10 most costly mistakes brides make when selecting their wedding photographer

John Ruskin (1819-1900), poet, prophet and philosopher, said it best, "There is nothing that someone cannot make cheaper and sell for less and the person that bases their purchase on price alone is this mans lawful prey."

Price and budget are important when planning your wedding photography, but remember, after the music is over, the cake is eaten and the flowers have wilted, the only thing you will have left to re-live this important day in your life, is the photographs you have had made. The bitterness of poor photography will long outlast the sweetness of a low price. Beware low price leaders. They usually will cost you more in the long run with extra add-on charges or costs to fix things you thought were included.

CARROLL STUDIOS will work with you to develop an affordable budget based on your needs and not on what we hope to "sell" you. Our Storybook packages offer the best value available anywhere for your wedding investment. In addition, convenient interest free budget payments are available.

Why would you want to waste money paying a "Photographers Fee" or "Wedding Service Charge" just to have the photographer show up at your wedding. Yet, brides are talked into these extra costs every day. These charges often run into the hundreds of dollars and you get absolutely NO photographs for the money you spend. It is just an add-on fee to increase the photographers profit while attempting to make it look like you are "getting a deal" on the pictures. You may be told that you are getting professional services for the fee, but isn't "professional" what you expect when you hire a professional photographer. AVOID photographers that add charges for services you should be getting by hiring them in the first place.

CARROLL STUDIOS never charges any add-on fees for services. All money you spend goes directly toward your photographs and albums. Plus we put this in writing so there will be no unpleasant surprises after your wedding.

A hundred years ago business was often transacted with a handshake and a smile. Unfortunately this is not the case today. Be sure that everything you want and expect to take place on your wedding day is documented in writing and signed by all parties involved. This should include what services you will be receiving, how many photographs, albums, pages, sittings, portraits, etc. plus any time limits or other limitation imposed by your photographer. Be sure to include a price guarantee since you may be reserving your photographer well over a year before your wedding.

CARROLL STUDIOS documents everything we do for you in writing in our Wedding Services Agreement. Your prices are guaranteed not to change once you have reserved your date with our studios. In addition, it spells out, in detail, what you will be receiving, what happens in case the wedding is called off and much more. This is how we have kept brides happy for over 38 years.

A friend, business associate or relative offers to "save you thousands of dollars" by having them photograph your wedding for a low cost or for free. This is probably the worst mistake you could make. Wedding photography is a highly trained skill and a well meaning relative could ruin your lifetime of memories. Your friend or "Uncle Joe" will attend your wedding as a guest and could be distracted by other relatives when they should be attending to the bride's photographic needs. And of course, the food and drinks could inhibit their ability to do the professional job you expect. Last, if something bad does happen, who are you going to turn to for satisfaction...Aunt Marie???

CARROLL STUDIOS photographers are professionals that are at your wedding to attend to your every needs. They are not your guests, but your employees, doing the best job they are capable of for you - their employer, all at a fair, affordable price.

Wedding photography styles are constantly changing. New lighting and posing techniques are developed and shared by photographers that participate in continuing educational opportunities. However, many photographers, especially part-timers, once they learn how to take wedding photographs never upgrade their skills. One way to assure you are getting the most for your wedding photography investment is to hire a studio with a Master of Photography or at least a Certified Photographer on staff. The Master status is the highest a photographer can achieve and Certification requires continued competence to retain this status.

CARROLL STUDIOS is proud to have the services of three Masters on staff. We are the highest award winning studio in the area and are often invited to teach other photographers throughout the United States our photographic techniques.

Many wedding studios take chances with your wedding pictures by sending your film through the mail to mega-labs to have the prints made. These labs handle thousands of rolls of film weekly and often employ untrained minimum wage employees. Your film could easily be lost in transit, mixed up in the lab, or accidently damaged by an unskilled handler. And the labs warranty is limited only to an equal replacement of unexposed film if they damage yours. A lot of good that does you.

CARROLL STUDIOS has done their own processing in house for over 38 years. Highly trained craftsmen handle every aspect of your wedding with care and dedication to quality. In addition, we were the first studio in the area to include full digital lab capabilities over 15 years ago. We have been the leaders in this new creative arena and can offer many styles unavailable at other studios.

