How to choose a wedding photographer.
So your engaged! Congratulations. You have picked a date and sorted the venue and now you are thinking about the photography. Exciting right? This is one of your number one priorities, you know that you want your wedding day to be photographed beautifully so you can relive those EPIC memories over and over.
However, finding a wedding photographer is probably a more daunting task than you thought. Who knew there were so many to choose from. All the different styles for a start and do you want a documentary wedding photographer or a more traditional wedding photographer? There are decisions to be made even before you make contact with anyone.
So this blog post is to help you navigate the world of wedding photographers and I have pulled together some advice from some of the best in the industry to help give you a wider perspective.
WHERE TO LOOK…
So first things first I am just going share some places that are a good place to start looking. The first one is obvious…
ASK YOUR MATES…
Suggested by Creative wedding photographers Hannah & Ben Appleby, Most of us have friends who have got married and plastered their amazing photos all over social media. If you loved their photos then ask them who their photographer was and if they enjoyed working them.
INSTAGRAM…
This is the perfect place to hunt for photographers. You can use hashtag searches like #londonweddingphotographer or #documentaryweddingphotographer to find a never ending list of wonderful wedding photographers. This option can be a little overwhelming though so maybe just start with a couple of searches and then saving a few images you like to come back to later.
Instagram can also play a huge part in you getting to know your prospective wedding photographer as many of us love to share stories and behind the scenes of what we are up to.
GOOGLE…
Obvious right? But also potentially overwhelming. Again do some searches and make a shortlist to come back to later if you find it all a bit too much.
BLOGS AND DIRECTORIES…
Again there are loads of these out there churning out new content every single day so you will never be short on choice. Blogs like Love My Dress, Junebug and Magpie Weddings also have their own directories. These are also great places to look for overall wedding inspiration.
Now by the time you have done the above you will probably have a shortlist and done a little social media stalking of your potential wedding photographers and now it’s time to make contact and thats where it becomes really important to think about the following…
THE THREE P’S…
I absolutely love this from Manchester wedding photographer Phil Salisbury. They stand for Portfolio, Personality and Price. Basically you need to love their portfolio, connect with them as a person and the price point needs to work for your budget.
I totally agree with those and in that order as well. Their work being the most important and price being the thing I would consider compromising with first if you have too. A couple of extra hundred pounds is probably going to be worth it if you have found someone who’s work you love and who you get along with really well.
Another great point from London wedding photographer Andy Tyler is don’t assume that your photographer needs to have worked at your venue before. Many of us actually avoid shooting the same venues over and over because we don’t ever want a wedding to feel like a factory line up and we thrive off of the creativity of a new space to work in.
MAKE SURE YOU LOVE THEIR STYLE…
This one is from Hampshire wedding photographer Kirsty Mackenzie, as wedding photographers we are ultimately artists who have spent years mastering our craft and creating our style which we are not going to change. It’s up to you as a couple to decide what styles you like and find a photographer who’s work you fall in love with.
HAVE A MEETING WITH THEM BEFORE BOOKING…
This is a great point bought up by Surrey wedding photographer Soven Amatya, check you and the photographer are on the same page and your expectations can be met. Above all, your photographer will be spending most of the day with you and you have to be comfortable with each other.
And I couldn’t agree more. It’s actually equally important for the photographer as well that they work with the right couples as I personally find that photographing a wedding day is very much a collaborative effort and if we don’t get on with you as well it’s just not going to work.
CONSISTENCY…
I couldn’t agree more on this point made by Cotswold wedding photographer Dan Morris: I can only imagine the minefield couples must have deciding who to have as their photographer. There are so many variables in style, prices, packages etc. The one thing for me that separates one photographer from another for me is consistency. I would ask to see whole galleries of weddings from various venues, with different lighting conditions in all weathers and all times of the year. If a photographer can come back to you with consistent work from beginning to end then you’ll know they can do the job to the standard that you require.
TRUST YOUR GUT…
I am a big believer in gut reactions so I think that this point made by Birmingham wedding photographer Chris Denner is super important: Definitely number one piece of advice is trusting your gut. Regardless of price, reputation, or whatever, choose the photographer that you want. Not the one your parents want, not who your friends have had, etc,etc,etc. You do you.
HAVE AN ENGAGEMENT SHOOT…
I love this point made by Miki Studios who do wedding photography in London: if you still need a little more reassurance, we would recommend booking the photographer to do an engagement shoot. That way, you will see how they work, you can hang out with them and find out if you’re both a good fit for each other and most importantly you will see some images of yourself. Therefore on the wedding day, the photographer will not feel like a stranger and you will have a pretty good idea of how you will look!
I couldn’t agree more with that! Plus engagement shoots are a lot of fun and a great opportunity to get some really lovely images of you both as a couple.
I hope you all found that helpful and you now feel equipped to find the perfect wedding photographer for your wedding. A couple more quick pointers from me that are less exciting but equally important factors when looking….
Make sure they have insurance, both public liability and professional indemnity.
Ask about backup procedures, how does that wedding photographer look after and protect your images.
And make sure they work with a contract that clearly details the working relationship and package between you and them.
Hey there, thank you so much for stopping by I am Ami and I am a wedding photographer in London but LOVE to travel all over the UK for weddings from Scotland to Dorset I can be there to capture your wedding day.
I class myself as a documentary wedding photographer with my primary goal being that your wedding photography has minimal impact on your wedding day so you can have all the fun but maximum results with beautiful memories to come away with.
I love photographing weddings because I love people and their stories, there is only a handful of times in our lives where we gather all those we love for a bloody brilliant party and weddings are one of them.
You can find out more about how I work and get in touch by clicking HERE.
