Your wedding day is one of the most important days of your life (OK, right now probably THE most important day!). You’re going to look amazing, you’ve planned everything to the nth degree and you want dream images of the two of you to reflect this. These images will be with you forever, so it’s really important your wedding photography captures the joy, fun, anxiety and relief – not to mention the love – you will feel on your day as it all comes together.
So how do you make sure this happens? By booking the right wedding photographer for you.
The most important thing is this – when you look at a photographer’s work, how does it make you feel? The best wedding photography captures all the love and emotion from your day – very often without the subjects realizing the moment has been caught. Good photography triggers an emotional response.
Having found a professional photographer with the style you like, you need to find out if they are available and ideally meet up with them. It sounds obvious, but aside from the fact they are a great wedding photographer, do you like the person you are thinking about using? He or she is going to be with you throughout your big day. You need to feel comfortable with them and be happy to have them with you every step of the way!
No one wants to book a wedding photographer without seeing the quality of their pictures in advance, your wedding day is too important to leave anything to chance! When you’re choosing a photographer look through several full weddings they’ve shot. Anyone can put together 100 of the best shots they have ever taken – what you need to check is consistent, high quality coverage producing beautiful images at every wedding
Professional wedding photographers will issue a contract detailing exactly what services they will provide and exactly what you will receive post wedding day.
Before signing a contract make sure you are completely clear on what you are getting for your money – the hours of coverage, pre-wedding consultation, number of images, size of album you have chosen, payment schedule, deposit required etc. Make sure your photographer has public liability and professional indemnity insurance.
Good communication with your wedding photographer is crucial! You need to work together before your wedding to discuss exactly what will happen on the day and what you are expecting from the photographs. If you have specific shots in mind talk to your photographer about them and how, where and when they will happen.
Most photographers will visit the wedding and reception venues before the day, ideally with you. Walking around the venue together, making plans about how it’s all going to come together is exciting and a really important part of the process. This means you can look at possible locations for photography together and you can take their advice about what will work best on the day. It also means if there are any restrictions on photography (for example, in the church during the ceremony) then everyone is aware of these and the effect they may have on what’s possible photographically beforehand.
The more you meet up with your photographer before your wedding, the more relaxed you will be with them on the day. This is why a pre wedding shoot (also known as an engagement shoot) can be a great idea. By the time your wedding day happens you have already worked together and you know what to expect.
Dream images don’t happen by accident! It’s crucial you work with the photographer, that you like them, that you feel they understand exactly what you are looking for from your wedding pictures and that you feel relaxed and comfortable with them on the day. This will make you happy, and the happier you look, the better your pictures are going to be!
Feel free to contact me if you have any questions, or if you are interested in booking me for your wedding photography.
Above all, I hope you have a fantastic wedding day and get the great photos you deserve, whether you book me, or someone else, for your photography.
Cheers – Neil