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Cheap Wedding Photography and what to consider
This article is not designed to cast any dispersions onto any wedding photographer that appears to be very competitive in their pricing. We understand that there are a number of reasons that lead to individuals charging what they do for their wedding photography. Some it's full time, some it's part time or a side hustle. Others it's a way to 'get ahead' in a very competitive and particularly oversaturated part of the 'wedding industry'. Rather, this article is designed to give the consumer a fair idea as to what to look out for if they are asking themselves the question 'Why are they so cheap?'. When you search for a wedding photographer, you will see soooo many options, and varying price options. Do your due diligence with the help below and you will undoubtedly have a positive experience.
Your wedding day is one of the most important and memorable events of your life. It’s a day filled with love, joy, and precious moments that you will want to cherish forever. Choosing the right photographer is crucial in ensuring that your memories are captured beautifully and preserved for a lifetime. While it may be tempting to opt for a budget-friendly photographer, here’s why choosing a seemingly cheap wedding photographer can be a costly mistake.
1. Quality Matters
Professional wedding photography is an art that requires skill, experience, and the right equipment. A cheaper photographer may lack the necessary expertise to capture your wedding in the best possible way. Poor lighting, bad composition, and low-quality images can ruin what should be a collection of timeless memories.
A professional wedding photographer understands how to work in various lighting conditions, compose stunning shots, and capture the emotions of the day in a way that truly reflects the love and joy of the occasion. Be sure to ascertain how long the photographer has been working in weddings and check to see if they have a sample all day gallery for you to view. Are their photos clear to see, (exposed correctly) in focus, correctly colour balanced (not look too pink/green/yellow/blue) and pleasing to the eye?
2. Editing Takes Time and Skill
One of the most overlooked aspects of wedding photography is the post-processing work. Many assume that once the wedding is over, the photographer simply hands over the images, but this is far from the truth. Editing is a meticulous and time-consuming process that involves colour correction, exposure adjustments, retouching, and enhancing each image to ensure consistency and quality.
It might be worth mentioning here that some photographers outsource their editing work to other companies to undertake this side of the job. Then when they have the final photos back they will look over them to make any tweaks they deem necessary. This saves loads of time (literally weeks). Also, AI is now used to do editing and many photographers use this facility which works in much the same way as outsourcing the work to another company. Again, this option saves literally weeks of work. Ask your photographer what their editing process is as this may be a reason why they charge cheaper (although outsourcing to a third party, or using AI software is a cost to the photographer).
A cheap photographer may not invest the necessary time and effort into editing, resulting in images that look flat, unbalanced, or even poorly processed. High-end wedding photographers dedicate hours, sometimes weeks, to perfecting your images so that every single photo meets a professional standard. They will have their own editing style and look that compliments their work. This will be consistent throughout their portfolio.
3. You Can’t Recreate Your Wedding Day
Unlike other services, wedding photography is something that cannot be redone. If your wedding photos turn out poorly, there is no way to go back and capture those moments again. Choosing an experienced and skilled photographer ensures that every smile, tear, and heartfelt moment is captured in the best possible way.
A cheap photographer may miss key moments, fail to direct shots properly, or lack the necessary backup equipment, leading to missed or unusable images. Investing in a quality photographer means peace of mind knowing that your special day will be documented beautifully and professionally.
4. A Cheap Price May Indicate a Lack of Experience
A significantly lower price often means that the photographer is inexperienced, lacks professional-grade equipment, or is cutting corners in some way. Professional photographers charge what they do because of the years of experience they bring, the quality of their work, the time invested in post-processing, and the high-end equipment they use to deliver stunning images.
While everyone starts somewhere, your wedding day is not the time to take a risk with an amateur or hobbyist looking to make a few extra quid. Paying a little extra for an experienced photographer ensures that your investment is worthwhile and that you receive high-quality images that you will treasure for a lifetime.
5. You Deserve the Best Memories
Your wedding day is a once-in-a-lifetime event, and you deserve to have it documented in the best way possible. When you look back on your photos, you want to feel the same emotions you experienced on that day. Investing in a professional photographer ensures that your wedding album is filled with breath taking images that you’ll be proud to share with future generations.
Conclusion
While it might be tempting to cut costs by hiring a cheap wedding photographer, it is one decision that can have lasting regrets. Wedding photography is more than just taking pictures; it’s about storytelling, capturing emotions, and creating a visual legacy that you can cherish forever. Investing in a skilled professional ensures that your wedding memories are preserved beautifully, giving you peace of mind and stunning images that will stand the test of time. We have had a number of brides come to us who took this option. In the end it was not the right decision. They have had a couple re-shoot with us (including the dress and suit) just to have some nice, professional looking photos for their family, and themselves....which was an extra cost to them. Instances like this can be avoided, along with the disappointment of receiving sub standard wedding photos.
So, after considering the above points, choosing the right photographer for you will hopefully be a successful decision.