You want great wedding photographs? Follow these simple tips. (part 1)
Your wedding is going to be one of the biggest days of your life and unquestionably your most photographed. To help you through it and make sure that you keep looking your best then have a look at these useful tips.
CHOOSE A GOOD PHOTOGRAPHER
Choosing the right photographer can be seriously stressful. How much should it cost? Should I get a pro, will my friend who owns that “really nice camera” do or should I just get an Instagram account and have all my guests post their images from the day on to it? (I think we all know the answer to that one…)
Some will value photography greater than others, but you need to remember that photography (and videography, but lets stick with still images for now!!) is the only way that you get to keep an actual record of your day. The memories will fade over time and having a beautiful album will help you keep them fresh. Choosing the right photographer therefore shouldn’t be based on how much you want to spend on one. It should be be based on how good a photographer they are, what they can do for you and equally as important…how nice a person they are (you will spend a large portion of your wedding day with them, so it good to find someone you like).
Get researching
Where to start then. Google, wedding shows, bridal magazines, Facebook are all good starting points. See what shows are happening locally and go to a couple (I’m certain that you will anyhow). Have a look through some bridal magazines and get online. Check out blogs, look at their photographs and try and see if there are any album samples on their site. Remember though that many photographers don’t attend wedding fayres as they are too busy and find that bridal magazines are more of a catalogue of vendors and feel they are not worth it either.
Your venue will often provide you with details of a couple of preferred photographers. Let me explain how this normally works. A marketing company will be contacted by the venue (sometimes the venue will do it themselves) and will contact a few dozen local photographers that have shot at the venue in the past. These photographers are then asked if they would like to be added to the preferred photographers list….normally for a large fee!!!
First contact
So you have now done your research and have found a few photographers that you would like to meet. Call them or send them a message checking their availability for your wedding and provide them with as much information as possible. If you want you can give them an idea of your budget, if they have’t got their prices on their website. Photographers are humans too and they want to like you, so asking “how much are your photos” with next to no other details doesn’t always get them in best mood.
You should expect to spend at least £1000, anything less and you are in the realms of keen amateur*, student* or just a bad photographer (*amateur and student photographers can often be very good, but be careful). The average spend on a wedding photographer is over £1500 in the UK. You should really spend as much as you can afford on your photographer as you will only regret it if the images aren’t what you were wanting. The number of couples that I have met that wish they had selected a different photographer is now to great to remember.
