I’ve heard many tales from fellow colleagues about high-end wedding venues that have peculiar policies regarding photographers blogging or publishing wedding photos from their venue online.
Being a ‘preferred’ Wedding Photographer
Where is the problem with an artist wanting to showcase their work? Surely it serves as advertising for both the photographer and the venue. You would think that any venue, whether grand or small, would welcome ‘free’ publicity in this day and age. But, surprisingly, some do not.
A few months ago, I received a call from a local Dorset wedding venue. They began by congratulating me on my recent blog post, which named their venue as the county’s leading choice.
Their next sentence took a different direction, asking me to either remove the image of their venue from my blog or change the wording of my post. Apparently, I had inadvertently implied that I was a preferred supplier. While I had used a meta tag of “ *** Wedding Photographer” in my post, I had not suggested that I was a ‘preferred’ or officially recommended supplier.
I naturally stood my ground and refused to remove the image, as it was my work and under my copyright. As for the wording, I didn’t want to compromise and questioned why he was so insistent on protecting this ‘approved’ vendor status. The penny dropped, and I said, “Ah, ‘preferred’ supplier—that’s where you get a backhander.” The venue manager exploded in response, vehemently denying any improper payments taking place.
It certainly hit a nerve, but I promptly apologised for my choice of words, explaining that, for lack of a better term, the system and reality often seem the same. Wedding suppliers pay a percentage of their booking fee as a commission to the venue in return for being listed in their documentation. Some venues even refuse to let ‘non-preferred’ suppliers operate within the venue, which really takes things too far.
This isn’t a gripe from a disgruntled wedding photographer trying to gain access to yet another prime wedding venue. I’m not focused on my own interests; rather, I genuinely see the system of ‘preferred’ suppliers as corrupt and exploitative of the clients—brides and grooms.
Couples hiring these wedding venues are already paying a premium for the use of the building, its facilities, and its picturesque backdrop. So why should ‘preferred’ suppliers then charge the couple an extra 10% or more to cover the ‘tax,’ ‘fee,’ or ‘backhander’ payment to the venue?
I’m sure that if you added up all the key suppliers—cars, accommodation, florists, cake suppliers, entertainment, discos, hair and beauty, marquees, videographers, and photographers—and considered that each might hand over their ‘cut’ to the venue, the combined cost for the day could easily rise by an average of £1,500 to £2,000.
This is not only immoral but absurd, and I will have no part in it. This type of exploitation persists because, once again, the venue’s customer service begins and ends with opening and closing its doors on the wedding day. I argue that the people who truly make the wedding a success are the suppliers working within the venue on the day. They consistently go the extra mile to ensure everything is perfect!
Venues that operate a ‘preferred’ supplier list prey on other suppliers’ insecurities, capitalising on their desire to be associated with prestigious locations.
My perspective is clear: I am a wedding photographer who is uninterested in joining any ‘preferred’ venue list, especially if it means raising my prices for clients. For this, I make no apologies.
I urge all brides and grooms to look beyond the venue’s ‘preferred’ supplier list—this list doesn’t necessarily feature the best available options and may not include what you’re truly looking for. Your wedding day and all its elements deserve careful consideration, including time and effort in talking to, meeting, and selecting the various suppliers.
A great deal of pleasure can be found in researching and selecting your creative suppliers, many of whom are easily discovered with a click of a mouse. You should choose your photographer based on attributes such as their photographic style, proven track record, and, most importantly, how well they fit with you and your needs.
Your wedding photographer should not be chosen based on the size of the referral fee paid to your wedding venue!
Author – Bournemouth Wedding Photographer Linus Moran
Have you come across this? What do you think about ‘preferred suppliers’?