Dr. Gregory House! Yep he's one of my favorite T.V. characters of all-time. And his motto: Everybody lies!!!

House is a Cynic. And I would be a cynic too if I were to stumble across this blog post. Why Because as a wedding photographer I think that the photography is the most important part of the wedding.  Of course I would say that since I am one, Right? How self-serving is that! But this is one time when Dr. House is wrong, and I am not lying...there are exceptions. Occasionally, some people tell the truth! 

What are the most important parts of the wedding? I see tons of weddings with very different styles and budgets....from the super cheap, the shotgun wedding, the courthouse, the uber swanky river-overlook venue, the stately mansion, the outdoor, okay, okay, we get it! 

What are the most important parts of a great wedding? Before I declare that the photograph is the most important part of your wedding, let's look at some other possibilities...

1. A Wedding planner. Great weddings are rarely done without a wedding planner, right? Well, maybe that is about half true. About 50% of the weddings we see each year (that is around 25 a year) have a wedding planner. Most of them, Rock!

Without a wedding planner the stress on the bride is huge (as if it wasn't already one of the most stressfully things you'll ever do). The wedding planner really helps reduce that stress, helps you find save money, remembers all of the details on the day so you don't have to. Some brides are able to pull off a great wedding without one, but it is hard. If you don't have a planner, you must have a DJ, Photographer, or Venue manager that does assist in the planning for you.

2. The Dress! Actually...uhm, We see dresses that run the spectrum, from the recycled (i.e. free from momma) to the reduced rate ($2000 dress found by the bargain hound bride at a clearance rate of $250) to $5000+ dresses. In fact, the most gorgeous dress of this past season was a used vintage dress for almost nothing! And, they all look marvelous! The dress has to compliment you, but a dress does not make a wedding. The Bride makes the wedding and the Bride makes the dress! 

3. The Flowers. No slam on my florist friends, but the details of table decor and floral arrangements are not in the end going to be remember or make your wedding stand out.

 Okay, we all can see where this is going . . . so, as a photographer WHY DO I BELIEVE THAT THE PHOTOGRAPHY IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF THE WEDDING?  I believe that it shares that top spot with the choice of Venue. That's right most important: Venue and Photography. The next most important are (again a tie): Planner and DJ.  Choose all of these carefully.  These are the Most important part of your wedding (and therefore most important part of your budget):

DJ's and Planners can make your day a huge success. The details of your day need to flow seamlessly and and as stress free as possible, and so do the details of the celebration at the after-party. The planner and the DJ make these events or break them (trust me, I have seen both melt down or throw tantrums; its not pretty). 

The Venue can make or break a great wedding. Yep, we have all been to those places still stuck in the 1970's. Where did they get those colors? Or the panelling on the ways? Plain is better than ugly. A cramped, substandard facility will translate into a series of stresses and breakdowns on your most important day. But a grand venue will translate into a feeling of luxury and glamour, of romance and love. A gorgeous venue equals gorgeous photography!

A Photographer? Dr. House says, "The main tangible thing you have after the wedding is the photography that memorializes your day." You waited for this day since you were a tiny girl, now how will you remember it? Will you see it unfold like a cinematic production in a professionally crafted slideshow? Will you hold it in your hands in a finely crafted leather album as you smile with joy for years to come? What you will have after everything you put into your wedding? The photos. After the day is past, they are what you will have (other than that cool guy you get to take home).  

After all of the time and dollars spent on the dresses, tuxedos, flowers, candy favors, runners, (the list is endless), what does it matter 10 years from now if you don't invest in a skilled professional photographer who captures those details in the photography.

I know that Aunt Sally is pretty good with a camera, but the skill of helping you plan the event, getting the perfectly timed capture, anticipating those emotional moments, these are not to be left to the hobbyist.

How do you replay your wedding day and get that moment when Dad saw you for the first time and tears welled up in his eyes, or when Mom made that funny face at the Groom? Or when your best friend Maid of Honor caught your tears before they fell on your dress? You cannot re-do a wedding. And you do not want to miss these moments.

The skill and quality of the photographer on your wedding day, and the investment in putting those images together to retell that story of love and romance in the slideshow, and in the table book album (rather than in a disc in a drawer), values your wedding day and all that you are spending on it. Without quality photography the details, the memories, the moments of tears and laughter will fade. 

Let the dream live on in the photography....Happily ever after.