hi tk!
this is my first post since officially graduating from the NEY section (see obligatory ring porn below)!
at the moment I am in the process of trying to book a photographer and i have found one that i absolutely love. she is, however, EXTREMELY pricey. i am lucky enough to have parents who have provided a generous amount for our wedding, and the photography is quite important to me. since it is the way we will be able to remember the day i am willing to splurge a little (her rates are about 16% of our total budget).
effectively, i'm nervous to part with such a big chunk of our wedding budget so soon. we have already picked a more affordable venue/caterer. part of the logic to this was so we would HAVE that extra money for things like the photographer and band.
to the more experienced brides: did you struggle to take the plunge and splurge on something? do you feel like the big ticket splurge item was worth it??
and, as promised, obligatory ring porn:
Re: budget and photographer
16% is a bit high, but photography is worth it.
I was in a wedding party where the bride and groom had hired an inexperienced (aka cheap)photographer. It was painful to see the bride and groom not getting the experience they had wanted.
Go ahead and splurge. We didn't, and we definitely got what we paid for.
My photographer was 15% (though we did get a package with an album) but cheap for our area! I'd say its reasonable. We, however, didn't get a videographer. If you're planning on one than you might want to shop around a bit more.
If photos are important for you, splurge and remember that you will have those forever, and that you can make cuts elsewhere on things less important.