographers, hobbyists, etc…) exceedingly sad!
The last 3 weeks I’ve had 3 brides email me…who were getting married in less than a month from the date of email. The result in all 3 cases was the same, and therefore…this post…
There’s an excitement each time a new email pops in to our inbox…”I’m interested in having you shoot my wedding! I was wondering your pricing, and if you are available on 14-55-3013?”…and we receive this excited message on 14-15-3013…40 days out from the big day! (totally made up dates…in case you were wondering LOL!)
There’s probably nothing more frustrating than getting that SUPER excited email from a potential Bride to Be, and on the RARE, off chance, occasion that we’re not already booked, or we are able to shuffle our Church activity, birthday, family outing, trip, etc… around to fit you in at the absolute LAST.MINUTE… we send off our pricing only to be met with “Thank you for getting back with me! I’d love to have you, but we just can’t come up with that kind of money (this last part is my favorite *sarcasm 😉 ) On such short notice!” MEGA sadness!
I get it, don’t misunderstand, sometimes when you know YOU.KNOW so he proposes and BAM you’re getting married in just a little over a month, or 3, BUT the majority of brides to be have been planning the big day for a minimum of 6 months, but most a year or more. Why are you waiting until the last possible minute to get the third most important item (the groom being first, and the dress second of course) on lock?
You spend hundreds, sometimes thousands on that dream gown…professional photography is how you’ll remember how stunning you looked in that gown, the DETAILS of that gown, and you’re “back burner”-ing it why? Doooooon’t do it!
“Your failure to plan does not constitute an emergency on my part.” Harsh words, but true. We have lives too. And where did this whacked out belief that “Oh it’s only 4-6 weeks out, if they’re available they’ll surely cut me a deal!” come from? Pshhhh pump the brakes ya’ll! If anything we should charge more…because there’s a WHOOOOOLE lot of pre-planning and usually MONTHS of meetings, emails, calls, texts, schedule planning, etc… and allllll of that now has to be rushed…on top of everything else we had already planned months ago we’re now rushing you through, hustling, to make sure you have your dream wedding captured in dreamy photography.
Let’s lay this out there too. Professional Wedding Photography starts around $1,500 in RURAL areas, and around $3000 in metro areas….STARTS. There shouldn’t be any “sticker shock” if you wait until the last possible moment, and you’re staring down the barrel of a chunk of change due at once…as most of us require payment in full 1-2 weeks BEFORE the wedding date. OUCH! Can you hear your pocketbook sobbing now? I can! It’s worth the blow…but it could’ve been prevented in the majority of cases.
So, how can you prevent this shock, and disappointment, in the future? Get with us as soon as you set your date!!! Most of us offer awesome payment plans. I personally will do monthly, bi-monthly, quarterly, etc… payments…whatever it takes to get you what you want. You never know unless you ask.
If you plan accordingly then that dream Wedding Collection that costs thousands of dollars, and includes prints, and/or canvas, even an album or album credit will be completely manageable.
I’m a numbers gal…it doesn’t really click until I see numbers. So, say for instance you book us 12 months out, and your dream collection costs $2,500; we do your contract for monthly payments, that’d be only $208.33 a month! Compare that to if you wait 8 months out, that’s $312.50, or 4 months out would be $625. Just by booking 8 more months in advance you could’ve saved yourself almost $400 a month! Heck yes!
I hope this will help you all realize the benefit to booking sooner rather than later, and save yourself (and us) the heartache of not being able to have the photographer you want. It’s completely doable ya’ll! 🙂 Please check out my previous post on WHEN to book your wedding photography for more details on the best time to book.
Much love party rockers, and Happy Wedding Planning!
-B
BraskaJennea Photography | Destination Wedding & Curvy Boudoir Photographer 