The Rings

How To Choose Your Wedding Photographer

Choosing a photographer who can give you a professional service at a price you can afford is possibly the most important decision you can make aside from deciding who you will marry!  Many brides find this a challenge – after all is said and done there are many to choose from.  This article will help guide you through a process that can fraught – and if you follow the advice, you can be confident that you will make the right choice.

Let’s start at the beginning and ask the question: “Do I really need a professional wedding photographer?”

Why You Really Need To Book A Professional Wedding Photographer

If you want a beautiful record of your day then make sure you book a professional!  Remember, everyone owns a camera – not everyone is a photographer.  There are countless stories of brides looking to save money and making the mistake of getting their best friend, who owns a decent camera, to take on the huge responsibility of capturing the emotion and magic of your wedding – and FAILING!

The word professional is key here.  A professional wedding photographer specialises in his/her trade – so just as you wouldn’t consider your GP a brain surgeon – don’t confuse any photographer with a wedding specialist.  A wedding photographer will take steps an amateur overlooks to ensure that nothing goes wrong on the day:

• Will bring multiple cameras, memory cards, batteries and flash guns in case of equipment failure
• Will carefully discuss with you your particular needs and wishes
• Will turn up on time
• Will stay sober!
• Will capture many different styles of image from candid through to formal portraits
• Will use a variety of different lenses and apertures
• Will store your images safely for the future
• Will offer professional prints and related products from a reputable lab
• Will offer retouching service – eg removing stray hairs or skin blemishes
• Will provide you with images that you are likely to look at time and again

An amateur is unlikely to do any of these things – and a wedding is a one-off event that cannot be re-staged.  Why take the chance?  I am not arguing that there is no need to budget for your wedding – simply that skimping on photography is not the wisest choice as there are many other options that are less likely to compromise the memories of the big day.

Alternative Ways To Save Money

• Consider the venue – are there lower cost options?
• Consider a mid-week ceremony (you may qualify for special offers and discounts)
• Consider the guest list – how many guests do you really need at the ceremony versus the reception?
• Consider organising all the elements yourself (requires time and effort)
• Consider this useful resource: http://www.cheap-wedding-success.co.uk/cheap-wedding-blog.html which includes tips on sourcing cheaper alternatives to many wedding suppliers
• Check if the photographer offers a payment plan to help spread the cost

But beware – like a lot of things in life, you get what you pay for!  Caveat emptor as the Romans would say.  Wedding photography does not have to be super expensive.  If you choose a photographer with a national or international reputation you will pay more.

However, there are many photographers available  who will charge a reasonable rate and still provide a professional experience – and I regard myself as one of these.

10 Step Plan To Choosing Your Wedding Photographer

1. Start early – many photographers, especially good ones are booked in advance. You want to be sure to get the right person for the job and not make a last minute decision.

2. Research – this is very easy now if you have access to google. Search for a local photographer if at all possible to ensure ease of communication. First of all ensure that they are a member of a professional body. Look for the letters SWPP (Society of Wedding and Portrait Photographers) or BIPP (British Institute of Professional Photographers). Shortlist 5 possibles and make notes.

3. Determine - your favoured photography style: traditional, reportage, contemporary or artistic? For mor information on wedding photography styles – view my article on this subject here.

4. Set up a face-to-face consultation – with the top 3 on your shortlist. You will need to make a decision based on:

• Styles of photography on offer

• Price – what is included and what isn’t?

• Personality – is the photographer someone you can deal with for a whole day?

• Can the photographer share testimonials from satisfied brides – can you verify them?

• Is the person you are speaking to the person who is going to photograph you wedding?

• Check they are insured with public liability and professional indemnity cover

• Check whether a deposit is required or payment in full. A deposit may not be refundable.

5. Make your decision – and negotiate. Some photographers are more open to this than others but it is always worth asking. Once you are happy with the price and are armed with sufficient information go ahead and make your booking.

6. Ensure - you receive a wedding contract or booking form with terms and conditions of your booking. Ask fro clarification on any jargon or legalese that may be contained in this document.

7. Note several different ways of keeping in contact with your chosen professional, phone numbers, skype number, web address, blog details and so on.

8. Maintain contact with your photographer – a professional will not mind and will usually ensure the he/she keeps in contact with you in the run up to your wedding. Call him/her a month before your wedding and then again a week before to ensure that everything is going to plan.

