{"id":2103,"date":"2011-03-27T15:59:30","date_gmt":"2011-03-27T20:59:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.paulmanoian.com\/photography\/?page_id=2103"},"modified":"2025-03-16T13:22:49","modified_gmt":"2025-03-16T17:22:49","slug":"wedding-photography-budget-cut-corners","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.paulmanoian.com\/photography\/wedding-photographer\/wedding-photography-budget-cut-corners\/","title":{"rendered":"Cutting Corners on Wedding Photography"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Detroit<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Detroit<\/a>Shannon O’Kelley, Owner and Creative Director at Southall Eden, said it best in one of her recent blog posts when she stated:<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s face it. Weddings are crazy expensive. I\u2019m all about finding \u00a0ways to save money, and there are lots of ways you can do so. But if you \u00a0only splurge on one thing for your wedding, LET IT BE PHOTOGRAPHY<\/em><\/a>. \u00a0That\u2019s right, I\u2019m a venue owner and a stationery designer and I\u2019m not \u00a0telling you that your splurge item should not be one of those things, \u00a0but photography. Why? Because its true! Chances are you know someone who is a \u201cphotographer\u201d and it’s tempting \u00a0to hire them for cheap or even have them shoot your wedding as a wedding \u00a0gift to you to save money, but hear me now and believe me later, DON\u2019T \u00a0DO IT!!!<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

What makes this statement hit home is the fact that Shannon O’Kelly is NOT a photographer.\u00a0 As she stated in her blog post, she easily could have said that the venue selection or announcement and invitation choice should be the number one priority. \u00a0But, she didn’t. \u00a0“Why?” you ask? \u00a0It’s simple. \u00a0She’s seen numerous dreams crushed by bad photography.<\/p>\n

“Cheap wedding photography<\/a>” is inexpensive for a reason. \u00a0 Poor quality equipment and no equipment backups will surely cause the photographer to fail in a big way.\u00a0 Similarly, and inexperienced or unprofessional wedding photographer<\/a> will lead the bride to tears every time she looks at her photos and album for years to come. \u00a0You see, the wedding photography<\/a> is the only true reminder of the big day. \u00a0Not even the wedding video gets hung on a wall for generations to appreciate, it gets filed away and hidden in a box a week after the wedding is over.<\/p>\n

So, you’re still wondering why you should never skimp on your wedding photography<\/a>?<\/p>\n

\"Detroit<\/a><\/p>\n

1. You Only Plan the BIG WEDDING Once!<\/strong><\/p>\n

E<\/span>very girl dreams of being a princess and, unless you’re dating one of the Windsors, this will likely be as close as the bride will come to dressing like one and being treated like one, if even for a day.\u00a0 Yes, it is just one day, but this is THE<\/strong> day!\u00a0 Isn\u2019t it \u00a0worth investing a little into professional photography that will allow you to remember it as the day dreams came true?\u00a0 Mediocre photography will ruin those memories every time you look at the photos, if you even decide to display them in your home.\u00a0 I promise you that each time you look back at horrible photography for years to come you will be reminded that that it wasn’t worth saving the $1,000.<\/p>\n

\"Great<\/a>
Great Wedding Photographers Anticipate the Next Step<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

2. A Great Professional Wedding Photographer<\/a> will Anticipate!
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

T<\/span>here are two aspects of weddings that last forever: 1) The bond of marriage itself, and 2) the wedding photography<\/a>.\u00a0 What girl doesn’t love seeing the wedding photos of her parents, grandparents, relatives and friends?!\u00a0 So, it is important to not forget the future generations that will come!<\/p>\n

Your future family will not be able to directly enjoy the time and effort that went into planning your wedding.\u00a0 They will not be able to taste the cake nor smell the fresh flower blossoms arranged throughout the reception hall.\u00a0 Similarly, they will never be able to directly appreciate how radiant the bride looked after leaving the salon or as she’s being helped into her gown in the hours before the ceremony.\u00a0 Only the photography is capable of capturing the feeling in the air for these once-in-a-lifetime memories.<\/p>\n

Don’t trust this incredible lifetime experience to a friend or your\u00a0 “Uncle Bob”.\u00a0 No matter how much you like the photos they post to Facebook of their camping trips or NASCAR races, they could never capture the details that pass by.\u00a0 Professional wedding photography<\/a><\/strong> is about always anticipating what happens next!\u00a0 It is highly unlikely that “Uncle Bob” will be able to capture the fleeting moment carbonation escaping when the Best Man opens the first bottle of champagne at the reception.<\/p>\n

