Brides - I need your help!

[Parsley]

Hi girls!

You probably won''t know me, I''m much more of a lurker, and a lurker on LIW at that! However, I am in desperate need of your help.

I''m writing my dissertation at the moment, due friday. I''ve got to bulk it out with some references yet. For this dissertation I built a website for my brother who is a wedding photographer. As a result of this I have to talk about various forms of online promotion, including blogs etc. There''s a point I want to make which I *know* is true, but I''m sure you''ve all gone through the hell that is finding a source to back up your point.

The point I''m trying to make is that a wedding photographer is not just chosen for their photos alone, but that personality comes into it to some degree as well, you need to know you''ll get along with this person to be able to ask for what you want on the day etc. I *had* an article from a wedding magazine that described exactly what I need it to, unfortunately I gave the rest of that magazine to my FSIL and now she can''t find it so I can''t find the details to reference the article properly.

Now, I''m sure you girls have done your homework. Do any of you have anything I might possibly be able to use to back up this point? Have you seen any online articles that you could point me in the direction of? The problem is that it needs to be from a fairly reputable source, and not from a photographer''s website, as that could obviously be biased. Have any of you seen articles on wedding planning websites that could help me? I''ve been scouring the internet, but my brain is starting to turn to jelly and I''ve got an ear infection which is quite distracting!

I would love you FOREVER if you could help me! I was so on top of this whole report until a week ago when my supervisor told me I needed to change the design on my website...completely. So I lost about 2000 words of my report because I''d changed what I''d done. Agh.

Thank you in advance for however you can help me!

P
xxx

(P.S. I totally lurk here too, and you all look gorgeous and have found such amazing ways to make your wedding days spectacular. You provide some lovely wedding eye candy here for a girl who couldn''t be further from it herself :-p)

 

[aliciagirl]

I just did a quick search on "choosing a wedding photographer" and came across a few things that mention personality as something that would be a deal maker/breaker. Maybe not the most reputable, but something?

Here


here

and

here

 

[Echidna]

Date: 5/2/2010 6:08:50 PM
Author:Parsley

The point I''m trying to make is that a wedding photographer is not just chosen for their photos alone, but that personality comes into it to some degree as well, you need to know you''ll get along with this person to be able to ask for what you want on the day etc. I *had* an article from a wedding magazine that described exactly what I need it to, unfortunately I gave the rest of that magazine to my FSIL and now she can''t find it so I can''t find the details to reference the article properly.

Hi Parsley,

I just submitted my PhD so I appreciate your pain

Without going into my own topic (for privacy reasons), I think you need some marketing articles. I''m going to assume that you might have some already because you''ve mentioned online promotion, etc.

Relationships between vendors and customers is a common issue in the services marketing literature. You might want to look on Google Scholar for articles centring around rapport/trust/inseparability and similar. There are tons of articles about service provider relationships and while none of them will mention wedding photographers, they will certainly discuss the intangible nature of the service (i.e. photography), the inherent trust a consumer needs to have up front in the service provider (i.e. photographer), and how rapport will help consumers to choose their service.

Some thoughts here:

http://jsr.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/3/1/82 (highly reputable journal)

http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/51936/abstract?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0

Not sure how helpful they are, but worth a try?

Worst comes to worst, a basic services marketing textbook might be enough to get you through.

Hope it helps

 

[Parsley]

Thank you both SO much. I was really tearing my hair out! Getting the final few finishing touches done now, I''m shattered!

Again, THANK YOU!



xxxxx