Choosing your wedding photographer
How to choose your wedding photographer
How to choose your wedding photographer.
This is a blog post I first wrote before the world stopped. Now we seem to be opening up again (fingers crossed) and weddings are restarting it seems like a good time to update it and re-blog it.
I expect you think this will read….
Choosing your wedding photographer….
PICK ME….
The end.
However I can’t take all the bookings so I am going to write a bit more than just ‘pick me’.
So where do you start? There’s so many photographers out there all offering many different styles and looks. You need to figure out (if you don’t already know) what you like, probably the best place to start is on on Instagram.
Do a search for wedding photography on Instagram and you will see all different sorts: candid, documentary, reportage, traditional, contemporary. That’s the style of photography then there’s also the look; light, dark, cold, warm, colourful, contrasty, muted and many variations in-between.
After you’ve got a better idea of how you want your photos to look you can start looking for photographers who do that sort of photography. Google is your friend here along with wedding directory websites such as Wedding Wire or Bridebook. You can enter in your location and search for photographers near you or your venue. Of course photographers will travel but a) you’ve got to start somewhere so start local and b) global warming, probably better for the planet to try and find someone who doesn’t have to travel miles and miles if possible.
Also ask friends and family for recommendations too. A personal recommendation is great because if they have used a photographer who’s style you love and they’ve had great service from them then you hopefully don’t have to worry about their professionalism ie if they are going to turn up or not!
You’ll probably have a long list by now, so what next? Look at their portfolio of work, don’t just go on their Instagram page as it’s probably a showcase of a few images from each wedding (the best of the best). You want to see a full wedding gallery if possible or certainly a slightly edited version of a full wedding so you can get a good idea of what to expect from your photographer. Anyone can post three or four amazing photos from a wedding, you want to make sure the rest are pretty good too.
Make sure that their body of work fits how you want your photographs to look. If you’ve a preference for light and airy looking photos, don’t pick photographers who prefer the dark and moody feel. Equally if you pick a photographer who’s work shows mainly more traditional, posed photos don’t be surprised if you don’t get any wacky angle, people caught off guard type photos.
Then get in touch with your favourites. First of all you need to know if they are free and if you can afford them. Notice I didn’t say ‘if they are in your budget’? That’s because you may have an idea of what you want to pay but if you find a photographer who you love then your budget may go out the window!
What do they include in their packages? Pretty much every photographer now gives you all the images via an online gallery or USB but some (like me!) include a photobook or album, or you can add these on as an extra cost so check out the prices of the extras. If possible speak on the phone or meet up with them, make sure you ‘click’ (pun intended!).
A few more boring but essential things to consider are; are they properly insured, (some venues require proof of this), do they have backup equipment, a back up plan for if they are sick? You don’t want half way through the ceremony their only camera to pack up, or a call the day of your wedding saying they are ill and can’t make it. Whilst these things are unfortunately generally unavoidable, a decent photographer will have back up plans in place should the worse happen.
So once you’ve gone through all these things you should have a much shorter list. Now what? Well now you have to make your final decision, it’s all down to personal preference - who do you want to capture your special day?
Good luck!
PS Pick me :)
Weddings in 2021?
Weddings in 2021
Happy New Year! Even though it hasn't started off the greatest, let’s hope that 2021 is an improvement on 2020.
So what about weddings this year? Well there’s not going to be any until at least March and then it’s likely that numbers will be very restricted again - maybe 6 to start with, then up to 15 or 30? Perhaps by July it will be back to normal but many think it will be 2022.
How does this affect you? If you had already planned and booked your big wedding before, or in the early days of the pandemic, then I can imagine it’s hard to try and change your plans now to fit a possible smaller scale so you’ll probably chose to wait it out.
But if you haven’t started yet and you want to get married in 2021 then you may have to have a think about what sort of wedding you will be able to have. Just a few guests? Only the two of you? A winter wedding?
I have photographed a few small weddings, both pre covid and during, and they are lovely. Yes it’s great to have all your family and friends around you on your special day, but there is also something very lovely about having just a few or even no other guests!
Loved ones who can’t be there can still see you getting married via video.
And if you can’t get close to your wedding party or guests that can be arranged afterwards!
