Happy Wednesday you guys! We have had quite the week so far… lots of fun meetings, time invested in chatting with our adorable 2017 brides, and way more time with family than we have had in MONTHS. You guys, we are loving November! Of course, work is amazing. Our clients are even MORE amazing. But having time together, time to do things like cook dinner (what a concept, right?) and go see our families is so important, too! We’ve also had a lot more time to be talking about the big dreams and plans we have for our business in 2017 and beyond… and you guys, I am so incredibly excited to share those things with you in the coming months! BIG things are coming your way, and it is going to be one fun year for us.
I wanted to share a few quick pieces of advice with you guys that sprung out of a recent conversation Luke and I had about wedding budgets! It can be incredibly challenging to decide where to invest your wedding budget. Forget challenging… it can be incredibly overwhelming to decide where all that budget should go!
As wedding photographers, there are a few things we have found to be common elements in the most gorgeous wedding days we’e photographed, REGARDLESS of the budget. If there are two things we would suggest splurging on rather than saving on when it comes to your wedding, they are your FLOWERS and your PHOTOGRAPHER. Why is this?!
First, we’d suggest splurging on your flowers. Gorgeous flowers make an incredible difference in your day. Guys, I cannot stress that enough! A stunning and well-made bouquet, regardless of its SIZE (hear me there!), adds an unmatchable element of style and elegance to your wedding day. Did you know that your photos will even turn out better if your flowers are gorgeous?
It’s true! Think about how many photos will include your bouquets… both your bridesmaids’ bouquets, your bouquet itself and even your boutonnieres! That is without a doubt splurge number one, and that leads me directly into splurge number two.
The second thing we would splurging on is your photographer. I know, I know. We are wedding photographers and it’s my job to tell you this! ???? But good photography is a little more expensive, and there are REASONS your photographer costs so much! Not only does that investment cover the wedding day coverage, the images you receive, but many photographers include products, an engagement session, albums, and other things in that price that you are quoted.
Not only that, but many photographers (including us!) factor in pricing for incredible surprises and treats that make your experience working with them that much more amazing. At the end of your wedding day, ALL you have left are your memories, and personally, it was so important to us that our memories were captured beautifully and in a quality way so that we can enjoy relive our wedding for years to come.
Trust me… we planned a wedding not that long ago, and Luke and I used this exact strategy! We spent a huge chunk of our wedding budget on our amazing wedding photographer and on our flowers, and saved in places like our food (we chose a relaxed, summer-style barbecue), our venue and yes, even my wedding DRESS! This stuff works, and it’s what we always recommend when we get asked about the best ways to distribute that wedding budget.
What things did YOU save or splurge on for your wedding? We’d love to hear about your experience in the comments below!
