Wedding photographers are a group of professionals that can be easily written off as the hardest of all types of photographers to work with. At the same time, anyone with a camera that has a remote idea of what they’re doing can go to the courthouse and say that they’re part of the wedding photographers industry. What makes a professional a professional?
I’ve learned many things in this adventure. I’ve learned that there are many things that go into running a business. I’m fortunate enough to have a loving wife that shares the same passion and goals as me. When we created our company, we didn’t really think about what we were doing. I studied marketing in college, but the wedding industry was foreign to me. We simply did what the other wedding photographers were doing.
DVD of images? Sure. $1,000 weddings? Sure. No problem. It took some time, but we started to realize who we were and what we were trying to accomplish. Fortunately for us, we were able to make friends with well-established wedding photographers in the industry and they were able to show us what we were doing wrong with our business and quickly. That was four years ago. Below there are some questions that will help you avoid potential wedding photographers that could ruin your day.
DVD of images? Sure. $1,000 weddings? Sure. No problem. It took some time, but we started to realize who we were and what we were trying to accomplish. Fortunately for us, we were able to make friends with well-established wedding photographers in the industry and they were able to show us what we were doing wrong with our business and quickly. That was four years ago. Below there are some questions that will help you avoid potential wedding photographers that could ruin your day.
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1. Wedding Photographers: Do you have liability insurance?
I cannot stress this enough. Liability insurance is a must. Maybe it’s because of the profession that my dad has or maybe it was my brief take in the insurance industry, but insurance is something that I knew we needed from the get go. Most wedding venues won’t allow a photographer that isn’t insured photograph your wedding. I’ve never had to put in a claim for insurance in the life of our photography business, but it’s when I don’t have it that I’ll need it. Most policies for wedding photographers range from $200-$400 a year and cover anywhere from $1-$1.5 Million in damages or more. Not to mention that they cover equipment as well, which is a plus for active wedding photographers.
2. Wedding Photographers: Do you have any past brides that I can contact?
Personally, I would love to send any new couple towards my past clients. Not only does it give the new bride an idea of what it is that Marta and I do to get those awesome images full of emotion, but it’ll also give you an idea how we work as a business. It’ll give you an idea of how quickly we work to get your images from your wedding day to you. Next time you meet up with your wedding photographer, or when you inquire, feel free to ask them for a list of references. I’m sure they wouldn’t be against it.
3. Wedding Photographers: May I have a copy of the contract to overlook?
This is something that I try to re-word. “Contract” is something that typically has a negative connotation. For us, we typically see it as a set of agreements that we’re making. Agreements like what is the date of your wedding, what time we’re going to eat, what would happen if this happens, etc. It would make sense to look over everything. Heck, feel free to take it to your lawyer to look over everything. Sometimes it’s better to be sure than not. Wedding photographers that don’t have any sort of contract are just “Uncle Bob”‘s trying to make money on the side. Be aware of these guys.
4. Wedding Photographers: What kind of business entity are you?
If you’re a wedding photographer and you haven’t filed the proper paperwork to become a business, then shame on you. Without getting too deep into it, there are several types of business structures out there. There is sole proprietorship, which is typically the most common just because it’s the easiest to file when it comes to tax season. The same thing goes for partnership, but the burden is shared with another person. Then there’s Limited Liability Corporation (LLC’s), which is what Rudy + Marta Photography is. After that, there’s an S-Corp and C-Corp. All three forms of corporations have their similarities and differences (pros and cons) to taxes and how they’re files. Again, if your wedding photographer can’t answer this, then there’s an issue here. A simple search at sunbiz.org can give you some idea of whether or not they’re telling the truth since all businesses that are based in Florida are located there.
These are some of the most common ways of finding out whether or not you’re dealing with a legitimate wedding photographer. I’ve heard so many horror stories from our brides and friends that it somewhat scares me what people are capable. No one should rain out your perfect day. So protect yourself and make sure that you get your money’s worth. By all means, if you have any questions about anything, then please feel free to ask. I’m an open book, as is Marta.
