Wedding Coordinators- Gotta’ love em’ right?

For the bride - the wedding coordinator serves a great purpose: 1. Save you money, 2. Save you time, 3. Save you headache because she is the one responsible for making sure everything starts on time and everyone is on time, 4. She also is the one that makes sure the vendors are getting paid and they are doing what they are suppose to do.

 

Now wedding coordinators do 2 things to me 1. Refer me.  2.  Rush me!!  This used to really bug me, but not anymore.  I learned the secret!  And that is to tell them what they want to hear. 

 

Example: “Photographer, its 4:30.  Can you take their pictures and make sure that they are at the hall by 4:45?”   My response is, “Of course I can.”

 

Now in reality:

 

Of course I can’t take photographs and have them at the hall in 15 minutes!  But it’s not worth arguing with her about it.  I’ll just take however much time is needed and apologize later.  She’s doing her job and I’m doing mine.  No hard feelings.  But for the most part, they are a pleasure to work with and the weddings that have had one do run smoother than ones that don’t.  I encourage every bride to hire one because when the wedding day comes, all you want to do is look beautiful and have fun (and not worry about vendors, flowers, and other stuff).

Top 3 Ways to Save time for pictures

1.     Start on time.  It’s not impossible.  Starting a half hour to an hour late is murder.  You will never get that time back and everything else will be rushed.

2.     Smaller bridal party.  I’ve done weddings with bridal parties as big as 37 people.  Keep it 12 or under.  Its hard keeping up with that many people and bridesmaids and grooms men tend to wonder off and the wrong times.  It also lessens the chances of someone from the party being late and it takes longer to get 37 folks down the isle-lol.  Keep it small and keep it moving.  The bigger the party, things get stagnant

3.     Cancel the receiving line.  They do the receiving line right after the ceremony and before pictures.  I’ve seen receiving lines take up to an hour or more.  I never recommend them.  It usually cuts into my time.

4.     AND PLEASE REMEMBER THIS:  YOUR GUEST ARE WAITING TO EAT A FREE MEAL.  YOU’VE PAID A PHOTOGRAPHER $2000.00 TO $5000.00 FOR HIS SERVICES.  IF YOU GET BEHIND IN TIME, THE GUEST CAN WAIT.

The Camera and the Stove

One of the worst things you can say to a photographer is, “ You take great pictures!  You must have an awesome camera!”  Folks – this is one of the biggest insults you can give a photographer.  It’s the same as saying to your grand ma, “Wow grand ma, that cake taste great!  You must have an awesome oven.”  Ya’ see what I mean?  I could elaborate, but I think you all get the picture.

2 Photographers: is it really that big of a deal?

When I first got into this business ten years ago; a second photographer was not a big deal. Most times – the main photographer was doing traditional portraits with a medium format camera and his/her assistant was running around with a 35mm capturing candids.

 

But now things have changed.  Second photographers are no just a luxury but most couples expect their wedding photographer to have a second person clicking the shutter.  I am no different.  However, my assistant Paula Styer is more than just a second photographer.  She’s my main assistant- the person who holds lights, makes sure I didn’t leave any valuable equipment at the church,  and the person who will pick me up if I happen to get a flat tire. Paula is also a very fine photographic artist herself with a very good sense of composition.  We work together like jazz musicians at a jam session.  We don’t ever really need a game plan; she just goes where I’m not and captures things I can’t.

PAULA WAS ON THE OPPOSITE OF THE COUPLE DURING FORMALS.

THIS IS MY PHOTOGRAPH ON THE FRONT SIDE OF THE COUPLE.  TWO DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES BUT VALUABLE AND BOTH A QUALITY IMAGE

AGAIN, THIS IS PAUL BEHIND THE COUPLE AT THE CHAPEL DURING FORMALS

THIS IS ME IN FRONT.  BOTH OF US SHARE A DIFFERENT BUT GREAT SENSE OF COMPOSITION.