Engaging a studio with only a single photographer could result in a costly mistake. If the photographer should get sick or get in an accident preventing him from photographing your wedding at the last minute, what do you do? Sure, you or your photographer could look around for someone to do the job on short notice, but you selected your photographer many months ahead of time to assure you got the one you wanted and now you get stuck with a substitute and most likely have to pay extra because of the last minute change.

CARROLL STUDIOS is a multiple photographer studio, all equally trained in our high quality wedding photography techniques. We always have a photographer in reserve so that if something should happen to one of our photographers, you can rest assured that an equally qualified replacement will always be available.

Your wedding day is not the time to "test" your photographers ability. If your personalities conflict or you don't like your photographer's "bedside manner" or photographic style on the wedding day, it is too late to make changes. You should be offered an opportunity to sample your photographers abilities before your wedding day at no charge.

CARROLL STUDIOS offers you the opportunity to work with us before your wedding day. Most Storybook packages include at least one of three portrait sittings and portraits to provide you not only with a beautiful portrait for your new home, but also an opportunity to see how well we will work with you. Your selections include either a fun, casual Engagement Portrait, or a classic formal Bridal Portrait, or a romantic "Just for Him" Portrait.

For the highest quality wedding photography today, the use high resolution Professional Digital camera systems are a must. The amateur 35mm cameras should be avoided as they are very limited as to enlargement capabilities. Many studios charge extra for high resolution digital. You should not be expected to pay for professional equipment usage.

CARROLL STUDIOS uses only professional high resolution digital equipment for your wedding photography. Plus our photographers carry duplicate camera systems to avoid any camera malfunction problems.

Many studios expect you to do much of the work involving your wedding photographs, after the wedding. You will be expected to show your photographs to friends to get orders for the photographer, collect money from your relatives for your photographer, and sort and distribute the photographs to those ordering for your photographer, while he gets all the money from your efforts. You may even be expected to layout and assemble your own wedding album.

CARROLL STUDIOS takes all this work away from you and simply lets you enjoy your pictures. Your wedding album will be delivered to you all assembled, ready to show and enjoy and your personal orders will be separated and packaged individually. You will not have to become bill collectors for your family and friends, as they can order any reprints they desire directly from your personal website.

Plus a bonus Mistake to avoid...

Often brides get into financial disappointment by hiring a photographer that says "Just pay me a fee to do your wedding and decide what you want after you see the pictures". Sounds good until the bride finds out later that the costs will range into the thousands of dollars that she was not budgeted for. A good photographer should be able to discuss your wedding plans and offer a realistic amount of photography needed to cover your event. This will allow you to establish a practical photography budget and avoid unpleasant surprises after the wedding.

CARROLL STUDIOS provides you with our Exclusive Wedding Customizer to plan the amount of photography you will need for your event. Although no one can guess to the number the exact amount of photographs you will end up with, our Customizer has helped thousands of brides successfully budget for their weddings without major increases in after wedding costs. By applying the results of the Customizer to our Storybook Packages, the bride can select the amount of photographs that will most closely match her needs.


