27/08/2026
This is not an attack… just an observation!!
When you’re planning a wedding and asking for photographer recommendations, florist recommendations, cake makers, dress makers, makeup artists… okay, really, any and all trades that provide wedding services, please think before you add “reasonable” and “that don’t cost an arm and a leg” to your vocabulary.
I completely understand that weddings have budgets. We all have one, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with saying, “My budget is £X — can anyone recommend someone within that?”
But there is a difference between “this is outside my budget” and “this is unreasonable.”
1. I can’t pay my mortgage with limbs, so I’ve never accepted them as payment.
2. By “reasonable”, you actually mean “within my budget”, so say what your budget is instead. Someone’s rate isn’t unreasonable simply because you aren’t willing or able to pay it.
3. Consider the ability, professionalism and experience of the suppliers whose costs are higher. Are they insured? Do they pay their taxes? Are they trained? Do they have years of experience behind them? Are they excellent at what they do?
Their fee will be higher …. and it should be.
Professionals charge more than someone with limited or no training, or someone who does it as a hobby. There are costs involved in running a legitimate business that aren’t always visible from the outside.
That doesn’t mean you have to use their services if they’re outside your budget. Of course not.
Choose the supplier who fits your budget and gives you what you’re looking for.
But perhaps instead of describing a professional’s prices as “unreasonable” or asking for someone who “doesn’t cost an arm and a leg”, simply tell people what you have available to spend.
It’s kinder, it’s clearer, and it saves everyone’s time.
There is a supplier out there for every budget, but please remember that behind every price is a person, a business and a lot more than just the product or service you see on the day.
And sometimes, you really do get what you pay for!!