READ TIME: 4.5 MINUTES
It happened again.
You found another wedding photographer’s style you think you like.
So, you visit their website and look through their services. Or book a consultation call with them to learn more about their pricing and packages.
Perhaps this is the second, fifth, or tenth photographer you’ve spoken with. And all of their pricing and packages are slightly different.
There is so much information. The options feel endless. With so many choices, how are you supposed to know what you need and what you’re getting?!
It’s overwhelming, to say the least.
If only you knew exactly what to look for when comparing photography packages. That one thing that could greatly help you choose the right option. Because you want to know that you’re getting good value and high quality. Not spending lots of money on something you end up hating.
Pssst – we have a secret. And it’s going to make choosing the best photographer and photography package so much easier.
Why Less is More
For just a second, imagine you’re between two photographers.
One provides a package that includes several pages worth of products and services. While the other just lists a few featured services.
Which photographer would you assign more value to?
Be honest – it’s probably the one with the most amount of options. Right?!
Now, what about pricing?
If one package is more expensive than the other, does that mean the product is better? Or just overpriced?
Perhaps you’re tempted to choose the photographer who offers more for less. And that’s understandable!
In fact, a fascinating article in Forbes touches on why you might think this way:
“People tend to want as many options as possible. Whether it’s buying a car or a meal, they gravitate toward companies that offer more options versus fewer ones because they believe a large selection will maximize their chances of finding the best fit.
But when it comes to actually making a decision from all of these options, people can become paralyzed—and avoid making choices altogether. Even worse, when they finally do come to a decision, they’re more dissatisfied and regretful about whatever choice they make.”
This is where our little secret comes to light.
The length of items offered means nothing.
There! We said it.
What matters is the quality – from how many photos you get to the editing process and customization.
Think about it. If a restaurant has a menu that’s ten double-sided pages long (we’re looking at you, Cheesecake Factory), does it mean that the food will be five stars? Or is it more likely that the food will fall into the jack-of-all-trades/master-of-none category?
Whereas if you go to a nice steakhouse, you’ll probably find their menu to be one or two pages long.
It’s the same when it comes to photography. You should base your decision on the quality of items included in the package – not the quantity.
Why Everything Should be Digital
The days of signing agreements by hand and receiving your images on a CD or USB are behind us. Which is why everything you receive should be digital.
Why? Well, for your convenience, it’s far easier to access and keep track of important documents when they’re all in one place.
It’s why we create individual client portfolios in our secure online portal. From which our clients are able to rest easy knowing they can view and sign their documents, and pay invoices, right from their fingertips.
We dare say anyone who doesn’t do it this way is behind the times. And furthermore, won’t be good stewards of your images. Because if you lose your images, the likelihood that they’ve used modern systems like cloud storage isn’t very high. And if they’ve lost the hard drive your images are on, you’ll likely won’t see them again.
Obviously, no one wants that!
How to Spot Quality Wedding Photography Packages
So, how are you supposed to know what a quality wedding photography package looks like?
Here’s what to look for:
- Number and Cohesiveness of Photos
Sometimes photographers promise to deliver thousands of photos. But remember, it’s not always the quantity of a product or items that makes it more attractive. It’s the quality of it.
For example, would you rather have 100 okay photos? Or 50 great ones that each mean something to you?
Besides! How are you supposed to choose your favorites to include in your album or to have printed when there are 3,000 photos to choose from?!
(Which, as a side note, is a big reason a lot of people never get around to creating an album. But more on that in another blog post.)
Additionally, the photos might not all be edited.
So, what do we do instead? We offer 60-80 high-quality images per hour for the amount of hours we are present at an event – all of which are professionally edited.
And as we edit your photos, we pay extra special attention to the coloring. Particularly, that of your and your guests skin tones – and especially for fusion weddings with a variety of them. This way, everyone looks authentic, natural and real.
- Quality of the Album
Your wedding album should be an heirloom piece of art—a precious sanctuary for your beloved memories. So while companies like Shutterfly are great for printing holiday cards and other less-significant materials, it’s not a place we recommend using if you’re looking for professional quality.
The quality of materials an album is made with, from the covers to the pages, says pretty much what you need to know about it. And if you want the best quality, you’re looking for terms such as museum-grade paper and ink, which are intended to last for decades.
Your album is also only as good as the design. So if it doesn’t have a meaningful flow, it’s just a book with random photos. This is as your photographers, we’ll work with you to design your album. So you can see your story come to life on the pages.
- Easy and Streamlined Process
A wedding photographer shouldn’t treat you as a number. And the experience shouldn’t feel like a transactional one – like where your photographer shows up to the wedding for a few hours without having gotten to know your prior, and that’s the extent of your relationship.
There should be plenty of open communication throughout the planning process. It should be seamless and smooth.
And when you receive your images, they should be easily accessible.
- Customization
Let’s say you’ve inquired out to a photographer:
Did they offer to get on the phone and talk with you? Did they ask you about your style and vision? Did they want to learn about what’s important to you and your family?
Or did they send you a quote or generic pricing pdf with basic information you didn’t even discuss?
If it was the latter, we say hard pass.
Instead, look for a photographer who wants to make a connection. And who offers custom wedding photography packages.
This is a big deal for us. Why? Because we want to get to know you and understand what’s important to you. And we want to learn as much as we can about your vision, ask questions, and answer yours. So that we can provide the candid, natural and romantic photos you’ve dreamed of.
So to get the ball rolling, we’ll meet in person over coffee or over Zoom.
As we get closer to your wedding day, we’ll send a questionnaire and review it together so we can fill in any gaps and address any red flags. And, most importantly, so that we know with absolute certainty who and what you want captured – and what your expectations are.
Now that you’re in on the secret, perhaps you’ll be able to close a few of those browser tabs you have open. Or delete some of those emails that are piling up in your inbox.
Ah. Doesn’t that feel better?!
Interested in more of our process? Give us a call or send us an email.
We can’t wait to get to know you!
