Most of us expect the best possible product for our hard earned money.  We put in the hours, we sacrifice our time, we sometimes start from scratch and become success stories, we take time away from those we love to make sure we can pay the bills and feed ourselves, and some of us have problems letting go of our funds unless we are certain we will get our money’s worth.  Understandable, and certainly nothing unusual in a society that puts so much stigma on the value of a dollar, and measures someone’s worth by the things they own.  I know, I know… not all of us do that, but we’ve seen it and probably experienced it at least once in our lives - either on the receiving end or the perceiving end. 

So, for those of you who expect more from the dollar, what does it mean handing over some of it to a wedding photographer whose product you won’t see until after the wedding day?  It’s a tough sell, I know.  You are putting alot of trust in someone you probably don’t know, risking your money on a product  you haven’t seen, and telling this person, “I have faith in your ability to make me happy”.  And what if they don’t deliver?  What if you get your images back and your not as happy as you wanted?  Is that money wasted?  Did you gamble it all away?  How did you make such a mistake?  It’s not easy struggling with these questions when faced with writing checks for sometimes thousands of dollars and handing them over to someone you don’t know.  And the added pressure of not being able to send it back for a replacement makes some people really over analyze all their options and drive themselves nuts.  Because that’s what it really boils down to…. it’s not just making sure you are getting what you want; it’s also about not making a mistake.  I’ve seen couples drive themselves crazy looking at every option available only to make the situation worse because they are now armed with TOO much information.  In an effort to make sure no stone is left unturned, couples will research and visit with ten or more wedding photographers and end up in a bigger mess than if they had simply found four or five that suit their needs and left it at that.  The lure of knowing there are so many other choices out there pulls some couples in and traps them in an almost neverending cycle of uncertainty and second guesses. 

Do your research, but don’t look up every name you see in the phone book, or on your seach engine.  Find some names that interest you and look them up…. if none of them catch your eye, go on to a few more names, and repeat this until you have a list of 4 – 5 names to call.  Overanalyzing and research overload is only going to make a fun situation more like a chore.  Keep it simple, and try not to worry too much about the money aspect of this decision.  By doing your homework, you are one step closer to ensuring your money won’t be wasted.