• ...do not get your wedding photography from (remove company name here to avoid getting into trouble)!
That was basically the advice I had to give a friend of mine this week. I really love it and feel honoured when friends ask me to photograph their weddings or pass my details to their engaged friends. I tell them my price for their day and depending on how close a friend they are, always offer a bit of a reduced rate, a cheeky freebie thrown in somewhere or a price match... within reason - always good to see what else is being offered on the market and get my friends to do the research (hehe) but in some instances, I really can't match some offers - I am running a business after all and have to stick to what I've worked hard for like my kit and the years invested in learning what I do. I don't get offended if they then choose to go elsewhere, I'm still supportive, give advice and look over what they've looked at because I'm nice like that but sometimes, the little negative voice inside my head (we all have one) questions if I'm doing something wrong, or if my pricing is way off.
Luckily this week, I've been proved otherwise. Out of six enquiries, I've had three bookings - pretty much a record in wee Fluke history so far. Of the ones not booked, I'm meeting one of the couples next week to go through things, so fingers crossed there. It's not good when the negative voice questions you and knocks you off course but out of the three couples that have booked, one Bride-to-be was so complimentary and said that my work is by far more beautiful than anything she's looked at so far and she'd would have expected my services to cost a lot more than what I quoted!
When I don't have nice Brides-to-be giving me compliments, I just look at the nice things people send to me after I've worked with them to put a smile back on my face.
I photographed Rich & Steph's wedding last weekend and they left this on my facebook wall which left me teary eyed:
We just wanted to say thankyou again for being our wedding photographer on Saturday. We had a brilliant day and everyone commented on what a pleasant change it was to have such a fun and enthusiastic photographer. We really couldn't have picked anyone better and we can't wait to see the pictures. We also hoped you enjoyed yourself throughout the day. You may have come along as our photographer but you left as our friend. We'll be having a red wine and pizza in your honour later this week!!!! Thankyou sooooo much (and Mr Flashy too!!). Lots of Love, Rich and Steph Turner xxx
I also photographed Roseann & Dave's wedding three weeks ago and they too left me a lovely surprise on my facebook wall:
Hi Marie-Claire our wedding photographs are amazing and anyone who wants THE BEST WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER needs to book you or for that matter any photographic work. Nothing was too much trouble and it was a pleasure to have you at our wedding, more like a guest than someone taking the photo's.
Sadly, out of the two couples I've been unable to help this week, I hope I've still been of some use to them. One couple had a very small budget which wouldn't have gotten me for very long at all but I hope that my advice on what to do and who to go to has been of some assistance and to the other couple who met a photographer promising them the world for the same money as what I could only promise them photography, all I can say is if someone is pushy, showing you pieces of paper claiming in WRITING that they're super dooper photographers and offering you all the things under the sun if you book NOW - just take a minute, actually look at the photographs in their portfolio or website, imagine yourself in the place of the couples they've used in their images. Do you want your wedding photographs to look like Jeremy Kyle after-show weddings or would you prefer fond memories of your day? Use your eyes and personal taste. I'm not saying you need all the money in the world to have great wedding photographs, just keep looking and please, never ever feel pressured.