Weddings are fun no doubt. The ceremony portion is always so emotional, especially when you see the gorgeous bride walking down the aisle, or when the couples read their vows, it's safe to say you should have a handkerchief handy when you're going for a wedding. I love weddings! Why else would I be a wedding photographer? Lol!
As a kid I enjoyed when there was a wedding in the family because i knew i would definitely be among the flower girls. I never did understand why people cried at weddings until i got old enough to understand that weddings aren't just all fun and games but a very huge milestone in the couple's life, and also very expensive!
When planning a wedding, there's always the choice of what to save on and what to spend the max on. Everyone has different priorities for their wedding, some are big on food, others the venue, still others décor. Having done a few weddings as a wedding photographer, let's just say I have seen plenty of "must-haves" that has gone to waste. The thing is that you can't re-do the same wedding, you can absolutely organize another wedding to celebrate your love, maybe then you might have a chance to do things a little differently. Still, it's not the same day.
I am going to list out my top 5 priority wedding expense and I'll tell you why these are a priority.
Top 5 priority wedding expense
The Dress:
one of the most beautiful "awwww" moment in a wedding is when the bride walks down the aisle. She's the center of attention, everyone is admiring her and saying how gorgeous she is. Some singles in the crowd are taking inspiration from her dress for their future wedding. Everyone has their phones out and wants to take photos. Why? Because the dress matters! Did you know that the bride and groom's outfit both have their own special photoshoot? Yes, they are called detail shots. As a wedding photographer, detail shots of the wedding attire is essential. If you're going to skip on anything, definitely not the dress. Getting a custom made dress to suit your body type may not be such a bad idea. However, if you do get a ready made dress ensure that it is altered to fit. The last thing you need is to be self conscious as you're walking down the aisle to your heartthrob; weddings are stressful enough, you don't want to add that to your list. Let's not forget the gorgeous bridal and couple portraits your photographer is going to take, you both want to look your best for the start of the best day of your lives together.
The Rings:
who doesn't love a gorgeous ring? We all do! That's why people show off their rings to family and friends after an engagement proposal. Your wedding ring is something you're going to wear for a very long time, you don't want something that would burn your finger or wash off when you're doing dishes. Since you're going to be wearing it for awhile and probably not taking it off, you would want to get a ring that you actually like. Something you can look at everyday and be reminded of the love you both share, even on the days that you get on each other's nerves.
Wedding Photography:
I know wedding photography is not cheap, and that's for good reason as cost for an experienced wedding photographer is between $4000- $10,000. Some people believe that anyone can take photos, I'm sure my 3 year old toddler can take photos too; the only difference is he only takes photos showing only my arm or part of my face lol! A professional wedding photographer knows your good angles, takes amazing photos in good lighting situations, pose you for the best result and even improvise when you chose the worst possible lighting scenarios. Moreover, many hours is spent behind the screen culling through and editing your wedding photos to look the best. As much as a wedding photographer wants to give you amazing photos, they also have a reputation to uphold. Who wants bad photos attached to their brand, uh no one ever.
Imagine you have booked a make-up artist for your big day, hair is done, shoes polished and neck tie set nicely. In your head you're thinking, "we look great!" You're so sure your photos would come out great but alas! You get your wedding gallery and you're just disappointed or worst still you've been scammed and there's no photos at all - of the most important day of your life! Couples often get scammed while looking for a deal, please don't be cheap when it comes to your wedding photographer. Heck! I'll say book their highest package so they can offer you a premium service. A wedding photographer is very crucial to the overall good outcome of your wedding day. When you tell family and friends about your wedding, it's so nice to have a wedding album you can even share with them; especially to those who couldn't make it to the wedding. You want a wedding photographer who does this as a business, who's serious about their work; not a hobbyist, or someone that would run off with your money, worse still offer poor quality photos. Save a good chunk of that wedding money for photos, you're going to need it.
The Venue:
The location you pick for your wedding is very important too. I'll be writing more on my wedding venue recommendations soon. You want a venue that is easily accessible for your guests. A beautiful view and sweet spot locations for beautiful couple photos.
If they offer décor services great! A bridal getting ready suite is extremely essential in picking a wedding venue. I can't tell you how many wedding mishaps could have been avoided if the couple getting ready suite would have been on site. It makes everything quite disorganized. Situations like forgetting the Bride's shoes or the wedding rings in one location and having to send someone to get it for detail shots, aarrrgghhh! It's very distressing for the couple and defeats the purpose of a smooth flowing wedding day. I highly recommend getting a venue with a getting ready bridal suite that's on site.
The Food:
Not very many people eat before showing up at a wedding. You want to be able to feed your guests with good food while taking into consideration people with different allergies. Everyone wants to know they have a couple food options that don't adversely affect their health, it's one of the most caring thing you can do for guests who have traveled far and wide to come celebrate your union. Please don't forget the cake, I sure love a good wedding cake and I'm sure your guests will agree with me. Some of the best and worst cakes i have had has been at weddings.
Recommended read:
Wedding day planning checklist https://www.markchercyphotography.com/post/wedding-day-planning-checklist
Need a wedding photographer? https://www.markchercyphotography.com/