Debunking the cost-saving schemes: Why you don’t want to hide your wedding from your vendors
If you head over to WeddingTok or Youtube, you’ll undoubtedly find creators talking about weddings and the extreme cost of wedding planning. Many vendors do have elevated prices for weddings versus other types of events, so there’s a rising discussion online about how you should book vendors for your wedding without disclosing that you’re planning a wedding. They suggest that you just call it a family event or party.
There might be some situations where this won’t hinder your experience much (maybe catering or decorations,, etc) but I wanted to outline the difference between my wedding photography services and my generic event photography services. There is in fact a difference in my pricing but that’s because there’s a difference in my level of service for each scenario.
Planning Time
One of the major differences in my wedding photography versus other types of event photography is the amount of time we spend in the planning phase. For a nonprofit event, for instance, I usually receive a copy of the event timeline and a list of group photos that are needed. I might send a few follow-up questions about whether they need a staff or volunteer group photo or whether there’s a particular sponsor that might need to be photographed, but for the most part, I trust that that staff person knows what they need out of photography for that event. Similarly, for a family event like a birthday party, I might get a few requests for certain family combinations and then a loose outline of the party, but otherwise my purpose is to be there and capture whatever happens as it’s happening.
Weddings, however, have a very different planning requirement. I often have a 30-60 minute call with my clients before they book the wedding just to determine how many hours of photography they need to schedule based on what they want captured during their day. Then we have another planning meeting 3-4 weeks before the big day to confirm the family photo lists, which important people should be involved in each part of the day, and when everyone needs to be dressed and ready. We discuss any family dynamics that need to be navigated carefully on the big day. We talk about whether the couple wants to do a first look or how important it is to them to spend time at their cocktail hour. All of this information helps me put together their photography timeline for the day and really can’t afford to be skipped. But if I don’t know that the event I’ve been hired for is a wedding, I can’t offer this assistance and planning. Which ultimately means I’ll be unprepared to best serve you on your wedding day and you’ll miss out on important conversations that could have maximized your day.
Wedding Day Responsibilities
Your wedding photographers and videographers are the people most consistently with you all day on your wedding day. Even for weddings that have a team of planners and coordinators, I still have more face time with wedding couples than they do. I am with them as they’re getting dressed, doing family photos, first looks, exchanging gifts or private vows - all day. Which means it’s my responsibility to make sure we are moving along the timeline as the couple wanted. I don’t want to be the reason we ran out of time for the first look or they started the ceremony late. And to be very honest with you, this is often the hardest part about my day. It’s a hustle to balance taking photos and navigating high emotions and a tight timeline. And until the DJ take over the flow of the event at the reception, it’s often up to me. My experience and expertise in coordinating this portion of the day gets factored into my wedding photography pricing.
Birthday parties, family reunions or corporate events don’t require the same intimacy between the photographer and client. I might spend more time with an anniversary couple or the birthday girl to make sure they get any group photos that they’d like, but not with the intensity that I do with a bride or groom. And there’s absolutely zero expectation that I keep the timeline moving along. The DJ or party planner or caterer is making sure the guests are enjoying themselves and that the party is happening as it should. It isn’t nearly as important for me to know all of the finer details because I’m there to capture the event as it’s unfolding. Less responsibility during the photo shoot means less time required to prepare for the photo shoot, which leads to a different set of pricing as well.
Budgeting Concerns
I completely understand that everyone’s budget for wedding photography is different, which is why I offer custom packages. I’m always happy to work with couples on adjusting the hours or the deliverables to see if we can still fit excellent photography and service within their budget. And I imagine many photographers offer the same. So don’t try to hide or sneak your wedding past your wedding photographer, because ultimately it will lead to you missing out on the service and care that you and your partner deserve for your most special day!
