Situation

Here’s the situation: you’re a bride who loves photography, you want really great art work to remember your wedding, however in your searches for the perfect photographer you’re finding your budget just doesn’t allow you to get what (or who) you want.

Consider “Formals” or what is better described as: couple pictures on a separate day from the wedding.

Some call  them “groomals” (because it’s a combination of the word bridals and the word groom) and many times they can be called “First Look” because that’s how it starts – Capturing the first time HE sees the bride in the dress looking stunning. (I would call that Formals with a “first look” moment)

Any Budget

There are always options out there for photography that can fit ANY budget. Some photographers are more expensive and some won’t charge hardly anything or will do it for free because they’re just starting.

But if you want the high quality of work with a proven track record of consistency with a style that matches your aesthetic preferences those artists can cost more. (due to supply and demand and the amount of investment the artist has put into their craft, both time and money)

I believe in the concepts:

When there’s a will there’s a way.
AND
Thinking outside the box.

So you’re a bride and you want amazing pictures, you found your photographer but simply are not able to reach the budget for wedding day pictures… maybe doing your pictures on a prior day of just the two of you would be more beneficial.

Let’s weigh the benefits of Formals: The benefits to the photographer equates to a saving for the bride and groom

• Flexibility: They don’t have to set aside a popular wedding date many months in advance and turn down many other weddings. They set formals often on a free weekday and unlike a wedding they have the ability to move the date if something big comes up. They can also plan the day when it gets closer and both parties better know their schedules.
• Timing: They get to choose any time of the day they want to take pictures, which can lead to better lighting and a less rushed pace.
• Location: They can choose any location or several locations, they are not limited by the schedule of a wedding day as to how the schedule dictates the locations possible.
• Quality: Because of time and location they can spend a little extra time making the photography better.
• Subject: To many photographers these are the pictures they enjoy the most. They get to take only the most appreciated and exciting pictures and not have to take group pictures and other shots that aren’t as artistic for them.
• Presentation: These pictures are most often done Before the wedding and in most cases they can be selected and edited prior to the wedding… meaning they can have enlargements AT their wedding reception.
• Stress: Weddings are known to have the element of stress. many great photographers avoid weddings because they aren’t people persons or they don’t like the stress of having to be in charge or feeling like this is one of the most important moments and they can’t mess up.

All in all when you take many (or all) of those things into considerations it’s no wonder these shoots can cost a lot less from even the best of photographers.

Does it replace wedding day photography?

NO. I sure hope people don’t read into this post that way.

Regardless of what you choose, I hope you still get pictures on your wedding day.

Why wedding day pictures are important:

• It’s all about the moments and memories. (What more can I say)
• You’re wanting to capture the things that happened, how the day looked, any memorable events and people and details.
• All of those unstaged moments that a photographer is often there to just capture without notice without staging in the best possible way.
• All of those people that travel long distances to be there.
• Did I mention emotions: Emotions are high and varied that day, we want to remember them.

Wedding Day or Formals

So why consider pre-wedding formals for couples over wedding day? You don’t.

But it might be a good option to do both… and it might be less expensive to do both.

OPTIONS

You can have that photographer who you really love (but can’t afford to do the full wedding day) do formals and then be more OK with hiring someone more in your price range do the wedding.

Regardless of what people think of this, but it’s a fact that many people are offered free photography by friends or family members. Be that a good or bad thing.

But this is one option for the bride to be able to figure out what she wants and is able to do.

Don’t forget this awesome option:

Have your favorite photographer do BOTH. (formals and wedding day) You get all the benefits of both lists (which I listed above) with the best Art for you.

About this situation:

I have been friends with her father for a while now (he’s a long time photographer – not weddings)

I told them because of that relationship AND knowing their budget that i’d be able to work with them on their wedding cost. And even still it was hard… so I explained the concept of formals and that worked for them.

They get married on the 23rd and their budget might not be able to afford even most beginning photographers but they were able to get some beautiful pictures that document their Love and their personalities and are strong symbols of their wedding.

Them:

They got to go to their wedding location, we got to spend a lot of time focused on their pictures, more time than I would have had on their wedding day. Without the stresses of the wedding day that the bride, mother of the bride or groom have on that day.

Me:

I got to focus on what I enjoy the most focusing on the love and the personalities and I got to pick a free day that I wouldn’t have been shooting anyway.

They still want a photographer for the actual day (and we are trying to find a creative solution for me to be there) but they made the judgement call that these pictures would provide a great benefit at a great value.

You deserve the best, believe in yourself:

Let’s take on this subject for a moment because it’s something i feel sometimes people have problems with.

Often people don’t attempt to get what they really want and “settle” for what’s easiest.

Keep in mind: Deserving “the best” doesn’t mean feeling like you’re entitled to “the best” – but entails finding it and working for it.

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