A bride to be recently told me about a conversation with a caterer who pressured her to spend more money on food. She said, "He told me that if I hadn't 'blown all my money on the venue,' that maybe I would have been able to afford their catering." Understandably, she wasn't offended by the idea that she couldn't afford their catering, but by the manner in which he spoke to her. "Blown all my money?" she said, "I'd rather you just tell me that you're out of my price range; it's much more polite."

I couldn't agree more. And listening to her story underscored why I do my best to meet people where they're at in their wedding budget.

The most important thing to me is that my pricing enables me to work with good people who want to hire me because of my photographic style. As a photographer, I see how important it is that clients get the kind of photography they want for their day, and it pains me when price ends up being a very prohibitive factor.

That's why I tend to favor an a la carte approach to pricing. Doing so ensures that there's a wide price range available for the wedding couples looking for photography. So if you're really gung-ho about my work, but can't afford all the bells and whistles, there's probably a package for you.

What it comes down to for me is this: It's energizing to be around people who are as excited about having me at their wedding as I am about shooting their wedding. It feeds my creativity, gives me energy, and keeps me excited about my work! Win-win all around.

Plus, being flexible and having fun means you get genuine moments like this!