Malay weddings are not cheap. It definitely isn’t as cheap as some might have come to believe in recent times. In most cases, a couple has to work the budget creatively around the big-ticket items like the baju, decorations, pelamin, catering, Mak Andam fees, to the point that photography might take a back seat.
Having said that, in terms of pricing, one needs to be realistic about what to expect within a specific budget. Today, wedding photography packages in the market can range from $400+ to a whopping $5000+ a pop.
The main differences between the packages are:
1) hours the photographer commits to your majlis
2) professionalism and experience
3) the amount of deliverables they provide within the packages.
So what can you expect for $400?
Insufficient Coverage
For $400 dollars, it might be tough securing a photographer who would capture your moments over a 2-day period.
Within that price point, you might secure up to 4 hours of photography and we all know that akad nikah and bersanding itself will take a substantial amount of time. With all the baju changes, make up touch ups and both pengantins being ferried over two venues, it isn’t realistic that your majlis could be over in 4 hours.
When your wedding mimics scenes from the amazing race, you might find yourselves getting frazzled in the heat of things.
So obviously, with the crunch in time, be prepared to forgo pre-preparation shots with your pals and forget about taking pictures of your hantaran from different angles. Time is money and you need to streamline what you want captured on film.
Some photographers are upfront about the number of baju changes he would capture within the time period. So do check.
During your bersanding, someone, probably your pengapit, has to be roped in to corral everyone like a drill sergeant to specific locations for their shots. This might mean that you are forcing your poor old makciks and pakciks to drop whatever social niceties they were indulging in to leap up the pelamin for family pictures.
This package works best if your akad nikah and bersanding event takes place in the same venue with both sides having a joint majlis which eliminates time wasted in moving to different venues.
If not, having pictures taken within a 4-hour period could be a terrible idea. On the brightside, it can be done with compromise by working out which events you really want to capture within the 4 hours and which you can do without. Communication with your photographer is key at this juncture.
Professionalism and Quality Compromised
Sometimes, photographers who accede to your ridiculously low price points could be a) your photographer friend and so ‘they just give you chance’ or b) they are inexperienced young rookies hoping to build up their portfolio at all costs. So think about the quality that you are compromising on if you happen to recruit the latter.
Wedding photography is a lot like photo-journalism where speed and precision is key.
Within that split second, a photographer needs to figure out the lighting and composition quickly in an environment he has very little control of. This takes an immense amount of confidence and a calculated eye.
If a young rookie gets gabra or is slow in seizing photo-perfect opportunities, that’s when you find yourself with an album of very few shots, many blurry faces or worse, shots with unflattering double chins.
I have seen a photographer standing on a chair in the midst of a kompang procession just to get the bird’s eye view of the festivities. This is the dedication and spontaneity that you need to create a successful shot sometimes and the best photographers have this philosophy of always being in the thick of the action. The problem is sometimes they don’t come within your price range.
Rookie photographers might not have clocked in enough practice so they might not yet have mastered the art of making people feel at ease in front of the camera. Like a bug, tension and anxiety is a catching feeling, so chances are if your photographer is meek and unsure, you will find yourself reacting with frozen smiles. This surely doesn’t reflect the happiness of the best day of your life.
I am not saying that all rookies are that way, but you get what you give. The caveat is that you should research on the quality of their portfolios before committing to the package and sit down for a discussion with the photographer to find out their strengths.
Fewer Deliverables
After the dust of your wedding day has settled, you are left with the vestiges of memories through your photos. So what can you realistically get for that price point?
If you drive a hard bargain, you might find that the deliverables included in the package becomes significantly reduced. For instance, it might only include less than 200 pieces of 4R photos sans touch ups or editing. That’s the danger when insisting on the lowest price possible, you get fewer pictures, fewer bells and whistles.
Some might not even provide you with soft copies and DVDs at that rate. Coffee table albums with embossed details? Not a reality. An option would be in putting together your own photo album independently which is yet an additional extra cost to bear.
If you want a canvas portrait of yourselves hanging on the wall, forget it, even photo studios charge at least $400 for printing a large piece so that is a bit asking for too much.
What will your photographer eat? Remember that this is his livelihood, be considerate.
So hopefully you get an accurate picture of what to expect for a budget of $400. I’m sure with a lot of luck, you might find some providers who are able to match up to your expectations and surpass it but these are some of the common problems you might encounter with a very modest budget.
