August 2012 Brides and Grooms

Hadley1

Tiara wrote: »

Hi lil livzy,
Welcome to the thread I can imagine it must be very hard trying to plan things when the date keeps being moved. Fingers crossed the date gets sorted soon
Your neighbour sounds fab, how lovely of her to make your cupcakes. I haven't got much organised myself, I am very indecisive and finding it really hard to choose anything!

My current dilemma is with the photographer. I have found one who takes the most amazing photos but is way over our budget. There is another photographer who is much cheaper and who's photos were ok, and a third who's photos I am not overly keen on but is very very cheap. The difference in price is about £1400, so I'm really struggling to decide what to do for the best. It is a huge amount of money, and we have already gone over budget on the venue so have cut back elsewhere.

It is hard as the photos are something I want to be able to look back on in years to come, and I want them to be special. But at the same time, I'm not sure I can justify spending so much money on one when there are adequate alternatives for so much less. Argh it is so hard!

I think I would have to go with the one whose photos I love! As you say these will be around for years to come. Can you save money elsewhere?

Tiara_2

The photographer who's photos are creative and imaginative and fabulous would charge £1800 for 4 hours, so would be ceremony and a couple of hours of the reception, wouldn't include the first dance or getting ready. We would get the photos on a disc.
The middly one would charge £800 for a whole day package, from getting ready right through to the first dance. Again we'd get photos on a disc. And the cheap one would charge £440 for a whole day package, including getting ready and dancing all evening, and we'd get photos on disc plus an album as well!

My budget for a photographer is £1000. I really don't see how we can cut costs elsewhere. I am making the cake and stationery, we're just using my Dad's car instead of hiring a fancy one, will use vouchers to get favours. My dress budget is already small to start with so unless I can get a 2nd hand bargain that needs no alterations and has already been cleaned, I can't realistically cut that any smaller. We're hiring suits instead of buying them, hopefully with Tesco vouchers, and looking for the cheapest possible flower package. The only feasible way to save some pennies would be to reduce the number of guests, and as we have got a mahooosive hall I am reluctant to do that as there is a danger it would look and feel really empty. We have budgetted for 70 guests as it is and the hall holds up to 400!
I could try to sell some bits and pieces on ebay and do more surveys etc, and could try to sell some of the vouchers I've already earnt from surveys, but £800 is a huge amount to make. Plus I could buy a decent 2nd hand car for £1800 which makes it seem ever so wasteful :eek: I really don't know what to do!

Hadley1 wrote: »

I think I would have to go with the one whose photos I love! As you say these will be around for years to come. Can you save money elsewhere?

moneybags82

Hi Everyone

I'm very recently engaged and hoping to get married on 11th august 2012, just need to get saving.

Hadley1

Tiara wrote: »

The photographer who's photos are creative and imaginative and fabulous would charge £1800 for 4 hours, so would be ceremony and a couple of hours of the reception, wouldn't include the first dance or getting ready. We would get the photos on a disc.
The middly one would charge £800 for a whole day package, from getting ready right through to the first dance. Again we'd get photos on a disc. And the cheap one would charge £440 for a whole day package, including getting ready and dancing all evening, and we'd get photos on disc plus an album as well!

My budget for a photographer is £1000. I really don't see how we can cut costs elsewhere. I am making the cake and stationery, we're just using my Dad's car instead of hiring a fancy one, will use vouchers to get favours. My dress budget is already small to start with so unless I can get a 2nd hand bargain that needs no alterations and has already been cleaned, I can't realistically cut that any smaller. We're hiring suits instead of buying them, hopefully with Tesco vouchers, and looking for the cheapest possible flower package. The only feasible way to save some pennies would be to reduce the number of guests, and as we have got a mahooosive hall I am reluctant to do that as there is a danger it would look and feel really empty. We have budgetted for 70 guests as it is and the hall holds up to 400!
I could try to sell some bits and pieces on ebay and do more surveys etc, and could try to sell some of the vouchers I've already earnt from surveys, but £800 is a huge amount to make. Plus I could buy a decent 2nd hand car for £1800 which makes it seem ever so wasteful :eek: I really don't know what to do!

Oh - that does seem a awful lot of money for just 4 hours. I have been quoted about £900 - £950 for 4-5 hours (one will stay till the first dance), both give disk copyright and one will do an album as well. Admittedly I only have the two quotes at the mo. The one you love must be brillient to be able to charge that amount of money. :eek:

Not sure I am helping much, but as from what you said it appears it would be difficult to budget elsewhere for them. Is there anyway of negotiating with them, but from what you say the package they are offering appears quite basic.

Again, sory probably not much help:(

monnie38

Im august 26th also !

so i have a date twin!

you got to love bank holiday weekend !

Tiara_2

You are completely right, it is an awful lot of money. Their full day packages complete with fancy albums etc were around £3500, so I got them down to £1800 by shortening the amount of time they were there for and getting a disc rather than an album. They won't go any lower. But yes, sadly they are blooming brilliant!

I have decided against the cheapest one as some of their photos on the website really weren't very good- there were some completely out of focus, and some were very over-exposed. I'm no expert by any means but I just knew I wouldn't be happy if they were my wedding pics.

I think I need to keep hunting and try and find someone else who is creative and will do some lovely natural shots within my budget. £1000 is a decent budget for a photographer so we should be able to find someone really good for that amount. I almost wish I hadn't seen the expensive chap as I wouldn't know what I was missing iykwim!

Thank you for listening! How are things going with your plans Hadley?

