Photo and video memories of your wedding can be expensive. According to the Knot, the average price for wedding photography in 2013 was $2,440 while the average cost for video was $1,700.
But it’s not necessarily a good idea to skimp on either.
“Every couple needs to have photography as their number one [priority],” says Lisa Sokolowski, of the wedding blog A Bride on a Budget. “You won’t have the cake later, the dress later or the food later, but you’ll have the pictures of the cake, the dress.”
You don’t have to spend the national average or as much as your peers on wedding photography but you do want to have quality images. That means balancing price and great photography.
Negotiate with your photographer, advises Sokolowski.
“Know ahead of time what you want to spend,” she says. “Get recommendations, portfolios and compare packages. Then negotiate the time frame. You can cut your budget that way.”
Trimming your photography needs will save your photographer’s time, which means you’ll save money too. For example, hire the photographer to shoot for just a few hours on the wedding day. A three-hour package will definitely be cheaper than a six or eight hour package. Just make sure you’re hiring the photographer to shoot the most important parts of the day, such as the ceremony and then photos of you and your wedding party after that.
James Miller, co-founder of BrideRush.com on how to maximize your photographer's time.
James Miller, co-founder of BrideRush.com
You can hire a photographer or videographer who’s just starting out. Since they’ve got the skills to do the job but not a lot of clients, they may be willing to give you a deal since they can use your wedding photos for their portfolio.
Hiring a photo or video student from a local college could be an option, especially since the photographer or videographer in-training is eager to put his or her skills to work. Just make sure the student is ready for the shoot and prepared to handle all the challenges, including appropriately pacing photography and videography during the event and proper lighting.
If you decide you don’t want to hire a videographer, you can ask your family or friends to shoot video for you using a video camera you own or one you rent, as well as their cell phone cameras. Note that videos shot horizontally look better when edited and viewed.
You can also set up fixed position video cameras at the ceremony and reception to capture the events as they happen. You can keep the raw video that’s shot and/or use it as part of your edited wedding video.
If your budget is still stretched, ask your photographer or videographer to give you the raw materials such as photos or video on a disk, which you can have edited into an album or video at a later time.
James Miller, co-founder of BrideRush.com on why he's glad he hired a videographer.
As mentioned in chapter 2, you can often save money on wedding vendors, including photography and video if you schedule your wedding for an off-day like a Thursday (compared to a busy day like Saturday) or in the bridal off-season such as a January wedding instead of a June event.
Since photographers and videographers typically aren’t booked on off-days or often during the off-season, they may have more availability and flexibility in their schedule. That means they may be willing to offer you a bargain on their services.
Look for Deals
These days you can find some discounts and deals by booking vendors like photographers and videographers online on sites like Bride Rush and Groupon’s Wedding Shop. Use the sites to connect with and book photo and video services including 50 percent off a wedding photography package and 57 percent off a photo booth.
Ask your friends and family to share their photos and videos of your wedding day on social media, including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
“People really like being social and being interactive, so if you can post a sign ‘this is the hashtag we’re using for the wedding,’ people will do that. You’ll be able to have those photos and videos too.”
Create whatever hashtag you want, such as #KatieJohnWedding or #JacksonNuptials. Post the hashtag on your wedding website, your programs and with signage at the ceremony and reception.
After the wedding, simply click the hashtag and you’ll get an aggregate of all the images and videos you and your friends took during your wedding. Save those media moments and use them to create a physical or a digital album.
An app called Try Flag will print 20 free images a month. The only catch? Each photo has an ad on the back. You can use Social Foto Bar to display social media pics at the party and print them too. This Mashable article has suggestions on websites that can create memory books of your social media.
Interview a few photographers and videographers so you can have a few different prices, styles and options to consider. No matter who you hire, always check work samples, get references and get a contract.
Make sure you get a long with your photographer and videographer too. Since you’re going to be working with them throughout your event, you want to feel comfortable with them and know you can trust them too.