So your engaged! Congratulations! Your brain is now preoccupied by so many different emotions – from exhilaration to uncertainty. So much love. So many memories had and so many memories to make! And now, so many things to do, and plan, and buy, and organize, and ask, and cry, and smile, and debate who to invite, where to get married, where to have a reception, what your budget is, and how to get the best wedding day without breaking the bank! And you just clicked on this post as part of your effort to search for an exceptional Annapolis Wedding Photographer.
Having been a wedding photographer for many years, I am often asked by recently engaged couples, “What are the most important choices couples have to make”? Simple enough question, right? I mean, they’ve never been married before! So how would they know what they don’t know
As it turns out, two of the leading wedding websites in the country, namely WeddingWire and TheKnot, have already done this research. Over the course of the last few years, they have queried and surveyed thousands of couples, asking them things like: What is your budget? How do you rank the most important budget items in your wedding? And so forth. As you can imagine, the answers vary for each couple, but these websites found patterns and averages that were clearly indicative of what most couples want and what most couples actually do.
I just want to discuss only the top two items most soon-to-be-wed couples felt were most important and important enough to spend the largest portion of the wedding budget. Know what they are?
The first, and most obvious, is the coupled budget item termed as “Venue/Catering”. Although not always the same provider, it is certainly one and the same for most venues. When you sign a contract with most of the desirable properties, they often require that you also use their catering services. Make sense.
So what is the second ranked budget item for couples?
Well, if you didn’t see this coming, here it goes: The Photographer! Yes. Wedding photography ranks #2 on most couples important and spend list. More important and budget allocated than the wedding gown, the DJ, the honeymoon, the videographer, and so forth. It only makes sense because after all that planning and all those dollars spent on your wedding, the only real memory you have that is easily viewed and shared are the wedding photos. And with social media and the enduring nature and thirst for good photos, wedding photography is now more important than ever. This is not merely my own conclusions! These are the synthesized and amalgamated results and insights from the country’s leading experts at WeddingWire and TheKnot.
And so begin the process of meeting me during your FREE Wedding Photography Consultation. While I am available to meet with any couple to discuss their needs, it is always best to schedule an appointment only after a contract has been signed with the venue. This will help ensure my availability on your wedding date. We plan a consultation date and time that is mutually convenient to the couple and myself and anyone else in the “decision making” process. This is important so that everyone hears the same information, has an opportunity to ask and hear the same answers to any questions. If your mom, or dad, or grandmother, etc, is part of selecting which and how much to spend on a wedding photographer (pick me! Hehe), then its important to have those people join us. For the consultation, please plan on about 1.5 hours (or a bit more if you elect to sign a contract that day). I work really hard at accommodating my clients and (since I am a full time photographer) am willing to meet just about anywhere on weekdays, weeknights, or weekends, so long as my schedule permits. I can meet you near your work, home, or somewhere in the middle, so long as we have a quiet space with an area to spread things out.
So now that you know, drop me a line to set up your consultation! When can we meet?
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