'You may kiss the Bride'
Picture this – finally, your fiance has popped the question and gushing with happiness you announce to your family and friends that you are getting married!!! Everyone congratulates you and blesses you both with wishes of a wonderful future together. For some, this feeling continues whilst they are making wedding plans. They bask in the glory of being able to organise their special day – this is the moment they lived for, they know what they want and how they are going to achieve it. For others, the congratulatory hugs and well-wishes fade away leaving in its place a din of well-meaning offers of advice and ideas. This may be just what you need or it could just leave you very confused and unsure how to achieve the wedding you imagined.
The purpose of this post is to give you some idea of the things you might want to consider before choosing your wedding photographer. You might feel that some of these things are not applicable to you, in which case, ignore it. Other things, such as budget, availiablity and style should be at the forefront of your mind.
Ok, first things first: How do you find photographers to compare…..?
1) RESEARCH, RESEARCH, RESEARCH!!!
- Websites such as http://www.photographers.co.uk/ or http://www.partypop.co.uk/ (I have no affiliation with either of this websites (other than an advert ;-)). There are many more similar websites out there to look at.
- http://www.google.co.uk/ – however there is a minefield of information available on a google search, so use keywords to refine and narrow your search.
- word of mouth – your friends, Auntie, cousin or even uncle’s second wife’s step son may recommend names of photographers they used – whilst you may not find them all to your taste, it is best to make a list of the names given to you so you can research them when you are ready.
- who have you seen in action? – think back to any recent weddings you have been a guest at. Do any of the photographers stick in your mind, for reasons good or not so good. Maybe you liked style of one photographer, or maybe at another wedding the guests complained the formals or newly-wed shoot took too long?
- Finally, talk to other suppliers, such as florists or marquee companies. This works vice versa, many photographers will have names of suppliers that they can share with you, so do not be afraid to ask.
Right, so what do you do now you have this HUGE list of names.
Candid Image
2) LOOK AT THEIR PORTFOLIO!
Have a look at their portfolio – ok, so I have repeated myself there, but I cannot reiterate how important this is. You must like their work, there is no point finding out more about a photographer if you do not like their portfolio. It is very hard for a photographer to change their style so find one that suits yours! Which leads very nicely on to……
3) WHAT STYLE DO YOU LIKE??
Colour, black & white, soft lighting, hard lighting, twilight shoots, bridal preparation, groom preparation, formals or no formals, photojournalistic and completely natural or traditional? The list is endless and it is worth having some idea of your likes and dislikes as any decent photographer will ask you for your prefences when you meet with them. Wedding Photographers should be hesitant about taking on an agreement with a couple whose style does not naturally mix with theirs. Which leads back to Number 2) LOOK AT THEIR PORTFOLIO!
4) WHAT IS YOUR BUDGET?
‘There are only two things everyone keeps from their wedding day – their rings and their photographs’.
I have forgotton where I first read that, but I believe it holds true. For that very reason I suggest that you do not skimp or try to save money by asking someone ‘with a decent camera’ to do it for you. This is a fairly controversial subject and there is a vast amount of information to cover so I will cover more of this, in detail, in the next blog posts. We Wedding Photographers have a pretty poor reputation when it comes to our pricing, but hopefully my next blog will shed some light on why we charge what we charge.
I have however seen images from lower priced photographers who have not, I feel, given their best attention to their images, such as missed focusing, wonky horizons or trees growing out of the top of the bride’s head. This is a generalisation, there are some great lower priced photographers out there and equally some higher priced ones that should not be charging the amount they charge. However, as an assumption, the adage holds true – you pay for what you get.
Afternoon sun beams pouring through the window
Prices vary locally, but you can expect to pay somewhere between £800 – £3000 for your wedding photographer. According to ‘Money Saving Expert’ website last year, the average cost of a wedding in the UK was approximately £20k!!! When you consider a Marriage Certificate and a Church Wedding costs around £300 and budgeting 10% for your photographs, this still leaves a whopping £17,500 for everything else! Thats assuming you have a budget of similiar standing of course!
5) DO YOU PREFER A SET PACKAGE OR A MORE BESPOKE APPROACH?
This is very much connected to your budget. Many photographers have basic packages to give some indication of pricing, however these shouldn’t be set in stone as it is impossible to devise plans to suit every taste and style of wedding. If you can not see exactly what you want, then ask – the agreement between a bride & groom and their photographer is a two-way process and should have a degree of flexibility. Unfortunately things do not always go to plan and your photographer should be able to approach surprises with a degree of professionalism, and sometimes light-heartedness!
6) AVAILABILITY?
In first instance you may think this means ‘are they available on your chosen date?’ Its up to you when you choose to check this, however you should bear in mind some photographers are taking bookings up to 2, maybe even 3 years in advance, so enquiry early to avoid disappointment.
In my mind, ‘availability’ also means once you have secured your chosen photographer and plans are on the way, are they easy to get hold off? Do you feel comfortable talking to them and very importantly – do you like the photographer?! Sometimes it may be necessary to contact them out of hours or over the weekend. Are they okay with this or are you only suppose to call within ‘office hours’? This may be difficult if you work office hours too so if its important to you that you are able to call whenever you need to (within reason of course!) then make sure you ask. Sometimes wedding plans do not progress as we would like and, for peace of mind, knowing you can discuss planning when you need to is vital. This is so much easy if you find your photographer approachable and friendly.
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So there you go, a few things to consider first. There is a vast amount of information available out there, far too much to cover here but hopefully you can now start researching, keeping in mind these few pointers.
In PART 2, I will approach the subject of budget, talking about where your money goes and why you really should think twice about hiring ‘a mate with a camera’.
And remember to share this post with anyone who you think may benefit!
Father & Daughter
Until next time…… 🙂
Rachel Bryant Photography 