DON'T GO CHEAP

I understand the temptation:  Photographer A – starts at $2000.00, he has a great website, a great personality, and in a perfect world you really want the package that cost $6000.00 but you can barely fit the $2000.00 in the budget.  Then there’s photographer B- His website is okayyyyyyyy, but hey: he starts at $500.00 and he seems to be a nice guy also.  His pictures aren’t that bad, plus- he’ll give you the high resolution files for no extra charge.

 

I understand this because I was Photographer B at one point in my career (we all had to start off some where right).   But it was different when I was a $500.00 wedding photographer.  I was shooting film and the clients I managed to get were pretty well aware that I was just starting out and building my portfolio as well as my reputation.   Besides, I could still pose and I could make people look pretty good.   But the digital age is different: cameras are more user friendly than they have ever been- you’re able to save bad photos using Photoshop on the computer, you can also greatly enhance sub par work by using the computer and because some many couples want a photo-journalism style of photography- a lot of these newbies haven’t had experience in posing (which you still need) and composition.   A lot of this leads consumers to believe that they can get Photographer A quality from Photographer B.  NOT!

 

What all this means is this: when you hire a Photographer A – you are usually getting great customer service, a unique product, professionalism, presentation, and experience.  Is it worth the money?  Hell yeah is it.  Now Photographer B is going to shoot the lights out!  Literally.  He’ll shoot everything he can as much as he can and hope he has some good stuff in the end. 

 

This is not the way you want your wedding covered.  Remember: photography is one of (if not) thee most important element to the day.  You’ve paid a lot for the dress, cake, flowers, banquet hall, tuxedos, hair, make-up, jewelry and limo.  You’ve driven yourself crazy for 10 months dealing with vendors, prissy bride’s maids, nonchalant groomsmen and a pushy wedding coordinator.  All this stress, all this hassle and the element that will capture all your hard work:    you want to go cheap on?  I don’t get it.

 

Lets be real, the dress gets put up, the cake gets eaten, the DJ goes home, and the flowers die.  So other than the videographer, the only memories you have of this labor of love is the photographer (and even the video gets put up).  Now the wedding album will make its rounds – parents, family, coworkers, and eventually end up on the coffee table or the mantel where it will sit for 40 years of marriage until it is passed down to children and grandchildren.

 

Now with the importance of this:  are these moments, emotions and details that were captured and retold through an album worth $2000.00 to $5000.000?  Or would you rather roll the dice on a newbie with an expensive camera who only wants $500.00 to $1000.00?

 

Think about it.

TOULA & CALEB'S ENGAGEMENT SESSION

Detroit's historical Fisher building served as a terrific backdrop for Toula and Caleb's romantic engagement session.

NKENGE & PATRICK'S ENGAGEMENT SESSION

A day after one of the worst snow storms in recent history, Me, Nkenge, and Patrick decided to battle old man winter in downtown Pontiac for their engagement session.

Why I shoot my own weddings

In any business growth is a must.  In wedding photography: growth usually means raising prices, building a staff, moving to a bigger studio, etc…  The most difficult can be building a staff.  While I would love to book 2 or 3 weddings on one Saturday I don’t because I’m just not at the point where I want my staff to shoot weddings for me.  This has nothing against them nor is it an insult- it’s about me.  90 percent of what makes me is ME. It is my personality and my interaction with the bride and groom.  From the consultation, to the engagement session and to the wedding day-I keep a steady flow of communication with the couple to make sure they stay comfortable with me.  I make them laugh, I laugh with them, I’m concerned when they are concerned and I’m calm when they are hysterical.  In doing this I’m able to suggest and capture instead of just pose. I’m able to freely direct and create instead of asking for permission.  Thus- taking pictures becomes an experience and not a chore.  All these things are unique to me.

        Since we are all individuals, there is no way I can expect for anyone on my team to duplicate any of these qualities.  While they know what I do and how I do it, their relationship and communication with the couple will be different.  Maybe one day I will add “premiere” second photographer.  But if that was to happen, they/he would have to shoot the engagement session,  be there for the consultation and etc… So for now, when you hire Kahn Santori Photography – you get Kahn Santori.