LOW-COST PHOTOGRAPHERS, HIGH-COST REGRETS

Denmark is a beautiful, magical, charmingly expensive little country. From a cup of coffee to a city bus ride, everything here has a price tag that makes visitors whisper “…excuse me?” under their breath. Add a wedding to the equation - one of the biggest emotional and financial moments of your life - and suddenly every kroner matters.

Choosing a wedding photographer or videographer is one of the most important decisions you’ll make for your big day. Couples flying in for an elopement want to keep the budget under control, and even local Danish couples think, “If we can cut costs somewhere, why not here?”

But here’s the gentle truth:

Saving money on the one person responsible for your lifelong memories is a high-risk strategy. Sometimes it works out. Sometimes it ends in 400 dark, blurry photos and a shared Google Drive with the haunting title “maybe you can fix these??”

Before we dive into why, let’s acknowledge the reality:

• Denmark is expensive.

• Weddings are expensive.

• Even if you’re a local paying in kroner, expenses stack up quickly.

• So yes, the idea of paying less for photo/video services sounds harmless - even sensible.

  
  

But ultra-low pricing rarely comes without a story behind it.

Why Some Wedding Services Cost Less - and Why That Can Be a Problem

1. The Enthusiastic Beginner

They’re sweet, they’re excited, they’re full of creative energy - and your wedding might be only their second, third, or fifth attempt.

Ask yourself honestly:

Do you want one of the most emotional days of your life to double as someone else’s practice session?

I say this with love because I’ve been there too. On my own wedding day, I hired a girl from my photography school. She was brilliant at portraits… but my wedding was her second wedding ever.

She did her best, of course, but the result?

Let’s just say I never show those photos to my daughter. Ever.

Experience doesn’t just improve skill - it protects your memories.

2. The Part-Time Photographer (a.k.a. “Available After Work”)

These are the people who shoot weddings on weekends and edit on weeknights… if they have the energy after their full-time job, dinner, children’s bedtime routines, and maybe a load of laundry.

This means your gallery might arrive in:

• two weeks,

• two months,

• or whenever life calms down (spoiler: it never does).

  
  

Your wedding becomes another “task,” not their core priority.

3. The “Cash Only” Photographer

No taxes, no registration, no insurance, no contract.

That low price feels tractive - until something goes wrong.

Equipment breaks?

Memory card fails?

They disappear after the wedding?

With an unregistered service, you have no protection and no legal ground to stand on. And let’s be honest: supporting tax dodging isn’t exactly the dream beginning of married life.

4. The “Everything for 2000 kr” Miracle Deal

If someone charges less than the cost of simply existing in Denmark for a day, the math explains everything.

Ultra-low rates usually mean:

• old cameras, no backups,

• working on an uncalibrated monitor - which means your skin tone may magically shift from peach to beetroot, or from apricot to light-green depending on the screen mood of the day,

• no understanding of Danish weather, ceremony rules, lighting,

• no familiarity with Town Hall timings or locations,

• and zero margin for mistakes.

  
  

If your veil flies off into the harbor and the photographer never notices… well… that discount suddenly stops feeling like good news.

Real Situations That Happen More Often Than You Think

“All our photos are dark.”

A beginner didn’t know how to expose for an indoor ceremony - especially in an atmospheric but very dim marriage room, like the iconic one in Copenhagen City Hall. The couple spent their honeymoon begging strangers online to “save the files if possible.”

“Our photographer vanished.”

No contract. No legal name. No refund. No photos. Just a painful lesson.

“Delivery took forever.”

A part-timer promised three weeks… delivered after three months… and apologized with, “Work has been crazy lately.”

Why Professionals Cost More — and Why They’re Worth It

When you hire someone who charges fair market value, you’re paying for:

• years of real-world experience,

• professional equipment (and backups),

• insurance and proper registration,

• taxes (hello, Denmark),

• predictable turnaround time,

• consistent quality,

• and peace of mind.

Most importantly, you’re hiring someone who performs reliably, no matter the lighting, the weather, the schedule, the nerves, or the chaos of guests running late. Someone whose full-time profession is photo and video, and who takes their reputation seriously because it’s their livelihood.

Your wedding is not their hobby.

It’s their profession.

It’s their responsibility.

And they take it seriously.

Final Thought

The cake will disappear.

The bouquet will dry.

The hairstyle will surrender to the Danish wind within 12 minutes.

But your photos and videos? They stay with you for life.

So yes - saving money always sounds like a good idea.

Just make sure you’re not saving at the cost of the only memories you’ll have forever.