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I know that brides like to shop and that many amateur wedding
photographers post their prices and wedding packages on their web sites. If you're a "photographer" but not doing this Professionally ( in other words this is a hobby that you do to make some money on the side) and are hoping to get some leads from your web site while you're at work then posting wedding packages and prices makes sense. For the photographer - not for you the bride.
Now there is some information on pricing and packages on the Basic and Custom Coverage pages but you'll still have to contact me to get a really good idea of what I'm offering and what it costs. And
there's two reasons for that.
When I started out as a photographer who shot
weddings I would send price lists out and I've never ever ever ever
booked a wedding that way! Why is that? Because I don't sell pizzas or widgets.
If what I did was exactly like what every other photographer did - if we all
took the same picture the same way and gave it to you in the same album then
you could simply shop by comparing prices. But we don't and you shouldn't search for a photographer, especially for something as important as your
wedding, that way.
I think the second reason I've never ever ever ever booked a
wedding by posting a price list is because you want personal service. A price
list is cold and impersonal. And if price is all I have to offer then there's always someone starting out who will be cheaper than I am. And that's a losing battle both for the photographer and the bride.
Consider this - if
my Wedding Coverage Package is $10 and John the Auto Mechanic who got a
camera for Christmas (and the guys at work say he's really good) says, "Then I'll shoot your wedding for $5." What, as a business person, must I do? Lower my Wedding Coverage Pricing? What then must I do to compensate for less revenue - lower my standard as well. I must use cheaper materials and offer you less service.
What if I said I'd do a wedding album for $150 and everyone
else is charging $1500 would you say "That
is a wonderful deal! I'll take it!?"
Or would you want to come see what I was selling to make sure it wouldn't fall
apart in your lap the first time you opened it up?
And I simply will not lower my standards to compete with someone who does this as a hobby. I stand behind my service and my product. I've never had a bride return an Album because it was made so cheaply that it fell apart or a photograph because I used a drug store to print it and 2 years later it's fading away. Because I do this for a living you know that I'll be in business years from now if you ever have a problem. Do you think someone doing this "on the side" will offer you that gurantee?
And honestly, how can I even give you a price on
what you want when I don't know what you want? Every wedding I've ever shot has
differed in the amount of hours of coverage, what style the bride preferred, who
was involved and what their personalities were and in what the bride wanted as
a finished result.
You know I couldn't get a car mechanic, a heating and air
conditioning company or a lawn maintenance guy to give me a firm price without
their coming out and assessing what needed to be done. Isn't your wedding
important enough to you to invest some time in researching what a photographer
is really offering you?
Make you a deal - check out my real web site at
wadestudio.com and see if the work you see there is the type of photography
that you'd like to have done for you. Then visit this link on this site and fill it out or just call me at 757.961.6619. I'll get
some details from you about your event and give you an idea of cost over the
phone. I'm not going to be the cheapest photographer that you'll find on the internet. But I guarantee that I will give you a quality product that I'll stand
behind for the life of the product.
You'll also find that I may just be one of the most reasonably priced
photographers you'll find. Hiring me isn't going to cost you a three months worth of mortgage payments. I can almost guarantee you that you're paying more for an open bar, or the reception facility or the catering - expenses that you have only a limited and one time usage of - than you will for me. So let's talk and if you find the prices and service
in your price range then we'll meet and I'll show you some samples. It'll cost
you nothing but a little time. Yet it may be the best investment of time you'll
make for your wedding.
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