The cost of hosting a wedding can be a significant expense, especially for younger couples.  Based on a recent newspaper article, the average cost of a wedding is around $30,000 in Canada.  Normally, 10% of the wedding budget goes to photography, which equates to $3,000.  The word affordable carries a different meaning to different people.  For the sake of discussion, a wedding photography service that costs less than the national average is deemed affordable.

Affordable does not mean cheap

Shopping for a budget friendly wedding photographer does not mean you should accept cheap or low quality service.  It means being smart with you money.  It means sticking to a budget and paying for what is important to you.

Identify what is your important to you

A typical wedding package may includes ten hours of photography service, an engagement photo session, a collection of prints and an wedding album.  Discuss with your fiancée or fiancé what is important to both of you.  Is a wedding album important?  Some wedding studios let you order wedding albums at a later date.  Are getting ready photos critical?  What about photos of your friends getting drunk or dancing silly?  If you don't plan to have a dance floor, perhaps there is no need to keep the photographer till the end.  Try to come up with a list of what is important and it will help accelerate your research.

Research and more research

With so many photography vendors on the market, it might be over whelming at first.  Using keyword phrases such as "affordable wedding photographer" and "budget friendly wedding photography" is a good way to start your research.  Lets say you have decided on a budget of $2000.  You can google for "wedding photography under 2000" to obtain a more suitable result set.   A lot of reputable vendors have their pricing information online, so you should be able to come up with a preliminary list fairly quickly.  Next is to check each photographer's offerings and evaluate how well they match up against your list of whats important.  If you love the style of a particular photographer but are not able to afford the listed standard packages, ask for a custom quote.  As long as you are honest and upfront about your needs and budget, most professional photographers are willing to help.

Summary

Searching for an affordable wedding photographer in Toronto may not sound easy at first.  But once you narrow down your must-have's and use relevant search terms, it may not be so difficult after all. Remember not to settle for cheap or low quality work.  Always keep quality in mind, shop smart and pay for services that are important to you and your future spouse.