		The 10 most costly mistakes brides make when selecting their wedding photographer... ...and how to avoid them
	Costly Mistake #1 Selecting a Photographer based on price alone John Ruskin (1819-1900), poet, prophet and philosopher, said it best, "There is nothing that someone cannot make cheaper and sell for less and the person that bases their purchase on price alone is this mans lawful prey." Price and budget are important when planning your wedding photography, but remember, after the music is over, the cake is eaten and the flowers have wilted, the only thing you will have left to re-live this important day in your life, is the photographs you have had made. The bitterness of poor photography will long outlast the sweetness of a low price. Beware low price leaders. They usually will cost you more in the long run with extra add-on charges or costs to fix things you thought were included. CARROLL STUDIOS will work with you to develop an affordable budget based on your needs and not on what we hope to "sell" you. Our Storybook packages offer the best value available anywhere for your wedding investment. In addition, convenient interest free budget payments are available. *Costly Mistake #2* Paying a fee just to have the photographer show up Why would you want to waste money paying a "Photographers Fee" or "Wedding Service Charge" just to have the photographer show up at your wedding. Yet, brides are talked into these extra costs every day. These charges often run into the hundreds of dollars and you get absolutely NO photographs for the money you spend. It is just an add-on fee to increase the photographers profit while attempting to make it look like you are "getting a deal" on the pictures. You may be told that you are getting professional services for the fee, but isn't "professional" what you expect when you hire a professional photographer. AVOID photographers that add charges for services you should be getting by hiring them in the first place. CARROLL STUDIOS never charges any add-on fees for services. All money you spend goes directly toward your photographs and albums. Plus we put this in writing so there will be no unpleasant surprises after your wedding. *Costly Mistake #3* Not getting it in writing A hundred years ago business was often transacted with a handshake and a smile. Unfortunately this is not the case today. Be sure that everything you want and expect to take place on your wedding day is documented in writing and signed by all parties involved. This should include what services you will be receiving, how many photographs, albums, pages, sittings, portraits, etc. plus any time limits or other limitation imposed by your photographer. Be sure to include a price guarantee since you may be reserving your photographer well over a year before your wedding. CARROLL STUDIOS documents everything we do for you in writing in our Wedding Services Agreement. Your prices are guaranteed not to change once you have reserved your date with our studios. In addition, it spells out, in detail, what you will be receiving, what happens in case the wedding is called off and much more. This is how we have kept brides happy for over 38 years. *Costly Mistake #4* Having a friend or relative photograph your wedding A friend, business associate or relative offers to "save you thousands of dollars" by having them photograph your wedding for a low cost or for free. This is probably the worst mistake you could make. Wedding photography is a highly trained skill and a well meaning relative could ruin your lifetime of memories. Your friend or "Uncle Joe" will attend your wedding as a guest and could be distracted by other relatives when they should be attending to the bride's photographic needs. And of course, the food and drinks could inhibit their ability to do the professional job you expect. Last, if something bad does happen, who are you going to turn to for satisfaction...Aunt Marie??? CARROLL STUDIOS photographers are professionals that are at your wedding to attend to your every needs. They are not your guests, but your employees, doing the best job they are capable of for you - their employer, all at a fair, affordable price. *Costly Mistake #5* Hiring a 1980's style photographer for Today's style wedding Wedding photography styles are constantly changing. New lighting and posing techniques are developed and shared by photographers that participate in continuing educational opportunities. However, many photographers, especially part-timers, once they learn how to take wedding photographs never upgrade their skills. One way to assure you are getting the most for your wedding photography investment is to hire a studio with a Master of Photography or at least a Certified Photographer on staff. The Master status is the highest a photographer can achieve and Certification requires continued competence to retain this status. CARROLL STUDIOS is proud to have the services of three Masters on staff. We are the highest award winning studio in the area and are often invited to teach other photographers throughout the United States our photographic techniques. *Costly Mistake #6* Using a studio that does not do their own processing Many wedding studios take chances with your wedding pictures by sending your film through the mail to mega-labs to have the prints made. These labs handle thousands of rolls of film weekly and often employ untrained minimum wage employees. Your film could easily be lost in transit, mixed up in the lab, or accidently damaged by an unskilled handler. And the labs warranty is limited only to an equal replacement of unexposed film if they damage yours. A lot of good that does you. CARROLL STUDIOS has done their own processing in house for over 38 years. Highly trained craftsmen handle every aspect of your wedding with care and dedication to quality. In addition, we were the first studio in the area to include full digital lab capabilities over 15 years ago. We have been the leaders in this new creative arena and can offer many styles unavailable at other studios. *Costly Mistake #7* Hiring a "one photographer" studio Engaging a studio with only a single photographer could result in a costly mistake. If the photographer should get sick or get in an accident preventing him from photographing your wedding at the last minute, what do you do? Sure, you or your photographer could look around for someone to do the job on short notice, but you selected your photographer many months ahead of time to assure you got the one you wanted and now you get stuck with a substitute and most likely have to pay extra because of the last minute change. CARROLL STUDIOS is a multiple photographer studio, all equally trained in our high quality wedding photography techniques. We always have a photographer in reserve so that if something should happen to one of our photographers, you can rest assured that an equally qualified replacement will always be available. *Costly Mistake #8* Not "testing" your photographer out before the wedding Your wedding day is not the time to "test" your photographers ability. If your personalities conflict or you don't like your photographer's "bedside manner" or photographic style on the wedding day, it is too late to make changes. You should be offered an opportunity to sample your photographers abilities before your wedding day at no charge. CARROLL STUDIOS offers you the opportunity to work with us before your wedding day. Most Storybook packages include at least one of three portrait sittings and portraits to provide you not only with a beautiful portrait for your new home, but also an opportunity to see how well we will work with you. Your selections include either a fun, casual Engagement Portrait, or a classic formal Bridal Portrait, or a romantic "Just for Him" Portrait. *Costly Mistake #9* Hiring a photographer that does not use the proper equipment For the highest quality wedding photography today, the use high resolution Professional Digital camera systems are a must. The amateur 35mm cameras should be avoided as they are very limited as to enlargement capabilities. Many studios charge extra for high resolution digital. You should not be expected to pay for professional equipment usage. CARROLL STUDIOS uses only professional high resolution digital equipment for your wedding photography. Plus our photographers carry duplicate camera systems to avoid any camera malfunction problems. *Costly Mistake #10* Using a "Do it Yourself" type of photographer Many studios expect you to do much of the work involving your wedding photographs, after the wedding. You will be expected to show your photographs to friends to get orders for the photographer, collect money from your relatives for your photographer, and sort and distribute the photographs to those ordering for your photographer, while he gets all the money from your efforts. You may even be expected to layout and assemble your own wedding album. CARROLL STUDIOS takes all this work away from you and simply lets you enjoy your pictures. Your wedding album will be delivered to you all assembled, ready to show and enjoy and your personal orders will be separated and packaged individually. You will not have to become bill collectors for your family and friends, as they can order any reprints they desire directly from your personal website. Plus a bonus Mistake to avoid... *Costly Mistake #11* Under estimating your photography needs Often brides get into financial disappointment by hiring a photographer that says "Just pay me a fee to do your wedding and decide what you want after you see the pictures". Sounds good until the bride finds out later that the costs will range into the thousands of dollars that she was not budgeted for. A good photographer should be able to discuss your wedding plans and offer a realistic amount of photography needed to cover your event. This will allow you to establish a practical photography budget and avoid unpleasant surprises after the wedding. CARROLL STUDIOS provides you with our Exclusive Wedding Customizer to plan the amount of photography you will need for your event. Although no one can guess to the number the exact amount of photographs you will end up with, our Customizer has helped thousands of brides successfully budget for their weddings without major increases in after wedding costs. By applying the results of the Customizer to our Storybook Packages, the bride can select the amount of photographs that will most closely match her needs.
