So, to owe it to yourself to hire a wedding photographer<\/a>.\u00a0 A GREAT wedding photographer<\/a>!\u00a0 Only an experienced professional wedding photographer<\/a> will know where to be in order to capture the special moments.\u00a0 You may think having one of your friends or “Uncle Bob” photograph your wedding is a good way to say money.\u00a0 Yes, you may save money, but the odds are stacked strongly against them.\u00a0 Plus, what do you think will happen to your relationship when your photographs turn out less than desirable?\u00a0 You will obviously never pull the photos out again.\u00a0 But, once you get over the tears, you may have find that your relationship has been seriously damaged as well.\u00a0 It simply is not worth it.<\/p>\n

When your children and grandchildren ask to see your wedding photos, what will you tell them?<\/p>\n

3. A Great Photographer will Turn the Ordinary into EXTRAORDINARY!<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Great<\/a>
Great Wedding Photographers Capture the Details<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I have seen a lot of weddings.\u00a0 Many of the couples of incredible budgets that allowed them to place custom ice sculptures at every guest table at the ceremony and many of them were less stunning.\u00a0 Even if you are working on a tight budget, a wedding photographer<\/a> should be able to find the details in the details and capture the photos you didn’t think were possible.<\/p>\n

Take the desert table at the reception for example.\u00a0 You paid for the food, so it should be included in the memories that the photographer captures.\u00a0 In fact, a great wedding photographer<\/a> will even make the tart tray seem as if it came out of a cooking magazine!<\/p>\n

So, how much should great wedding photography cost<\/a>? It hard to provide an exact number.\u00a0 There are a couple of may factors that dictate the actual investment including: the amount of coverage, the number of locations photographed, the type of bride album (e.g. traditional matted album versus a press print coffee table type album), the number of prints included, albums for the parents, digital proofs, additional professionals on the photography team, etc.\u00a0 These are just some of the things to keep in mind when working with a wedding photographer<\/a>.<\/p>\n

A true professional will help you understand the factors that go into the wedding photography investment<\/a> and will provide multiple options.\u00a0 It is okay to ask questions, but it is more important to set an appropriate budget up front.<\/p>\n

Couples in southeast Michigan are typically working with a $20,000-30,000 budget for their weddings, not including the honeymoon nor engagement ring.\u00a0 Roughly 40% of them are paying for the wedding themselves.\u00a0 Professional wedding planners recommend setting aside 10-15% of your overall budget specifically for the wedding photography<\/a>.\u00a0 So, you can quickly see that understanding your budget up front can make it much easier to work with vendors when the time comes to book everything.<\/p>\n

Here is a breakdown of what you can expect to pay for an average wedding with 150 guests and a $25,000 budget and an average 12% for the photography:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n<\/colgroup>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Reception<\/td>\n$\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 12,000<\/td>\n48%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Photography<\/strong><\/td>\n$\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 3,000<\/td>\n12%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Wedding Gown<\/td>\n$\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 2,500<\/td>\n10%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Flowers<\/td>\n$\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 2,000<\/td>\n8%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Entertainment\/Music<\/td>\n$\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 2,000<\/td>\n8%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Stationery<\/td>\n$\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 750<\/td>\n3%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Ceremony<\/td>\n$\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 750<\/td>\n3%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Parking\/Transportation<\/td>\n$\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 500<\/td>\n2%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Gifts<\/td>\n$\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 750<\/td>\n3%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Miscellaneous<\/td>\n$\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 500<\/td>\n2%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Tuxedo<\/td>\n$\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 250<\/td>\n1%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n$\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 25,000<\/td>\n100%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Investing $3,000 in wedding photography<\/a> may sound like a lot; however, what you get in return is priceless.\u00a0 Literally.<\/p>\n

If you are planning a wedding in southeast Michigan, please feel free to contact us online<\/a> or call 313-883-9500.\u00a0 We would love the opportunity to speak with you!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Shannon O’Kelley, Owner and Creative Director at Southall Eden, said it best in one of her recent blog posts when she stated: Let\u2019s face it. Weddings are crazy expensive. I\u2019m all about finding \u00a0ways to save money, and there are lots of ways you can do so. But if you \u00a0only splurge on one thing […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":4393,"parent":16023,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"content-type":"","_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":true,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":{"0":"post-2103","1":"page","2":"type-page","3":"status-publish","4":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"entry"},"aioseo_notices":[],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/www.paulmanoian.com\/photography\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/detroit-wedding-photographer-bridal-20121201b-400x400.jpg","featured_image_src_square":"https:\/\/www.paulmanoian.com\/photography\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/detroit-wedding-photographer-bridal-20121201b.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.paulmanoian.com\/photography\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2103","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.paulmanoian.com\/photography\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.paulmanoian.com\/photography\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.paulmanoian.com\/photography\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.paulmanoian.com\/photography\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2103"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.paulmanoian.com\/photography\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2103\/revisions"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.paulmanoian.com\/photography\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/16023"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.paulmanoian.com\/photography\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4393"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.paulmanoian.com\/photography\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2103"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}