Wedding Photographers - worth it or not?

"Many people, especially ignorant people want to punish you for speaking the truth, for being correct, for being you.
Never apologise for being correct, or for being years ahead of your time.
If you are right and you know it, speak your mind. Even if you are a minority of one, the Truth is still the Truth" - GANDHI

What has this to do with Wedding Photographers?  NOTHING, absolutely nothing, however, all I want to do is to speak the TRUTH, and share my points of view - after all this is my Blog ;D

I want to start off with a little summary of what we Wedding Photographers have to go through.

PROFESSIONAL WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHERS spend an average of:-

2 + hours of prepping (E-Mails, consults etc.)
8 - 12 hours of Shooting
10 - 30 minutes of editing per picture (48 +- hours of editing, sometimes more!)
5 + hours of everything else (Driving, posting, packaging, ordering, delivering etc.)
PER WEDDING

We invest Thousands of Rands in equipment, sofware, props and spend countless hours learning how to produce beautiful photographs.

We don't get paid holidays or sick leave. We don't get bonuses for outstanding performances or for holidays.

We don't have pensions or medical aids or any benefits and approx 35% of our profits go to Taxes.

All we ask is that people would understand that we are business owners, we have a LOVE for Wedding Photography, however that LOVE won't pay the bills.

Would it be ok, if I took the liberty to say: Please RESPECT your Photographer.

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I get so frustrated, as I am sure many other Wedding Photographers do, of hearing comments like, " OMGosh, I love your work and your style, but we really can't afford to pay that amount!"
Or, " We really love your work, but **** Photography can do our wedding for R2000! and that includes a Coffee Table Book, but we would much rather have you as our Wedding Photographer and Videographer!"

It truly amazes me that there is always enough money for the venue, draping, flowers, dress, stationery, gifts, cake, food per head, but never enough to pay a Professional Photographer his or her worth. Yet it is the Photographer and Videographer that produces the everlasting memories. The Dress is only worn that once, the flowers die, the draping is removed, the cake and food is eaten, the stationery thrown away -and in time probably the gifts given to each guest!

My Job is not my hobby, (and believe me, I know that I am one of the lucky ones who is able to do a job that I absolutely adore) it is my income, my bread and butter. Photographing a wedding is not just rocking up and snapping off  hundreds of photographs - the end!!! And so many people honestly think that that is all that it is. 

So many couples settle for a friend of a friend, or an uncle or aunt, or a sister or brother that has invested in a short photography course and bought themselves a Digital Camera and are then disappointed because their photographs or video was not top quality. 

I truly belive that one of the very first things that should be taken into consideration when planning your Wedding is your Wedding Photographer. Get the best!!!
Choose someone who you are comfortable with, someone who is passionate about people and their work as a Wedding Photographer and obviously someone whose work you absolutely love. Choose someone who WILL be there personally capturing your special day - someone who is not soooo overbooked that they can not be there themselves.

I truly hope that any bride to be reading this blog will choose wisdom when it comes to your Wedding Photographer and Videographer.