Picking a wedding photographer for your special day can be a daunting task, and among the many other duties that the happy couple have on their to-do list, it’s a task that can make or break the memories of a wedding day. We are a society who capture everything in photographs, a physical thing to hold onto and prompt our own memories of the day. Weddings have been photographed for decades, but with so many photographers to choose from, how does one decide who is the best fit?
Connect with your photographer
No matter how good they’re supposed to be, or how inexpensive their prices are, if you don’t like your wedding photographer, you shouldn’t be hiring them. This individual will be running around your wedding all day, capturing the private and public moments of every person in attendance. Surely, you wouldn’t want someone who you don’t connect with to photograph your wedding? If you don’t feel relaxed around your photographer, your photos won’t look natural. Meet a few different photographers before you make your final decision, and pick someone that you and your other half clicked with.
Find a style that you like
With the thousands of wedding photographers that there are in the UK, each have their own personal style when it comes to wedding photos. Look at their portfolio for previous wedding work and pick a wedding photographer that can reflect your special day in a way that fits you and your significant other – whether that’s a theme you can see in their photos, the edits that they do, or the natural images that they are able to capture.
Book early
Despite the sheer number of wedding photographers in the UK, they all have work that they need to commit to. Many won’t only cater to weddings, either – so book your dates with them early to ensure that they won’t have any other commitments when you need them. You should book the entire day with them so that you can have a range of photographs that show your whole wedding: from the beginning to the after party.
Don’t be afraid to ask for more work
Any professional photographer worth their fees will happily show a potential client their previous work. Enquire about seeing a full wedding day from a photographer’s previous clients. By doing this, you can see the continuity from start to finish, which can help you decide whether that photographer is the right person to shoot your wedding. In addition, you could also ask for a few examples of edited and unedited photos to see their efforts side-by-side. Photographers not willing to fulfil these requests are worrisome and should be avoided.
Two photographers are not better than one
There are many reasons that people choose to hire more than one photographer, but the reality is, if you’re hiring a second photographer, then you’re making the job of the first photographer much harder. Furthermore, you’ll have two completely different sets of images; not just the scenes that they capture, but the style of photography and the edits that are made.
Think about the style you’re after
Do you want more traditional wedding photographs, or ones that are quirkier and more modern? Perhaps a mix of the two? Candid or portraits? You should look into the kind of photoshoots that your potential photographer has completed for weddings in the past to see if their shooting style matches up to what you’re after for your big day.
Reviews and testimonials
If you’re going to follow any advice at all, it should be to check the reviews and testimonials of any photographer you’re thinking of hiring. Check with friends and family to see if anyone else you know has used them and get their opinions, and then head on over to their social media pages, their website, and even search them on Google. If you aren’t seeing good reviews (or there are no reviews at all), then warning bells should be ringing.
It’s incredibly important to find a photographer that other happy couples have raved about. Without their honest testimonials, you could end up hiring someone who is extremely difficult to work with.
Image delivery
Image delivery is a vital part of any wedding photographer’s service, and it should be something that you factor in before you make any final decisions. Most basic wedding photographers will shoot, edit, and then send you the photos, but there are several that offer gallery services to their clients where they will offer them options such as downloading all files, sharing from their online gallery, and even printing services.
When you choose a wedding photographer, you should pick someone who offers every service that you want for your special day.
