Funny how a lot of photographers out there use the term "investments" when it comes to how much it will cost to shoot your portraits... isn't an investment supposed to get us some sort of financial return at some point in the future? When did a having your picture taken turn into a way for you to make money?
The truth is, hiring a photographer is not an investment. For example, 20 years from now, you will not be getting any money back and your wedding day will be nothing but a memory. You will think back on the day and remember all the good times you had, the joy you felt, the pride, and maybe, just maybe, you'll even remember your father shedding a tear as he danced with you in that perfect wedding dress. No, these memories will not get you back any financial returns because they are not an investment... they are priceless!!!
Photographers often call the fees you pay them an investment because the pictures you get from them are the only things, from your big day, that last. Of all the vendors that you pay on your wedding day, a good photographer is the best place to spend your money. The dinner will be eaten in a matter of minutes, the band will pack up their instruments and the dancing will be done by the end of the night, your memories might fade over time, but the moments captured in the photographs will last for the rest of your life.
I may be biased in saying this; but, if you're going to spend money on your wedding (or on your family portraits, your baby's first birthday, etc...) make sure you get a photographer and get one you like. You don't want to look at your pictures and have feelings of resentment because you hired your 'Uncle Fred' because he bought a new fancy camera but didn't know how to use it. Get yourself a trained and experienced photographer so that you'll simply look back on your pictures and portraits and say that was the best day of my life.
