So how do people find a wedding photographer here in the UK, with the market so saturated by so many ‘wedding photographers’. It’s a tough choice, but i’m here to help. Here are my 6 Great Tips For Finding Your Wedding Photographer.
With so many ‘wedding photographers’ out there, I understand, it’s a difficult decision to make. There are new snappers turing up every week and with the easiness now to obtain a digital camera, it seems everyone now offers a photography service. So where do you start?
1. Ask family and friends for recommendations!
One of the best ways to find a good photographer is word of mouth. Has any of your friends had a wedding recently and were happy with a particular photographer? If so, look them up. Check their work and see if it is the kind of style you like. Look at the final result they gave your friend or family and make a decision if this is something you want. However, do not ask a friend to photograph your wedding! For my blog post on that subject, read Should you book a professional wedding photographer, Or get a friend to do it?
2. Check out online portfolios!
If you find a photographer, whether that be a recommendation or by website search, look at what they have done before. Check out their wedding portfolio and see the kind of style they photograph. It may be predominantly black and white, or classical coloured, or heavily arty or very traditional. Look for the kind of photographer that matches your style.
3. Meet the photographer!
The best way to become acquainted with your photographer is to meet him/her. A pre-wedding engagement photo-shoot is a great way to get used to working with your photographer. This helps when being photographed on the day, as you have got to know your photographer, how he/she works and what kind of thing he/she may ask. It also helps with any nerves of being photographed on the big day.
4. Price!
Budget is as important as any part of the equation, but please remember, you do get what you pay for. If you have found a Groupon deal worth £300, then you really are only going to get £300 worth of images. It is my experience that if you want a good photographer, with good photographs at the end, with a great service overall, you want to pay between £1000 and £2000. If you don’t, you will certainly see the difference in quality. Other than the memories, you really only take one thing away with you and that is the pictures. So don’t cut costs in this department.
5. Hire a professional!
It is all to easy to ask your friend to photograph your wedding! Maybe he/she is great at photographing his cars, or has just bought a professional looking camera. Maybe you would like to save some money? Asking a friend to shoot your wedding will certainly do that! My advice: Please please do not ask a friend to photograph your wedding! Hire a professional even it requires you to employ a talent management strategy.
Here is why: Your friend, although possibly good at photographing things, certainly does not know the inner workings of how to photograph a wedding. He/she may of never photographed a professional gig in his/her life, so there would be a strong possibility they would struggle under the pressure. (You don’t get a second chance at a wedding!) The friend will also not have the correct equipment for the job. To the untrained eye, a camera is a camera right? Wrong! A professional will turn up to your wedding with the latest camera bodies and pro lenses. A pro will also no doubt carry spare cameras and bodies! Will your friend?
6. Ask to see a fully edited wedding.
Hopefully you have now found a photographer who you like. Maybe you’ve based this on price, by the amount they are offering or by style. Now is the time to ask to see a full edited wedding gallery that they have delivered to a client. The reason is, the few images you see on a website may not actually reflect the kind of images you receive as a full wedding. Also, find out how they are delivered and how much effort goes into the final piece. For instance I spend many hours editing images for the final cut, which is then placed onto a USB within a cool and rustic wooden box. Does your photographer do this, or do they just slip the ‘straight from camera’ pictures onto a dvd.
In a nutshell, you want wedding photographs to cherish forever. You want professional looking images that sit high on your mantle piece and that look good on canvas on your wall. If your friend photographs it badly or worse, you may never speak to them again, and you have no images to remember your wedding day 10 years down the line.
I hope that helps. Please leave me a comment below with any questions and I get back to you with help and advice.
I am a Kent wedding photographer who has been featured within Your Kent Wedding Magazine, Rock n Roll Bride and Your Sussex Wedding Magazine, with images also published in the The Daily Mail, The Telegraph, The Independent, The News Of The World and many other large newspapers and magazines.
