So it’s all over, you’ve had your perfect day and it was bloody brilliant. You wouldn’t chage a thing. From the tiny deatails to the amazing venue. Now fast foward a few years down the line… how much of the stuff that you made painstaking decisions over can you really remember? My guess is not enough without the photos!

So choosing your wedding photographer is probably one of the biggest decisions you’ll make in your wedding planning experience. It’s an investment so you really want to make sure you choose wisely. There are thosands of brilliant photographers in the UK so how do you go about choosing the right one for your wedding?

Easy, Choose me! Kidding of course (or am I?) We may or may not be right for each other but before that you should probably read my ‘how to’ guide.

Style

Whilst browsing all the photogrpahers websites there a few things to keep in mind, first of all decide what kind of style appeals to you most. A few approaches that you might come across are –

 

Traditional – this is the old school wedding photographer. Lots of group shots, poses and not much in the way of creativity.

Documentary – this is real life folks. In all it’s glory. No intervention from the photorapher and in some case no formal or group shots.

Contemporary – I cheated a bit here as this is a HUGE spectrum. Though they work different to the above styles. They will get involved, chat to your guests, suggest shots and work with you to get the photos you dreamed of. The style of imagery will be vastly different. From vintage to editorial, natural storytelling to WOW portraits.

 

Realistically, most photographers will be a bit of a mixture of the above. Myself I’d say I’m a mixture of documentary and contemporary. I spend most of the day capturing everything as it unfolds, telling your story in the most stylish way possible. Though I do like to do some group shots and I LOVE to create beauitufl bride and groom portraits. My preference is for shooting with natural light though I’ll whip out my flashgun when needed (ie during the PAR-TAY! I should mention I love the party. I really love the party!)

 

Find a photographer you like

Ok, I know this might be obvious but the thing is… you’ll be spending time with this person ALL day. From getting ready till you fall off the shoulders of your drunk guests (no? we’ll see), your photographer will be there for it all. You need someone that will share all the laughs, share the the tears, find your mother when you need her and still be able to do their job. You need to be able to trust them, to be able to open up in front of them, to know that they’re having as much fun as you are. There’s no short way around this, you could reply on getting lucky or you could put the effort in to get to know the person you’re invited to spend the day with you. A an hour in the pub or on Skype is you’re not near them should soon let you know if your making the right decision.

Budget

Let’s not dance around it. Weddings cost money. Just how much depends on what you want included in your package. Nailing down the exact cost means you need to think about how much coverage you want, how many shooters and albums you want and if you want an engagement shoot included.
You’ll find the cost of photography varies hugely! However, if it seems too good to be true it usually is I’m afraid. Running a photography business is costly. Very bloody costly if you’re doing it right. Having full insurance cover, the best equipment and back up equipment and editing software. You’re paying for experience and knowledge too. Something your friend with that good camera probably doesn’t possess. Yes, they’ll do it for free but really would you hire your friend to cut your hair just because they have a good scissors?

Arrange that chat

Sooner rather than later! Make the moves to find out which photographers on your shortlist are available on your wedding date. You really don’t want to find out that your about favourite is already booked. This is your chance to tell the photographer all about your day so they can get a really good feel for it. Knowing your vision will help them decide if they’re a good fit for you and your wedding.

Some of the better known bridal blogs will give you a long list of questions to ask the photographer. By all means go ahead and ask them though I would say the most important things you need to know to cover your ass (and theirs!) is… are they insured? do they have back up gear? and what will they do if they’re ill on the day of your wedding? beyond that I think going with your gut feeling and how you connect with the photographer is THE most important thing you need to consider.