9. Establish a back-up plan – despite taking every precaution things can still go wrong! A photographer may fall ill on the day or be involved in an accident. Details of what will happen in the case of such an unfortunate event should be in your booking form. Ask your friend with a decent camera and perhaps some skill to take particular shots. Remind them to bring back-up camera, memory cards and batteries if possible. Consider purchasing disposable cameras for all your guests.

10. Enjoy your big day – I take particular pride in shooting weddings with the minimum amount of fuss and direction. Your wedding is a huge occasion and you should be able to get great images without too much posing or intervention.

Summary

So the lesson here is that you do need a professional to cover your wedding and that you can be confident that you have engaged a photographer who will meet your needs (and perhaps exceed them) at a price that you are comfortable with.   I am sure that you have some great tips too – so why not contribute and comment on this article?

Wedding Photography Style Guide

I always ask brides-to-be what style of wedding photography they are looking for?  Quite often – it seems that there is some confusion.  So I thought it would be timely to put together a simple guide to the different styles available to help you choose both the style of photography you would like – and also to choose your wedding photographer (a separate but related issue which will be discussed in more detail in a future post).

Traditional

Traditional

Traditional wedding photography is characterised by a very formal approach.  The images are usually highly posed and will require a good deeal of intervention from the photographer (unless the bride and groom are experienced models and know how to pose).

The photographer will work to a time line - often with specific shots being organised at a very specific time.  In some cases – the photographer will seem like a Film Director on a movie set constantly organising individuals into posed groups to produce a set of traditional wedding images.

Although considered out of date by many – traditional style images will still appeal to the older generation, so older relatives of the bride & groom are likely to be happier with this type of image.  The downside for many modern brides is that the resulting images can appear very stiff and rigid – and so fail to fully convey the air of happiness and fun that is part of many modern ceremonies.

Contemporary

Contemporary

Contemporary wedding photography is characterised by a far greater degree of informality and a more relaxed approach by the photographer.  This can result in a greater level of spontaneity and is capable of capturing the spirit of fun aswell as some of the more formal elements – as the photographer will not be posing people to the same degree.

There is less need for the photographer to intervene – much less of the photographer as Director of the movie of your day.  This style is likely to produce a unique record of your day – no two weddings will look exactly the same.

Consequently – this style has gradually gained in popularity in comparison to the more traditional approach.  The photographer will seek out great backgrounds and settings which can result in a stylised set of images which may resemble to a degree the kind of images you may see in a fashion magazine.

Reportage

Reportage

Reportage or documentary style photography is characterised by an extremely hands-off approach by the photographer who will record the events of your big day as they happen in the manner of a fly-on-the-wall documentary television crew.

Much of the time – the photographer will essentially  be in the background, you may not even be aware of his presence!  There will be very little in the way of posing or organising of individuals and groups.  For this reason – this style is increasingly popular with brides today – as it does allow a lot of freedom of movement and the bride and groom are essentially left to enjoy their big day.

This style of photography is likely to produce  a very candid record of your wedding with a high proportion of unusual shots that you probably would not expect from traditional or contemporary styles.  If you have been posed for all your photographs – then you essentially have already seen the images – and there will be none of the ‘wow’ factor that you may get from a reportage image of you and the groom in an unguarded kiss or embrace.

Reportage photography has a great deal to offer but inevitably – the drawback is that you simply cannot be sure what you may get in the end!

Artistic

Artistic

Artistic wedding photography, as the name implies, is led by the individualism of the ‘Artist’ or photographer.  This style is therefore characterised by it’s ability to produce  a unique set of images from your big day.  Depending on the photographer – there may be a great deal of intervention  - or there may be none.

The only way to assess if this style suits you, you will need to check out the  portfolios of particular photographers to see if their style is going to appeal.

This type of photography though can produce cutting edge and stunning wedding photographs as a superb and individualised record of your big day.  It may well be considered a little risky by some brides.

Conclusion

There are many things to consider when choosing a photographer to cover your wedding.  The style of wedding photography that they are capable of providing is clearly one of them.  I will always discuss your preferred style at the booking stage and provide as much relevant  information as I can in order to help you make a decision.

I will quite often end up providing a set of images utilising a combination of techniques from all the available styles – but I will inevitably concentrate  on the bride’s preferred style.

If you enjoyed this article – why not comment and add your own thoughts?