My son is getting married in six weeks, and my daughter next year in May. So everyone's asking, “ Who did you pick to photograph your kids’ weddings?" That's not what I asked myself. I asked the same question as the people who come and see me: "How much is this gonna cost?" The answer really opened my eyes… When I analyzed it, I'm paying the photographer and their assistant for their time that day, and they are giving me the files. After the wedding, I personally will edit, color correct, create 4x6 proofs, order a proof box, design an album, do the post production work, order the album, and parents' albums ( at least one, maybe two more – which also includes album design and some more post-production work) … maybe order a wall portrait or two from the lab. These are my two children, so there's no charge for my time. Even so I will be paying close to $6000.00 for photography. I am IN THE BUSINESS, so I'm paying "wholesale". No extra breaks from the lab, the album company or the photographers I hired. So what are these couples getting from those “professionals” that are "only" charging $3500.00 or so for “professional photography” - in other words their time on the day, plus the image files? Short answer: not enough! My long answer is coming up, but it would be great to hear your take on this. Jerry