What's the best thing to eliminate from a photo package?

chargiss

Hello ladies! I'm working with a photographer we would love to use for our wedding and I initially asked for a pricing package for the following: 8 hours, 2 photographers, CDs & rights to all images; no printed package.

So in order to keep within budget, what's the best to eliminate:
A) Engagement Session (I have photo-hobby friends that I could use and be OK with)
Use only one photographer
C) Drop to 7 hours instead of 8 hours

I'm not sure what the best option is here, but I'm leaning towards C.

Any advice is greatly appreciated!!!

Charlene

~mRm~

I would also lean towards C, but you may want to ask them to re-price all your ideas to see what your best option is.

Best of luck!

chargiss

Yes I forgot to mention that all of these changes will result in the same price reduction! And see C seems like the best route...

Thanks mRm

gateruner

Alot depends on what is important to you. Alot of our couples liekt heir engagement photo more than the dressed up picture at the wedding. they want that nice casual portrait to hang in their new home. If that is a big thing for you thne you would be better off letting a pro do the e-session so you actually get a nice portrait versus a snapshot that a friend took. Alot of people can take decent photos but not many understand what it takes to get you into a spot/pose that create AMAZING shots.

I believe that the 2 photographers is a way to get alot more out of your photography. 2 cameras capture so many more details and moments in a wedding that a single ohotographer just cant cover.

In regards to the hours you need to take a hard look at your timelines and see if 7 hours is going to cover all the events that you actually want photographed. It might but then I have been at weddings and the 7 hours would have ended 2 hours before the reception was over. I have seen other photographers do a mock cake cutting/ toast and even a mock farewell exit because the time would not cover those events. For me it is not a good thing and frankly the shots just dont have the spark that doing the actual event would give.

In all of these you really need to decide what is the least important for you and let that make your decision. Personally, and having just hosted my daughters wedding, I would cut some of the stuff from the wedding that just isnt that big of a deal and keep the photography. Alot fo those little "things" at weddings go unnoticed or completely forgotten but you will be looking at your photos for years to come.

ericalynn525

I would eliminate C, just because depending on when the reception is, towards the end (or after all the dancings/toasts/etc.) all the pictures will be of is people dancing and getting tired. I haven't done my engagement session yet, but I'm really looking forward to it to get to know my photographers. We are picking one of our favorite places (since we wouldn't have time to go there on the actual wedding day) to get professional engagement photos done. We are both very excited about that. Also, I think have 2 photographers is important. They can each capture different moments throughout the day that one person would otherwise not be able to. Hope all this input helps! I would get rid of an extra hour, but that's just me. Good luck! :-D

capecod1986

I would go with c, but have each photographer start at a different time so the same amount of time is covered.

fuccisphotos

when you say RIGHTs to the photos, do you mean rights to reproduce the images so you can print them out on your own?  Or that you don't want the photographer to be able to use the photos in any promotions, etc.  Usually you only care about the rights to be able to print up the photos.  Overall copyright to the photos is usually very expensive.  Be sure he doesn't think  that you want that.  That may bring down your price dramatically.  The engagement session is good for you to get a good chemistry with the photographer.  The 2 photographers, if your wedding is larger than 250 people is really clutch.  The time, well, count out the amount of time you think you'll need and then probably add another hour on top of it.  If it means you are cutting out your getting ready shots, don't do it.  If it means you are cutting out people dancing for 3 hours at the end, that's ok.  Keep in mind, you may be cutting out time when the photographer would be able to do shots of you with the sunset in the background depending on the time of your wedding reception.