One of my couples had a lot of family between them and they were spread out over the country so decided just to have the two of them, plus two ex pilots as witnesses and got married on Concorde!
Another couple had the ceremony with just them and their parents, then we spent some time in the very beautiful local park making portraits - before they announced to the rest of their families and friends later on that day they’d got married!
As for a winter wedding, well if you pick a summer month there is no guarantee the sun will shine. I photographed a wedding in May that had every kind of weather under the sporadically appearing sun except snow and it was so cold! Yet the last wedding I photographed in November had beautiful sunshine and was exceptionally warm.
An Autumn or winter wedding means that not only is golden hour much earlier, it can be really really glorious too.
Of course if you are having a smaller do then you are not going to need a photographer for as long which is why I have developed a package especially for small or elopement weddings. Up to 3 hours photography, all the high and low res files and a photobook of your choice of images all for just £499. This package is perfect for 2021 weddings and beyond. For more information have a look at my prices pages.
However your wedding day turns out it will still be amazing!
The perks of a Covid restricted wedding
Having a covid wedding? There are perks!
I recently reviewed my wedding photography packages and removed the 3 hour package which I had devised for smaller Covid 19 times weddings. How rash was I?!
So now it looks like that for the next 6 months that weddings are going to be even more heavily restricted in the number of guests allowed. Sad times. Or is it? Just think….
“Can my second cousin and her husband who I haven’t seen since 1976 come?” “Sorry Mum no, Covid innit”.
Your creepy boss? “Sorry Mr bossman, not able to invite anyone from work, covid innit”.
Husband to be wants to invite the whole rugby team to the reception? Not any more!
Not sure if you want to have children at your wedding? Out of your hands now! (except for maybe your own!)
Table plan seating nightmares? Gone.
Having to chase up non RSVPers? Your friends/family will be so delighted to be one of the chosen 13 invited to your wedding they will reply instantly.
Having to cater for large numbers of dietary requirements? There’s only 15 of you - how many differences can that create?
You will able to spend a decent amount of time with every guest - even if I take you off for an hour to do some photos of just the two of you.
We are living through a historically important event that future generations are going to learn about at school - and your wedding will be part of that.
So I have reintroduced my covid 19 wedding photography package, 3 hours for just £499 and I am offering a 10% discount if your wedding date is a non peak date. (Mon-Thurs or any time in January, February, March, October or November.) See my prices page for full details of what this special package includes.
Of course a wedding of 15 people isn’t going to suit everyone but if you can make it work for you then go for it! Plus you can always have a big party later on and get a bonus second wear of your dress, or buy another new outfit? Win win!
Instagram - strictly business or some pleasure?
Instagram is a great free marketing tool - especially for photographers.
When I decided to try and turn my hobby into a business I thought my instagram feed needed to be mostly content relating to my desire to be a wedding photographer. Makes sense, and from my research that’s what most wedding photographers feeds are - weddings. But when you’re starting out, like I am, then you possibly don’t have loads of different content to post. I mean I have plenty of photos from the weddings I’ve done which I can share but I’m conscious that it’s the same few weddings. Plus when your one celebrity couple then split up can you keep sharing photos from their wedding?! (Answers on a postcard please!)
So I’ve decided not to make my Instagram just business, the odd family photo already sneaked in but I’m going to post more of my own stuff (and let’s be honest I don’t think my insta reach is in the thousands so it’s probably not going to make much of a difference at the moment!). I want to keep it fresh and interesting for the few faithful followers I do have!
So expect to see more of this…..
Willow and Tom Jones just hanging around
…but still some of this too
Love a confetti shot
Sarah & Alex Engagement shoot
Last Sunday I met with the lovely Sarah and Alex on Ashdown Forest to do their engagement shoot.
Sarah & Alex have booked me to photograph their wedding next year which I’m very excited about as their plans sound amazing (there will be no spoiler alerts from me though).
They picked Ashdown Forest for the shoot location as they’d had date there early on in their relationship. The weather on the day was a little overcast, making the light a bit flat, so I enlisted the help of (bribed!) my eldest daughter to be my lighting assistant so I could use a bit of off camera flash.
Can’t wait for the wedding next year!