An Exceptional Photographic Experience			6654 West Lisbon Avenue ~ Milwaukee, WI 53210 312 East Wisconsin Avenue ~ Milwaukee, WI 53202 (414) 445-2220 ~ (800) 672-7977 ~ (414) 445-3939 Fax

Costly Mistake #1
Selecting a Photographer based on price alone

Costly Mistake #3
Not getting it in writing

Costly Mistake #4
Having a friend or relative photograph your wedding

Costly Mistake #5
Hiring a 1980's style photographer for Today's style wedding

Costly Mistake #6
Using a studio that does not do their own processing

Costly Mistake #7
Hiring a "one photographer" studio

Costly Mistake #8
Not "testing" your photographer out before the wedding

Costly Mistake #9
Hiring a photographer that does not use the proper equipment

Costly Mistake #10
Using a "Do it Yourself" type of photographer

Costly Mistake #11
Under estimating your photography needs

Costly Mistake #1 Selecting a Photographer based on price alone

Costly Mistake #3 Not getting it in writing

Costly Mistake #4 Having a friend or relative photograph your wedding

Costly Mistake #5 Hiring a 1980's style photographer for Today's style wedding

Costly Mistake #6 Using a studio that does not do their own processing

Costly Mistake #7 Hiring a "one photographer" studio

Costly Mistake #8 Not "testing" your photographer out before the wedding

Costly Mistake #9 Hiring a photographer that does not use the proper equipment

Costly Mistake #10 Using a "Do it Yourself" type of photographer

Costly Mistake #11 Under estimating your photography needs