I’m passionate about offering the best possible service to my clients and although this blog featured earlier in the year, I think it’s important to give you the best advice and help before choosing your wedding photographer. So I’ve decided to show this blog again, along with a very helpful “must-have” list for you to download.
So how do you choose the right wedding photographer? After all there are a lot of us around, and we seem to offer similar, yet not identical, things. And prices? Prices are hugely variable. So what should you ask to find the right wedding photographer for you?
Are they a Professional Photographer?
It sounds like a weird question to ask but because there are a lot of us around, and you’re hard-earned money will be paying for their services, you want to be assured they are a professional wedding photographer and not someone who does this as a hobby? Do some research – are they listed on any photographic associations or bodies? Two of the best ones to check are The Society of Wedding and Portrait Photographers and The Master Photographers Association. If they are registered with either of these bodies, they will carry the necessary insurances and be classed as a professional photographer.
Have they actually covered a full wedding day before?
You would hope they had but to make sure, ask the question. If they have, they should have sample albums or a portfolio to show you of a WHOLE wedding, not just snippets from several different weddings. Also ask if the images you are being shown were actually taken at a wedding. Again, seems an unusual question to ask, but even photographers needs to have training / workshops and education to move forward and become better photographers and it may be that some of the images you are seeing were taken on educational training days or workshops which, although they’ll be great images, were not taken under the same conditions and timescales as the real deal.
Wedding Photography Price
OK, you will have a budget, but be prepared to break your budget on your photography. It’s the only thing you will have in 10 years time. Not the meal or hotel, but the photographs – consider where this sits in your budget.
Then add in what you want from your photographer, for example:-
– A wedding album
– Additional Prints
– A Wall Art Product or Canvas Prints
– A USB of the digital images
Wedding Photography Timing
When do you want the photographer to start and finish? It used to be your photographer turned up just before the service, took a few pictures before you went in, then another set of group shots outside the church afterwards.
Well it’s not like that now, my typical wedding coverage will start with the bride getting ready in the morning all the way through to the dancing in the evening, so work out which parts you want covered. Remember though, you really want to tell the Story of the DAY – the whole day, not just the service in the middle:
– Bride getting ready
– Groom getting ready
– Guests arriving at service
– The service itself
– Guests after the service
– Speeches
– Cake Cutting
– First Dance
– Evening Fun and Dancing
– Wedding couple portraits
– Family portraits
Wedding Photography Style
No doubt the style now is much more towards the “reportage” or “natural” photography of your wedding day. My aim is to make sure we get happy, smiling (or emotional) people being natural throughout the day.
But, your family will never forgive you if you do not have the formal group shots – and indeed you will want them in the years to come.
Also, I strongly favour the couple portraits, to feature the two of you beaming, grinning and full of love on that special day.
Also, the bridal dress needs some special work to really make it.
So, there has to be an element of formal posing.
You can add into this mix some “Fashion” style posing, or “Art” posing – this may be posed to look casual or look very stylized – but the aim is to create a very “WOW” image, above and beyond your average capture the moment type image.
I hope these few things may help you in choosing the right wedding photographer for you. I’ve produced a “must-have” list of questions to ask your potential wedding photographer which you can download here which I hope will be helpful to you. If you would like anymore help or advice, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
