Lessons from a Bride :: Fort Wayne Wedding Photography

As you may (or may not) know, I got married 2 months ago to my husband, Ryan. Here is some photographic evidence...

But that, my friends, is pretty much the extent of our photographs... those taken by family and friends, then uploaded to Facebook.

What I mean to say, is that it's been over 9 weeks since our wedding day, and we haven't seen a single professional photo. Not a proof, not a teaser, not a teeny tiny little watermarked thumbnail.

But it's partially our fault.

First off, we never thought to ask how long it would take after the wedding to receive our photos. But that was dumb.

Second, we just assumed our photographer would post a teaser on his blog right after our wedding. But he didn't.

And lastly, we figured that 2 months really wasn't that long of a time to wait. But it really really is.

The part that is our photographer's fault, however, is not being clear about his timeline. Our contract says "4-5 weeks or longer". For one thing, that "for longer" is a dangerous statement. That basically clears him of any fault should anyone try to take him to court over not having received their photo.

Along with that, his delivery time keeps getting extended. It went from 4-5 weeks, to 7-8 weeks, and now it's 9+ weeks, the photos are due today, and I'm skeptical that we'll see anything.

I'm not going to name our photographer or link to him, because he is exceptionally talented, a great person overall, and I'm not posting all this to give anyone a bad name. I'm posting this so others can learn from my mistakes. So if you only read one part of this blog, make it this...

When you're looking for a wedding photographer, DO YOUR RESEARCH. Ask a bazillion questions. Ask so many questions that the photographer secretly wants to run away. But if they don't run away... if they sit and answer each of your questions honestly, then they're a keeper.

I've learned a lot from this experience that I am using in my own business. I want to be the photographer who over-delivers. I will always post teasers on Facebook or my blog within a few days of the wedding. I will always stick by what my contract says. And I will always be upfront and forthcoming about the timeline.

I feel that if I'm too busy to get someone's photos edited within 1 month of the wedding, then I'm way too busy. These are photos of the most important day of your life. I want you to see them and love them as quickly as possible.

Interested in booking me as your wedding photographer? Contact me today!