The Bellevue Wedding Expo was a lot of fun even though I had many brides comment to me that it seemed like it was just one photographer after another. Maybe it should be renamed the Bellevue Wedding Photographer Expo next year
The thing is they are right – it seems like everyone is a wedding photographer these days. In the Seattle area I’m sure there are thousands of people photographing weddings and while I’m confident enough in my skills to be ok with this, I’m sure it must be a little overwhelming to people planning their weddings. I mean really, how do you make an educated decision and pick the one photographer that is perfect for you out of thousands of options? I posted a long blog last week that might help guide you in your selection process…scroll down a bit to seee it.
So, I spent much of the weekend explaining to people why I really am not like the other 30 photographers at the wedding expo. In fact, my goal is to be different than the thousands of others in the area. And as I thought about I realized that this is a useful thing to blog about because many prospective clients start there. I will summarize with four things that make me stand out from everyone else:
First off, I really don’t want to take boring wedding photographs. You know, the ones that you see over and over and over on different websites and you just think – so what – anyone could take that picture. Or maybe it is a cool picture but it has been done so many times you think – wow everyone takes that picture. They all start to look the same and I think your wedding pictures should actually be unique to your wedding. I want to work with couples that are looking for fun pictures – images that tell stories, document emotions, and seem to make time stand still. And, even the standard pictures I want to shoot in away that makes them jump off the wall and make you say “Wow!”
Second, while I think it would be foolish not to take some time to create artistically posed portraits of the wedding couple, bridal party, and immediate family I’m not the kind of photographer that wants to spend several hours on this part of your day. Aside from this foral portrait session I shoot everything else throughout your wedding day live as it happens. The photographs that will make you laugh and cry are those that are full of emotion – and genuine emotion simply cannot be posed.
Third, I am not looking to spend your wedding day taking cheesy pictures. I’ve told a few special people that what I really feel like having as a tagline is “Leaving the cheese on the buffet table since 1995″ Of course I’m too chicken to use it because, ironically, it kind of sounds cheesy. Still, it is how I feel – and why I love doing fun photographs I’m not a big fan of brandy glasses or obviously faked scenarios. Go play on the beach and I’ll shoot it, create a cliché posed picture and I will try not to roll my eyes. Your wedding photographs should never EVER make anyone groan!
And finally, I’m also the photographer you will get if you hire me. I know that sounds obvious but I can’t count the times people have asked me that. In the last two wedding shows I think people asked if I was actually the photographer at least 50 times a day. Wow, I guess maybe it is unusual to shoot your own weddings these days…I know there are a lot of studios who subcontract out wedding photography jobs but I really will be at your wedding. And, all of the pictures at the wedding show were taken by me – though there are a few photographs in wedding albums taken by my second photographer.
I was amazed at how many people go to all the shows – I talked to several couples that had seen me the week before in Tacoma. I guess it makes sense – many vendors only do one or two of the shows and I’m sure as a bride you leave the shows pretty overwhelmed with information. When I helped my best friend plan her wedding a couple years ago we only went to one show – but she had some inside information
There is one more wedding show to see me at this weekend. I’ll be at the Lynnwood Wedding Expo at the Lynnwood Convention Center all weekend – stop in and say hi. Roxie and I will then be fully prepared for some rest and relaxation at the spa next Monday!
