I’ve had a few chats about this recently and thought it is a good point for discussion. When choosing a wedding supplier do brides think that
the more they pay the better quality of service they get??? Do they think if they are on a budget they have to compromise on quality???
I really don’t believe this is how it works. I think there are lots of things you have to look at. Certain products and services are judged on your own individual taste…..a cake design you love may be hated by others and a wedding photographer you love may not shoot in the style someone else loves. So you book a photographer at £3000 just becauase you think they must be good if they can charge that price, that is not value for money. You book one for £1500 because you love what they do, who is to say they are not as good a photographer!
The same with jewellery, someone who makes jewellery at home has a lot less overheads than someone who has a workshop or a boutique. Is it fair to say their products are not as good as the others because they can charge less?
A bride walks into her ceremony and everyone is oohing and ahhing over their dress…how many people know if the dress cost £100 or £10,000??? As long as the person it it feels like a million dollars who cares! As a kid I was always in non named clothes. I wanted a pear of Levi 501′s. I went on and on about them and saved my pocket money for ages….when I finally got them they didn’t fit me right and didn’t look half as good as the jeans I had been wearing that costs a fraction of the price! No one can see the label in your dress…so don’t choose it for the designer, choose it for the design!
I have seen some amazing weddings put together on a shoestring budget and I have also witnessed some terrible ones where money was no object! I believe that you have the ability to make your day what you want no matter what budget you have and you don’t need to compromise on quality to do it. There are so many wedding suppliers out there that charge fair rates and don’t expect you to pay for a name, just their excellent service!
The point I am trying to make is that it doesn’t matter what an item costs in money…it matters that you love it! Don’t go for the more expensive option just because you think it must be better, but then on the flip side if you think it is worth the price tag then get it! It is all down to what you love…it is your wedding day and you are the two people that matter the most.
I think you’ve nailed it Gina! I had a beautiful wedding on a shoestring budget, with the help of great friends and family we enjoyed a day that is still fondly remembered not just by me but so many of our guests too!
Good post Gina,
Disclaimer: I am a pro photographer but I *do not* shoot weddings. However your comments on wedding photographers made me want to comment:
No couple should book a photographer based purely on price alone. While it’s true that the top wedding photographers are in constant demand and therefore can charge a premium for their services you may or may not like their particular style of photography. In which case price is irrelevant.
Booking a photographer should be a shoe-in. It’s a visual product you will be getting and you should see the photographer’s portfolio first along with others and make comparisons on style, delivery of the images (album styles etc). There’s no hiding for photographers. Our product is up there out front for all to see (or should be). If you can’t see a decent portfolio then run…! You should also seek references, do a bit of Googling, make sure you’re hiring a pro. It’s worth noting that since the advent of digital images and the web *anyone* can ‘claim’ to be a pro photographer. So choose carefully. If it seems to cheap to be true then…. caveat emptor!
It’s also important to speak to the photographer and see how easy they are to get along with. It will help the day go smoothly if you have a photographer you can get on with and more importantly, trust to do a professional job.
So, while price is important it should not be the first or indeed the only consideration when choosing someone who is going to capture images of your special day.
J
What a great article and a great point made Gina – you should always follow your heart, not your pocket!
You are spot on with this blog as price will not always bring you quality. I think it’s far more important to speak to suppliers and judge them on enthusiasm. As the more passion a supplier has for what they do the better it will be. For our wedding we used a mixed priced range of suppliers with the cake only been £50. It was great, as the lady who made it loves her hobby that became a job. But the dress and photographer was at the other end of the scale and we did get the quality but we expected that for what we paid. So as far as I’m concerned a suppliers passion for what they do should be taken as an indicator of the quality they produce.