What to Do with your Wedding Photos after the Wedding

When Do You Hire Your Wedding Photographer

One question that comes up time and time again is “When do you hire your wedding photographer?”.  I must admit that I’m a tad baffled as to why it is such a popular question because I thought the answer was simple: book your photographer as soon as possible!  Seriously, brides and grooms: as. soon. as. possible.  And this is why (it’s really quite logical, when you think of it):

The Average Length of an Engagement

  • The average Canadian couple is engaged for approximately 19 months.
  • After getting engaged and celebrating with family, couples typically choose their date and immediately sit down and start looking for vendors.

Which Vendors get Booked First

  • The vendors that the vast majority of couples book first are: reception location, ceremony location and photographer.
  • This means that these major players can book, on average, 15 to 18 months in advance.

Popular Wedding Dates

  • Some wedding dates are simply more popular than others.
  • August and September remain the 2 most popular months for weddings followed by July, October, June and June.
  • If you’re getting married during a popular month it’s more crucial to book your vendors as soon as possible because there stands a greater possibility of them already being booked.
High Park engagement photography by Ten·2·Ten Photography
Stephanie wins the prize for eager bride – Stephanie had her consult booked with me less than 1 week after getting engaged!

So there you have it, three really great reasons why you should book your photographer as soon as possible.  Still not convinced?  Here are a few more key pieces of advice for hiring your photographer (or any vendor):

  • Email inquiry does not guarantee you the date:  Never assume that just because you sent an email to inquire about their services that the vendor will hold that date for you.  Dates are formally reserved only when a deposit is placed and a contract is signed.
  • Book your consult as soon as possible:  Do not email with an inquiry if you are not ready to schedule a consult because there is a good chance that in between the time of your original email and the time that you are ready to finally meet, someone else will have booked them.
  • Minimize your consults:  Don’t waste your time (or the vendors time) meeting with a dozen different vendors.  Use their online portfolios to narrow it down to 2 or 3; your consult should be the time that you decide whether or not you have chemistry with them – not view their portfolios.  (If you don’t want to surf the web to find vendors then go to a wedding show where vendors are lined up one after another – but that’s another article.)
  • Don’t be afraid to book at your consult: If you love the service your vendor can provide and you really feel that chemistry with them then I suggest booking them at the consult!  If you’re sure about your choice of vendor there is nothing wrong with securing their services.  If you are unsure you need to ask why – do you not feel the chemistry or are you simply price shopping?
  • Save money by booking asap: There is always the chance that a vendors prices can increase over time; as the cost of running a business increases a vendor must increase the cost of their services to compensate.  When you book your vendor and securing your package, you’re securing that price, too!  This means that by the time your walk down the aisle rolls around you could be saving a lot of money compared to that vendors current prices.

 

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