Testimonials on wedding / event site

In preparation for a move from Toronto to Ottawa I have begun to attempt to collect testimonials from clients (I have a list of names, emails so if I need references for, say, a studio, I have several possibilities).

So far I have only been collecting quotes from emails that were the immediate and ostensibly genuine responses to the work done. I'll obviously contact the clients associated with them and get their permission to use them if I do.

The question is indeed: does including testimonials on a wedding / event photography site make sense ? I can imagine that with photographers who are more established, those who have 'made a name', this is less important--their prospective clients don't need these assurances. But what about for the rest of us ?

The only downside I see to including testimonials is that it adds another page to a site I'd like to keep simple.

Any thoughts ?

I'm not sure if it makes much difference. If people are as cynical as I am they could assume you made them up.

If they're super cynical a testimonial page doesn't help--agreed. If they're not as cynical as you [or me], however..

Now do I assume that everyone is as cynical as I am ? wouldn't that be kind of..er.

Yeah--I'm not convinced either way yet. It feels like a silly exercise, but most of the non-photogs I know suggest that testimonials have some weight.

Yeah. I have a whopping two on my site, but they're cazy old.

I have them, and also have a page dedicated to them in my current brochure, I always include a picture of the clients and state the source of the testimonial too, I think it makes it more authentic that way and in the case of testimonials that come in via comments on my blog they can actually go and check it for themselves if they wish.

A very cynical person may still doubt them but for most people I think the addition of a photo and some traceability would assure them that its genuine.

I don't believe testimonials when I read them. And even if I thought them to be authentic, the cynic in me will still say that I'm being shown only the best comments (of course). I'd rather refer clients to my Facebook page where the posts are clearly unedited and genuine. I try to keep my regular site short and focused with very few extraneous pages; I would view a testimonial page as extraneous (IMO).

I have them on my site and I have a presentation featuring them with samples on shots. I also agree, they probably don't hold much and you would get more from a site where you don't have control over the content.
I still use and show them though.

An over the top, outstanding, to good to be true photograph, speaks a thousand words.
A portfolio full of them !

After all seeing is believing!