Hadley1 wrote: »

Oh - that does seem a awful lot of money for just 4 hours. I have been quoted about £900 - £950 for 4-5 hours (one will stay till the first dance), both give disk copyright and one will do an album as well. Admittedly I only have the two quotes at the mo. The one you love must be brillient to be able to charge that amount of money. :eek:

Not sure I am helping much, but as from what you said it appears it would be difficult to budget elsewhere for them. Is there anyway of negotiating with them, but from what you say the package they are offering appears quite basic.

Again, sory probably not much help:(

Tiara_2

Oooh welcome moneybags82 and monnie38, lovely to have some more people on board! Welcome to the thread

How are your plans coming along?

moneybags82 wrote: »

Hi Everyone

I'm very recently engaged and hoping to get married on 11th august 2012, just need to get saving.

monnie38 wrote: »

Im august 26th also !

so i have a date twin!

you got to love bank holiday weekend !

Hadley1

Tiara wrote: »

You are completely right, it is an awful lot of money. Their full day packages complete with fancy albums etc were around £3500, so I got them down to £1800 by shortening the amount of time they were there for and getting a disc rather than an album. They won't go any lower. But yes, sadly they are blooming brilliant!

I have decided against the cheapest one as some of their photos on the website really weren't very good- there were some completely out of focus, and some were very over-exposed. I'm no expert by any means but I just knew I wouldn't be happy if they were my wedding pics.

I think I need to keep hunting and try and find someone else who is creative and will do some lovely natural shots within my budget. £1000 is a decent budget for a photographer so we should be able to find someone really good for that amount. I almost wish I hadn't seen the expensive chap as I wouldn't know what I was missing iykwim!

Thank you for listening! How are things going with your plans Hadley?

Hey -I know what you mean about wishing you hadn't seen things. I keep seeing so many amazing things, that i'd love, but just can't have.:)

Sounds like you are right to not consider the very cheap one. Is there anyway of showing the mid range one the sort of photos you like - they may surprise you. But I know its difficult with photographers as you can't be standing over them on teh day directing. Though guess you could go round the venue etc in some detail and explain the shots you would like in some detail.

Also, where abouts are you? Someone may have recommendations for photographers in your area.

Tiara_2

Wedding fairs are a nightmare from that aspect- they are great for getting ideas and meeting people, but there is always something fab that I hadn't thought of before and really want!

It is tricky because the photographer I love is really creative and artistic. There are two of them, and while one takes the formal shots, the other takes informal ones. The posed ones are really well structured- he has some great creative ideas for poses and some of the group shots in his portfolio were stunning.
My favourite pictures were the natural unposed ones though, and it seems to be that a photographer either has the knack for this or they don't. At the wedding fairs I have been to, I have seen lots of photographers who are great at the formal posed shots, but most seem to struggle to get genuinely natural, relaxed unposed photos.

Also, the photographers were ever so friendly and pleasant, and really put us at ease, which I think was reflected in their photos. Their photos were full of people smiling and laughing, which is not always the case (I've seen a few portfolios where the bride looks thoroughly cheesed off in almost all of the pics which doesn't reflect too well on the photographer!) and they just seem perfect apart from the price.

The middle priced photographer had some good posed shots but very few good natural unposed ones.

I think I need to try and find another photographer who is very good at natural shots, is creative and imaginative, and can structure good group shots as well but is under my budget. I don't ask for much do I! I'm turning into a Bridezilla already :eek: :rotfl:

I am based in Oxfordshire, and the ceremony and reception will both be in Oxford.

Hadley1 wrote: »

Hey -I know what you mean about wishing you hadn't seen things. I keep seeing so many amazing things, that i'd love, but just can't have.:)

Sounds like you are right to not consider the very cheap one. Is there anyway of showing the mid range one the sort of photos you like - they may surprise you. But I know its difficult with photographers as you can't be standing over them on teh day directing. Though guess you could go round the venue etc in some detail and explain the shots you would like in some detail.

Also, where abouts are you? Someone may have recommendations for photographers in your area.

Hadley1

Tiara wrote: »

Wedding fairs are a nightmare from that aspect- they are great for getting ideas and meeting people, but there is always something fab that I hadn't thought of before and really want!

It is tricky because the photographer I love is really creative and artistic. There are two of them, and while one takes the formal shots, the other takes informal ones. The posed ones are really well structured- he has some great creative ideas for poses and some of the group shots in his portfolio were stunning.
My favourite pictures were the natural unposed ones though, and it seems to be that a photographer either has the knack for this or they don't. At the wedding fairs I have been to, I have seen lots of photographers who are great at the formal posed shots, but most seem to struggle to get genuinely natural, relaxed unposed photos.

Also, the photographers were ever so friendly and pleasant, and really put us at ease, which I think was reflected in their photos. Their photos were full of people smiling and laughing, which is not always the case (I've seen a few portfolios where the bride looks thoroughly cheesed off in almost all of the pics which doesn't reflect too well on the photographer!) and they just seem perfect apart from the price.

The middle priced photographer had some good posed shots but very few good natural unposed ones.

I think I need to try and find another photographer who is very good at natural shots, is creative and imaginative, and can structure good group shots as well but is under my budget. I don't ask for much do I! I'm turning into a Bridezilla already :eek: :rotfl:

I am based in Oxfordshire, and the ceremony and reception will both be in Oxford.

Oh I love wedding fayres - but so so much temptation!! I could be ever so ever so naughty!

Ah i do see your problem and have to say I agree. Lots of people seem to be able to do quite respectable group/formal/posed shots, but struggle with the natural shots.

Also I agree that its essential to feel comfortable with your photographer (though trying to explain this to the OH is exhausting). I want to go and visit the two I like. Both to view their work, but also just to see how well we get on and see what sort of ideas they have.

Am in Kent, so can't recommend anyone myself, but am sure there must be others in your area who can. Am sure you will find someone amazing - even better than the one you currently like. Am a great believer in fate me :rotfl: