When Should You Hire Your Wedding Photographer

Maumee Wedding Photographer

When Should You Hire Your Wedding Photographer?

Michigan Wedding Photographer Kurt Nielsen PhotographyCongratulations on your engagement! I’m sure by now you have heard that statement about a million times. After all, it’s not just exciting for you to be engaged, it’s also exciting for all those around you. But I bet you didn’t know that planning a wedding would be so much work!
Maumee Wedding PhotographerThe very first thing that needs to be done when planning a wedding is choosing the date or potential date. The next thing you should do is make a preliminary guest list. Knowing how many people are on your guest list will help you prepare your budget. Obviously, the more people that are on your guest list, the more you will need for your budget.

The next thing you should do is find the perfect venue or venues for your ceremony and reception. Remember that there are thousands of brides and grooms getting married every year in our area. Keeping an open mind and having different choices will prevent you from being disappointed if your dream venue is unavailable on your dream wedding date.

Now it’s on to finding the perfect wedding professionals and the rest of the planning. When do you hire which ones? If you search online, you can get an assortment of answers. What is the right answer?
Urban wedding photography in Industrial spaces in downtown Toledo

There are No Right or Wrong Answers

The truth is, there are no right or wrong answers. However, there are right answers for you. What do you value most? What is important to You? If finding the right pair of shoes is more important than your wedding cake, then you should find those shoes first.

The most important thing to remember is that you are not the only bride or groom looking for wedding professionals. There are hundreds of brides and grooms just like you that are also searching for their dream team. Most wedding professionals book their services with the first bride or groom that contacts them. If you don’t book early enough, you risk the chance of not getting who you want.
university of toledo wedding cakeI’m not just a wedding photographer. I also photograph other life cycle and corporate events and even have a portrait studio.  There are days when you can find me photographing school events.   Back before the Walleye, I was the official photographer for the Toledo Storm.  Therefore, I can easily be booked two years or more in advance for some of these events.

Many other photographers are also event photographers. Even if someone is exclusively a wedding photographer, they may also be planning things for themselves. Some take family vacations or go to seminars and conferences to learn more about photography and business.

These things also get scheduled months in advance. Therefore, our schedules also matter when it comes to our availability to photograph your wedding. But, if we know you want us for your wedding date, even if it is a year and a half from now, we can adjust our plans accordingly and be there for you.
Artistic Ohio Wedding Photographer

What is Important to You?

Basically, this all boils down to what you feel is most important. If having your dress and decorations are the most important thing, then take care of those things first. However, if you have your heart set on working with specific wedding professionals, then you absolutely should book them as soon as possible.

Most wedding professionals require a deposit and a signed contract to hold your date. Obviously, coming up with all of the deposits at one time can be an issue for some. However, right now it’s bridal show season. Many of your favorite wedding professionals are having specials that can save you money.

My Bridal Show Special not only saves you money but also has a lower deposit requirement. If you book my Complete Wedding Collection, you save $200.  This package includes all day wedding photography and my photo booth for your entire reception.  If you book My Kurt’s Kustom Keepsakes green screen photo booth, you save $100. No matter which package you decide, if you book my services you only need to pay a $200 deposit instead of $400 which I normally require.  The deposit will go toward your package total amount.pink wedding shoes

So When Should You Hire Your Wedding Photographer?

Now is the time to ask yourself what do you really want. Do you want someone to capture all of the aspects of your wedding day that you have worked so hard to perfect? Do you want to save money? Are you not willing to risk not having the professionals that you spent hours finding? If you answered yes to any of these, now is the right time to hire your wedding photographer.Wedding at the Stables on Obee captured by Toledo Wedding Photographer Kurt Nielsen PhotographyFor more information about Kurt Nielsen Wedding Photography, including pricing, please visit my website at: www.kurtnphoto.com.

To contact Kurt to schedule your FREE Wedding Consultation, please call the studio at:

Kurt Nielsen Photography
5431 Schultz Drive
Sylvania, OH 43560
419 885 7153

Feel free to make comments below and/or share this blog post on your favorite social media site. Pin your favorite images to your Pinterest board!

Read what other brides are saying about me on The Knot
and Wedding Wire!

I Do at the Zoo Fall Bridal Show – Toledo Wedding Photography

I Do at the Zoo Fall Bridal Show - Toledo Wedding Photography

I Do at the Zoo Fall Bridal Show

Toledo Wedding Photography

I Do at the Zoo Fall Bridal Show - Toledo Wedding PhotographyCongratulations on your recent engagement! Now what do you need to do to start planning your wedding?
biggest Toledo fall bridal showThat’s easy! Come See Me at the I Do at the Zoo Bridal Show this Sunday, September 10 from 3 pm until 7 pm at the Toledo Zoo in the new Malawi Event Center. Parking is FREE in the Main Parking Lot off the Anthony Wayne Trail! Tickets are $8 online or at the door.
Toledo Fall Bridal Show Wedding PhotographerStop by my booth to register to win a $100 gift certificate and get my Bridal Show Special! Don’t forget to get your copy of the Sweetheart Deals coupon book. Here is a sneak peak of my bridal show special!
Fall Bridal Show special for Toledo Wedding Photographer Kurt Nielsen PhotographyTake $200 off of my Complete or Elite Wedding Packages or $100 off of any photo booth package!
pricing for Toledo wedding photographer and photo booth how much does a wedding photographer cost in Toledo Photo Booth pricing for Toledo Photo BoothsDon’t forget about my Hashtag Printing Station to go with your unique Wedding Hashtag!
Toledo Hashtag Printing station for weddings and events

Fall Bridal Show Tips

Don’t forget to wear comfortable shoes and bring your friends to help you collect the information. Print address labels with your name, address, email address, phone number, and wedding date to put on drawing entry forms. Bring something to drink to stay hydrated. Pre-register online before you go so you don’t have to wait in line! You can do that on the Sounds of Music DJs website! Most of all, have a great time and come see me!  This is where I will be!
layout vendor booths at the Fall I Do at the Zoo Bridal ShowI can’t wait to meet you and talk about your dream wedding at the I Do at the Zoo Fall Bridal Show!
urban ToledoFor more information about Kurt Nielsen Wedding Photography, including pricing, please visit my website at www.kurtnphoto.com.

To contact Kurt to schedule your FREE Wedding Consultation, please call the studio at:

Kurt Nielsen Photography
5431 Schultz Drive
Sylvania, OH 43560
419 885 7153

Feel free to make comments below and/or share this blog post on your favorite social media site. Pin your favorite images to your Pinterest board!

Read what other brides are saying about me on The Knot
and Wedding Wire!

What You REALLY Should Be Asking When Planning Your Wedding

Piqua wedding photographer

What You REALLY Should Be Asking When Planning Your Wedding
St Rose church Perrysburg wedding photography
He popped the question!  You said YES!  Now comes the task of planning your wedding!  But, where do you start?
tips for planning your wedding
Most brides immediately go online to The Knot or WeddingWire to begin looking for their perfect venue, dj and photographer.  Sites like these make it easy for brides to contact their favorite wedding specialists by clicking on the email link.  They even supply a pre-worded email to send.  It almost always asks for the same thing:  “Please send me pricing!” But what brides don’t realize is that every wedding specialist charges differently depending on what is right for their own business and the services that they provide.
bowling green ohio wedding photographer
The better question to ask is: “What am I getting for my money?”  Since I am a photographer, I will use photography as an example.

Many photographers take lots of pictures on your wedding day.  Some take more than others.  Some only show you a few hundred.  How do they decide what to give you?  Some show you all that are taken but only allow you to pick a few hundred or an album.  Many only sell you prints of your favorite images.  Some give you all of what they took.  That is what I do.

Some photographers also provide a second photographer for your wedding.  Another question you should ask yourself is if this is necessary.  What do you get from the second photographer?  Do you get any photos?  Will you get all of their photos as well as the main photographer’s photos?  Do both photographers shoot at the same time?  Will they take turns taking photos?  Almost all of the photographers that provide second shooters do it differently to fit the needs of their business.

Their answers to these questions may surprise you!  That is why it is important to not only know how much they charge for their services, but to also know what you will be getting.  When comparing, you want to be comparing apples to apples, not apples to oranges.
photography packages that include photo booth
The same things can be said about photo booths.  Almost all of the area’s photo booths are the exact same thing.  They use software that automates the process.  You pick from a couple of props, step in front of the camera and take a couple of pictures.  The machine then prints out a couple of strips.

However, when it comes to pricing, this is where everyone is different.  Some charge for extra hours. Many charge to bring props.  Some charge by the hour.  Most charge for a background screen that is bigger than five feet wide.  They may also charge for different backgrounds.  Almost all of them charge for extra prints.  When you add up all of their extra fees, you wind up paying way more than you thought you were going to pay.
best toledo photo booth

Now for the example of what you get from my Complete Wedding Package!

My Complete Wedding Package includes all day wedding photography coverage with all of your images put on a decorative USB drive with print release.  This also includes extra locations for taking romantic photos along with the getting ready photos if you want them.  You will also receive a free engagement session and all of the images on a disk with print release.  Also included is a disk of all of your wedding photos set to music in a lifelong video montage.

This package also includes my Kurt’s Kustom Keepsakes green screen photo booth for your entire reception.  You get to pick 4 to 6 digital backgrounds from which your guests will get to choose to use at your reception.  Everyone in Every Photo gets a full 4×6 print Every Time they use the photo booth.

Plus, we print an extra photo to put in a 12×12 real scrapbook.  We have seen some photo booths use spiral bound notebooks and call them scrapbooks!  The scrapbook will contain enough pages to hold 200 photos taken in the photo booth.  Your guests get to sign and decorate the pages.  You will get to take the scrapbook home at the end of the night!

All images are posted to an online permanent gallery and your guests can download them for FREE at any time.  Depending on your venue, we may also be able to immediately upload them to your gallery for instant sharing.

Because our photo booth is not automated, we have a photographer, a computer technician, and someone to help with the scrapbook or pass out pictures at every event.  We are the only photo booth that provides choices of backgrounds for every picture.  That means that my staff will actually interact with every guest in every photo.  This ensures that your guests have a great experience at your reception!
what you should be asking when planning your wedding
Knowing what you will be getting for your money is a good idea for all aspects of planning your wedding.  Understanding the value of what you are getting makes you a savvy bride!
Piqua wedding photographer
For more information about Kurt Nielsen Wedding Photography, including pricing, please visit my website at:  www.kurtnphoto.com.

To check for availability and schedule your FREE Wedding consultation, please call:

Kurt Nielsen Photography
5431 Schultz Drive
Sylvania, OH 43560
419 885 7153

Feel free to make comments below and/or share this blog post.  Help spread the word and pin this image to your Pinterest board!