I Was Nominated for a Wedding Industry Award — So Why Am I Choosing Not to Enter?

Recently, I received an email telling me that I had been nominated for a category in a wedding industry award.

And, of course, being nominated for anything sounds lovely.

As a Scottish wedding photographer, I work incredibly hard to give my couples an amazing experience, and recognition within the wedding industry is always flattering.

But then I looked at what was involved in actually participating.

And I decided that I wouldn’t.

Here’s why.

The £125 entry fee

The first email I received informing me about the nomination explained that, if I wanted to proceed, there was an entry fee of £125.

That’s quite a lot of money for a small business.

And I have to be honest — paying to enter an award doesn’t sit particularly comfortably with me.

If I’m being recognised because my clients genuinely believe I’ve provided an exceptional service, I’d much rather that recognition came from the work itself, my reviews, recommendations and the experiences I’ve created for my couples.

Not from whether I’m willing to pay £125 to put myself forward.

Then something interesting happened…

After receiving the initial email, I subsequently received two further emails.

Both offered a reduced price to enter.

And this is the bit that really made me stop and think.

The original price was £125.

Then came another offer.

And then another.

So I’m sitting there thinking:

“Hang on… wasn’t this £125?”

Now, perhaps there are perfectly innocent reasons for the pricing structure.

Perhaps discounts are a normal part of how this particular award operates.

But from a small-business owner’s perspective, it didn’t leave me feeling particularly comfortable about what I was actually being invited to participate in.

It started to feel less like:

“You’ve been recognised for your work.”

And more like:

“You’ve been nominated — would you like to pay us to enter?”

And then:

“Would you like to pay us a little less?”

And then:

“How about even less?”

That’s where my scepticism kicked in.

I’m not saying awards shouldn’t cost money

I want to be clear about something.

I completely understand that legitimate awards have costs.

There are venues.

Judges.

Administration.

Marketing.

Event costs.

Trophies.

Staff.

And plenty of other things that have to be paid for.

I’m not suggesting that every award should be completely free.

But personally, I don’t like the idea of a business paying to participate in something that is then presented primarily as recognition of that business.

For me, there is a difference between:

Paying for a service or event

and

paying to participate in an award designed to recognise your business.

That distinction matters to me.

What does an award actually mean to me?

When I see an award attached to a business, I want to believe it tells me something meaningful.

I want to think:

This business was genuinely recognised for being excellent at what they do.

I want to know that their work, customer service, client experience or results were judged against meaningful criteria.

And, particularly within the wedding industry, I think that matters.

Couples are spending thousands of pounds on their weddings.

They’re trusting suppliers with incredibly important moments.

When someone sees that a wedding photographer in Scotland has won an award, I’d like that award to genuinely help them understand why that photographer is worth considering.

That’s what awards should mean to me.

My clients are the recognition I value most

I’m incredibly fortunate to have built my photography business through my clients.

The reviews.

The recommendations.

The couples who come back to me.

The people who send their friends and family.

The messages I receive after delivering a gallery.

Those things mean far more to me than a badge on my website.

Because those are people who have actually experienced my work.

They didn’t receive an email telling them I had been nominated.

They didn’t have to pay anything.

They simply experienced what I do and decided it was worth recommending.

And that’s the kind of recognition I value.

I’m a small business, and every £125 matters

This is another important part of the conversation.

I’m a small business owner.

Like thousands of other photographers and wedding suppliers across Scotland, I have plenty of legitimate expenses.

Equipment.

Insurance.

Software.

Website costs.

Advertising.

Education.

Travel.

Editing time.

And all the other costs that come with running a photography business.

So when I’m deciding where to spend £125, I have to ask myself:

What is actually going to benefit my business?

For me, spending that money on something that doesn’t align with how I believe recognition should work isn’t the right investment.

I’d rather put it towards something that directly benefits my clients or my business.

A final thought

I’m a wedding photographer in Scotland, and I’m incredibly proud of the business I’ve built.

I don’t need to collect every badge, nomination or title available to prove that.

My work, my clients and the reputation I’ve built over the years speak for themselves.

So I’ll politely decline this one.

Not because I don’t appreciate the nomination.

But because I don’t believe recognition should have to be purchased.

And that’s simply a business decision — and a personal value — that I’m comfortable standing by.