Woohoo, you’ve just got engaged, that’s awesome!
Your family is probably already asking when and where it’s happening, and if your mum can bring her mate from work. Tell them to chill 😉 enjoy this time, flash the ring on Instagram etc, and get free drinks from your mates for a bit. Milk it.
When you’re ready to start thinking about booking stuff, you might be a bit overwhelmed by how many choices you have for everything. I’m here to help you out with choosing your wedding photographer and navigate the minefield!
There are a bunch of different wedding photography styles
Documentary: Most photographers call themselves documentary, which means completely unposed, but they’ll almost all do portraits and group photos too, which is what you probably want. Make sure if you want groups and portraits from your documentary wedding photographer you choose a photographer who will do this!
Traditional: Some more traditional photographers focus on portraits and posed photos, so think about how you want your day to feel, and whether you want your photographer to just get on with it, or to pose you and your guests all day. They’re edited to look natural.
Fine art: There are also “fine art” photographers, which are more about the portraits and are usually edited quite light and pale.
Full galleries are where it’s at
Look through the photographer’s galleries for style and consistency. You want all photos to look like the same photographer took them (otherwise how do you know what you’ll get?) and beware of styled shoots – these are posed shoots with models and scenes set up to look like weddings. The photographer spends all day getting the bride or couple to look perfect, the light will be perfect, and the photos will look straight out of a magazine. Seeing these photos early on in a gallery is a sure sign that you’re looking at a new and inexperienced photographer. Actual wedding days are nothing like styled shoots, so make sure you see a couple of full weddings before booking. Ask to see full galleries (every photo delivered to a couple) so you’re not just seeing the highlights.
Make sure you like your wedding photographer
They’re gonna be at your wedding all day, so make sure you get on! Skype, phone or meet them before booking. You don’t have to plan any questions to ask, just have a chat like you’re mates hanging out and see if your personalities match. If you want some questions to ask them, try “how do you work on the day”, “what do we get for the price”, and “what happens now?” – the last question should tell you what to expect in terms of paying a deposit, balance, when the photographer will turn up on the day, and how much you can expect to hear from them between now and the wedding. Wedding fairs are a great way to meet photographers in person, but make sure you choose a wedding fair that suits your style – not all of them are plain vanilla held in the local hotel!
What you get for different price brackets (based on full day coverage)
£0-£500
Newbie alert! They will have either never shot a wedding and have lower-end equipment, or they’ll have shot 2,000 weddings, be 70 years old and retired. If this really is your budget, you’re better off getting your mates to take phone snaps and spending the £500 on booze. However you can get lucky and find a budding new photographer who’s really good – or an experienced photographer looking to make a few extra quid on a weekday.
£500-£1000
They’ll still be new, probably in their first year, or they’re not new but they don’t have any confidence in value. At this price point it’s totally possible to get lucky and find a shit-hot photographer who doesn’t realise their value. However mostly at this price they will have shot some weddings but they won’t be mega experienced, so they might get stuck if they find themselves in a tricky lighting situation.
£1000-£1500
You’ll find a million pretty good photographers at this price. They’re still finding their way in the wedding photography world, but at the higher end of the bracket they’ll be on the rise in terms of talent and experience. Watch out for cheap packages that include the world (albums, second shooters, engagement shoots etc) as these photographers are essentially in the previous two brackets.
£1500-£2000
Photographers in this bracket generally have a lot of experience, know what they’re doing and take great photos in any weather and lighting condition. They’re totally worth the money. If this is your budget and you like my work by the way, feel free to pop me an email and say hi 😉
£2000+
You’ll get a fab photographer who knows what they’re doing or a booked up photographer who will take on another job for the right price.
Good photography is an investment
You’re possibly spending a small fortune on flowers, the band, the venue and a Choccywoccydoodah cake, but the photos (warning: cheesy line coming) are the one thing that will last forever (sorry, super cheese). But it’s true!
