The Season for Love

Ahhh...Valentine's Day...The pre-game show for the Wedding Season.  In the process of trying to build our wedding photography business, my wife and I have had numerous discussions about marketing, advertising, pricing, etc.  There may be a subject that is more important than all the above, for building our business...LOVE.  Two people in love, that want their wedding to be awesome, and have that awesomeness reflected in every photo...that's where it starts.   On your one-year anniversary, when you prepare to sit on the couch, and browse through those wedding photos, and/or watch your wedding video...what do you want that experience to be?  Do you want traditional, nicely posed, prim and proper photos?  Artsy, avant-garde?  Maybe a cool mix of artfully posed photos, and in-the-moment candids?  This is something you need to give serious thought to.  This will help narrow your search for the right photographer.  It's not just about the best price, it's about a personality fit.  It's about finding a photographer that wants to take the kind of photos you want.  No offense to some of the high-end photographers out there, but if their portfolio looks like the cover of Vogue...that's great photography...but is your wedding their priority, or is it their own portfolio?  If you're a little wide for your height, you want to see pictures of people built like you...looking good.  Find a good fit, and you'll LOVE your photos, because you are relaxed, confident, and you like the person(s) taking your photos.

That addresses your LOVE, and may it last forever!  Now let's explore the next layer.  Choose vendors that LOVE what they do.  Check their reviews, to see if past clients have LOVED them.  My wife and I love photography.  Not just taking photos, and getting paid for it, but the process, and the importance of photography to history, and preserving memories.  She's really gotten into the technical end of it, and technique.  I'm just an art guy, that tries to find cool angles, and capture classic candid moments, with auto focus on, and nothing fancy.  The combination works really well for us.  When we get home from a wedding, we can't wait to upload our cameras to the computers, and see what we really did, and find the jewels of the bunch. These days, I'm usually doing video...and talk about love...I still get a lump in my throat, with almost every video.  I still can't believe how lucky I am, to be doing this for a living!  I am able to to take my love for art, photography and music, and splash it all over the screen, with each video I create.  That is actually my litmus test for a video...if I get choked up and misty eyed, while viewing a section of it, I'm doing something right.  My sweet Pam...since we've been together, she has searched for her creative outlet, and when started playing around with photography, I knew she had found it!  Before I knew it she was making a business plan, and spending hours upon hours honing her skills, not only in the taking of the photos, but in the editing.  She's not only passionate about taking great photos, but about weddings, in general...and reminding the bride to "just breathe".  We have a wonderful job!

Well, we've talked a lot about LOVE and PASSION.  Sounds like relationship talk.  Well yeah...relationships are key.  Your relationship with your mate, and your agreement on your wants and needs, for your wedding...all very important.  Your relationship with whomever is helping to pay for the wedding, and what their interests are in how the wedding plans out, has to be weighed into the equation, as well.  Your relationship with your vendors...trust, confidence, communication, understanding...yep, sounds like a relationship.  We don't automatically click with everyone we work with, but it sure makes life easier, when we do.  We have several former clients, that we stay in touch with, on Facebook, and some who come to us for baby bump photos, and such.  Heck, I'm even using some past clients, in a little movie I'm making, and they're killin' it!  We cherish these relationships, because, to us, I guess it is an affirmation of a job well done.  Next to paying the bills, that's a HUGE deal...for us, anyway.

So anyway...Happy Valentine's Day!  Love, Live, Laugh and all that.  We're going to try and get this little 'blog' feature rolling, again...so keep an eye out for it.  There will be wedding commentaries, advice pieces, and some occasional humor.  LOVE y'all...'til next time!