Services:
Employees:	1
Accepts:

Rev. Pamela L. Brehm	Ann's artistic eye makes every wedding photo shine with emotion! Her talents run from the traditional family portraits to exquisite candid shots taken from a bird's eye view! Her work would be an asset to any couple's wedding album.
Deschamps Photography	Not only is Ann a gifted photographer, she is a true professional. She is one of the first to help a fellow photographer with a question. Ann is an great example of a wedding industry pro.

1) YOUR WEDDING IS YOUR WEDDING:  It needs to be exactly the way you want it, and quite honestly, should not have to cost you an arm and a leg!  Don't be afraid to ask questions and do some price comparing.  Look around so that people don't take advantage of you.

2) PRICE SHOULD NOT BE THE FIRST THING YOU ASK ABOUT WHEN SEARCHING FOR QUALITY: Now obviously everybody is on a budget, and understandably so, so don't take this as a license to go crazy and broke.  However, when searching for the right vendors to fit your needs in any area of the planning, do the research and find out what you are getting first.  There's no point in knowing prices for somebody who is not a good match for you.  You don't buy toddler sized shoes for an adult just because they are cheaper, right?  No, you go the section with the right fit and style first, and look for you price range there.  Meet with these people!  You will learn the most through face to face interaction (and make sure it's with the actual person you will use on your big day, not a representative).  Ask a lot of questions and make sure you get the right answers.  When you find somebody you LIKE, then is the time to figure out the details, ESPECIALLY for the important pieces like the venue, officiant, coordinator (if you have one), and photographer.  Believe me on this one, if I thought making this entire section bold, capital letters, red, italic, and as big as the font goes would emphasize the importance of quality, I would do it. :)  If you do the research, you will find quality within your budget - I promise.

3) TELL YOUR PHOTOGRAPHER (AND ALL OTHER VENDORS FOR THAT MATTER) WHAT YOU WANT: A lot of photographers will give you descriptions of their style and how they like to do things, and you may end up with something you don't like in the end which is money down the drain.  If you like things posed, say so!  If you want things to be spontaneous, say the word!  This applies to all the other people you are relying on to make your wedding go smoothly, too.

4) EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED: The day someone doesn't have a story to tell about something that happened differently than planned at their wedding, I will stop dead in my tracks and hire them to plan my wedding.  If you stress yourself out over the details, you'll lose the real point of the wedding ~ the marriage.  You are about to spend the rest of your life with this person, so take a deep breath, cherish the moment, and don't worry about the rest.  People are there to help you!

5) INCLUDE EACH OTHER & PRIORITZE: I know, especially as a woman, that it is easy for us to become a little bit of a bridezilla.  Make sure that you include your future husband in the planning.  Sit down and decide together what parts are the most important to each of you, and build from there.  Also, get those important things out of the way first, so there is more of a guarantee that they will happen that way.  Book early and use more of your budget on these key pieces.  The rest will faill into place as time goes on, but if you wanted a specific location or vendor, waiting too long to book may cause you to miss out.  If you really need to save money, try getting married in an off peak season (not May-September), or not having it on a Friday or Saturday.  Often you can find lower rates by considering this.  Also cutting down the guest list can save loads of money, especially when your venue charges $40-$100 per head.

6) PLANNERS ARE A GREAT RESOURCE: Sometimes people will get the idea that a planner is an added expense that you don't really need when you can plan the wedding yourself.  A lot of planners know this is the mentality and economy we are in, however, and have tried to accomodate the changing bridal industry.  You don't just have to hire somebody to do everything.  You can hire somebody to just give you vendor referrals or to do a la carte projects you want help with.  You can even hire somebody to just come in on the Day of Ceremony and make sure your plans go off without a hitch.  Planners can actually save you money even with their fees involved with all the time they save you, stress they alleviate, and connections they have in the industry.  As much as we all would love a full planner to do everything though, if it's not in your budget don't be afraid to seek help where needed.  And I guarantee that a DOC (day of coordinator) may be some of the best money you spend.

7) TRAVELLING VENDORS ARE NOT BAD: Sometimes you will have trouble, especially in high population areas like Florida, California or New York, finding vendors within a lower budget.  Be aware that their prices are reasonable based on their expenses to run a business, so pretty please don't think they are trying to make a quick buck.  However, sometimes looking outside your immediate area can save you money even after including travel expenses.  For example, my packages range $1900-$2500 plus a cheap plane ticket and a hotel for a night if somebody were to fly me on location or destination.  Local photographers in expensive areas often start around $3000-4000.  It doesn't really mean we offer different services.  It just means that I live in a lower cost area of the US and have fewer expenses than they do.  When you find an $800 photographer in a high cost area is when I would get concerned and start asking questions.  The point is that travel doesn't automatically mean more expensive.  This is a huge factor for destination weddings.  You will be much better off hiring travelling vendors you are comfortable with than to use their preferred or local vendors.  What happens if they screw up?  Their laws are different than ours.  Read your contract to make sure it is not a requirement when you use a certain venue.  I am also aware that many people like to support local business which is definitely a great thing to do when you are spending this kind of money, but consider the fact that many wedding vendors are small business that you would be supporting as well.  Small business is a driving force of the American economy and deserves just as much support. :)

Did you know that the average couple in 2006 spent $26,400 each on 2.2million weddings? At least when it comes to your portraits, quality does NOT have to mean more zeros.  Let us know if we can help you!  Consultations are free and informative...

319-329-6990
www.ideal-portraits.com
ideal.portraits@hotmail.com