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With the warm weather, comes plenty of weddings at this time of year in Alaska. But the I-Team found, you have to be careful with the people you hire for your special day, or you could end up with a disaster.
Many agree that the most important person is the photographer.
It is what you'll look back on, to rekindle that spark when memories fade. It is a piece of family history to show your children and grandchildren. But beware: a lot of people are calling themselves photographers these days, but they don't really know what they're doing.
"You know, with the advances in digital photography anybody can go out and take some pretty decent
Johnson has been a professional wedding photographer in Anchorage for five years. And he has some great tips about what you should be looking for when you hire one. He says you should check to make sure they have a business license in Alaska and a nice Web site. That shows they're serious. Plus, you'll want to make sure they provide a written contract.
"Finally, one of the things most couples don't think of is asking for references. Prior customers, clients that they've had that that photographer has worked with or maybe even other vendors," said Johnson.
... such as a DJ, caterer or florist.
If you're planning a destination wedding be careful. It's harder to know if someone is legit if you're just dealing with them over the phone or online.
"We do get a lot of complaints in the travel industry. And you want to make sure you have a place to stay when you get there," said Brenda Smith of the Better Business Bureau.
Again, check references. And check with the Better Business Bureau in the city where you're getting married to find out if any vendors have a bad reputation. Wherever you're getting married, you might consider hiring a wedding planner.
"Because when it comes down to it, a couple---they're going to be really busy that day. And the important thing of it is for them to have fun, to relax and for the family members to relax," said Johnson.
With everybody you hire, make sure you find out if you can get your money back if something goes wrong.
"Hopefully, somebody's not going to back out of the wedding. But if there's a problem, what is their refund policy? What are their refund policies?" said Smith.
Although it's a ceremony filled with lots of emotion, beforehand you have to plan for it as if it's any other business decision.
The
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