Wedding photography is a lucrative industry. A photographer's job is to provide a service of capturing the love and emotions of the day. However, there will be times where a photographer has to turn your offer down. As a photographer, I can say it’s not an easy thing to do. But when it happens, it is usually out of necessity. Today, I will cover a few reasons as to why that may occur.
Scheduling Conflicts
The reality of the matter is, the biggest reason is likely that someone else beat you to the punch. A wedding photographer’s schedule is often incredibly hectic, especially with wedding season. This is why I would encourage you to reach out sooner than later, so that when the occasion presents itself, you will likely be able to book your first choice. Last year, I had booked 68 sessions over the course of the year, spanning weddings, elopements, branding photos, and graduation photos. That includes pre-shoot meetings, any pre-wedding shoots, the wedding and receptions, and then the editing process of all of them, delivering an average of 500 photos meeting my standards of quality.
Style differences
Surprisingly enough, style differences are a legitimate reason that a photographer may turn you down. Each couple and each photographer have their own unique style of doing things. Photographers would actually encourage you to do some research and determine who fits with your personal aesthetic, looking at portfolios and browsing reviews online (Ash, 2023). If a photographer doesn’t have a portfolio available publicly, reach out to them and see if they would be willing to send an extensive gallery, which will help in your research (Ash, 2023). However, if a photographer turns you down for these reasons, in theory, they should provide you with a recommendation who may better suit your needs (Ash, 2023). Once the photographer declines your wedding shoot, send them a follow-up email thanking them for their time and asking if they have a recommendation for potential additional photographers, who may better suit your style.
Budget reasons
This one may not be as big of a shock. However, it is something that should be considered. A wedding photographer is not a small cost consideration for a wedding day. According to WedCuts (2020), a wedding planning budget should allocate 10-20% of funds towards wedding photography. Meanwhile, Monica Mercuri of Zola recommends between 10-12% of the budget (2023). Mercuri also worked out that a photographer can cost as little as $1500 (2023). For my own business, I have packages that start out at $2000, to allow for a definitive example. If your wedding budget is too small, the photographer will likely turn down your offer and recommend someone more aligned with your budgetary restrictions.
Personality disconnections
When it is all said and done, there is also the chance that the photographer and the couple may not connect on a personality level. Although this is not always the case, occasionally, you may run across this reason. A photographer may have a number of reasons for why this may be the case, but a client may run across a similar feeling. Poor people skills, unprofessional, or nervous insecurities are all reasons as to why a client may feel that a photographer is not a good fit (Seastrom, 2013). A photographer may have similar reasons for turning down an opportunity. However, if they are an individual with integrity, they will turn down your opportunity as respectfully as possible.
At the end of the day, there are a number of reasons as to why a wedding photographer may turn you down. But if this occurs, I want to encourage you not to take it personally. When you hire a contractor, you want the best one for the job - one that’s schedule lined up, budget is reasonable, and they are doing the task to your satisfaction. Hiring a photographer is not always an exact science. But I hope I laid out some reasons as to why this may occur. I hope to have added something of note to your day and that you have a great week.
All the best,
Logan Clark
Works Cited
Ash. “How to Decline Photographing a Wedding.” Snapshot Revolution, 11 February 2023, https://snapshotevolution.com/how-to-decline-photographing-a-wedding/. Accessed 5 June 2024.
“How Much Should You Budget for Wedding Day.” WedCuts, 28 March 2020, https://www.wedcuts.com/budget-for-wedding-photography/. Accessed 5 June 2024.
Mercuri, Monica. “How Much Does a Wedding Photographer Cost in 2023?” Zola, 20 June 2019, https://www.zola.com/expert-advice/how-much-does-a-wedding-photographer-cost. Accessed 5 June 2024.
Seastrom, Spencer. “Personality Traits That Clients Avoid When Hiring Photographers.” Photography Talk, 11 September 2013, https://www.photographytalk.com/photography-articles/3407-personality-traits-that-clients-avoid-when-hiring-photographers. Accessed 5 June 2024.