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Don’t forget Dad

How to incorporate Dad.

Without a doubt, I’m about to let you in on the BEST secret about the morning of your wedding day, that likely no one else has mentioned yet.

I’m sure you’ve been dreaming of the moment your groom sets eyes on you for the first time. Every detail of your outfit has been thought through and planned out from your earrings down to the color of your nails. Your photographer will be zoomed in and ready to capture your groom’s reaction from the moment he turns to set eyes on you. This is such an important moment on your big day, to be documented without fail.

But, that’s not the secret I’m here to let you in on. There is another important man that is often forgotten about on your wedding day — your dad.

Plan it.

It will take a little planning and communication ahead of time, but spending a few minutes on your wedding day to create a first look with your dad is always worth it. After your mom and bridesmaids help you put on your wedding dress, I suggest clearing the room and inviting your father to come see you before anyone else. *Cue goosebumps*

 This not only creates a wonderful memory for you and your dad, but it also gives your photographer and videographer an opportunity to capture the real, emotional moments — the ones that create outstanding photos.

It certainly isn’t exclusive to fathers — you can include your mom or grandparents in this special moment as well. It’s a terrific way to make your family feel included and special on your wedding day, and it lends a great opportunity to capture more photos of your VIPs.

Two Dads?

If you have more than one man in your life, such as a stepfather, you can easily set up this moment twice.  

Yes, twice.  

Schedule the first reveal, enjoy the moment, and get the photos.  

Then once that person leaves, bring in the second person for their reveal.  After all, this is still a “first look” for you and them, and it’s worth the time to create this special moment.

Speaking of time, don’t forget to schedule extra time into your morning timeline if you have more than one person to include in a reveal.

 

EXPERT TIP: I’ve recently started to suggest that your groom does his version of the reveal with his mom, or other family members that he wants to include. I often see it where the groom’s side of the family misses out on so many wonderful photo moments with the people that mean most to him, resulting in a photo story that feels unbalanced between the bride and groom’s families.

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Featured Question

Q: Is there really a wedding mark up?

Do you feel like the industry charges more “because it’s a wedding” and they know it’s an emotional purchase?

Do companies think that they can charge more for weddings since the bride and groom may be willing to spend more on their dream wedding?

Hey wedding pros – is this higher price tag justified? Why? Do you charge more for your service if it is a wedding?

This is a taboo topic, whispered but not discussed… until now.

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2 comments

    Robin Sloan, The Uncorked ProjectRobin Sloan, The Uncorked Project

    I have been asked this so many times... does the wedding industry inflate prices when they hear it's a wedding?

    Here is my honest answer (as a former wedding photographer)... NO. Did I charge more for a wedding than a 50th birthday party or a family portrait session? Yes, absolutely. I charged A LOT more for a wedding.

    Was I taking advantage of the emotional sell? Absolutely not.

    The main reasons I charged more for a wedding were: the unseen amount of work involved in the 12+ months leading up to the wedding, the skill level needed on the day, the INTENSE pressure to create perfect "portfolio level work" no matter what the reality of the situation- but mostly it is to compensate for the time AFTER the wedding in post production.

    Little known fact about wedding photography - the real job is sitting at a computer editing photos. Photographers spend many hours behind the computer carefully selecting and editing photos. They make adjustments, crop, and adjust colors to ensure each image it's best. Don't forget the time it takes for batching, renaming, importing, exporting and uploading the photos and preparing them for delivery.

    Do you think this justifies why photographers charge more for weddings than for other types of shoots?

    Cody Pettengill

    Couldn’t agree more! And on the videography side its an absolute ton of data + editing discipline.

    Its a double sided coin- weddings are extremely high pressure but also high reward when we nail it.

    Our products (photo video) in particular are the only thing that genuinely will last forever . Having fun and ALSO nailing the product is worth the price of entry and frankly more.

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