I paid a friend $100 to photograph one of the best days of my life. He was an amateur looking to photograph his first wedding, and I was a 21-year-old looking to save money. The day was beautiful, but if I could change anything about it, I would have been much more selective with our guest list and spent significantly more on photography. Of course, that’s coming from someone who became a wedding photographer himself.
I’m not sure where all of those images are today. A handful are collecting virtual dust within old pixelated Facebook albums, and the rest are on a scratched-up CD somewhere in my attic. My wife and I have built a beautiful life over the last 13 years, a life which has led us and our daughters to the beautiful town of Dripping Springs. However, I can’t help but hang my head when I think back to our wedding day. I spend nearly every weekend throwing myself into the wedding days of my couples, doing my absolute best to give them something I feel is missing from my own story.
A quality photographer is an artist. We provide direction, are courteous and thoughtful, bring a little bit of personality, and are unobtrusive so your day can unfold exactly as it’s meant to. There’s very little posing and no moment is asked to be repeated or faked for an image. Above all, we take the time to learn what you want out of the day so it can be documented in a way that will be the most impactful. When you invest in quality, you’re paying for a personalized experience meant only for you.
A photographer spends months preparing for a wedding day. I’m known to study the light as it falls through a venue to understand how it could look on your day. When the day comes, we run around for anywhere from six to 12 hours, continuously forming new creative ideas that we’ve never experimented with before. It’s fun to try new things, and there’s nothing more enjoyable than delivering truly unique images. And when the wedding day is over, the work is only halfway done. Over the next six weeks, we sift through thousands of images to decide which to edit in order to curate the perfect gallery.
There’s always a cheaper option. You might even be able to find someone to do it for free. Just remember the old adage is true–you get what you pay for. Photography is an invaluable investment. These memories belong on your walls, not in your attic.
TimLaielli.com | @BarefootTim
Photography is an invaluable investment. These memories belong on your walls, not in your attic.