One of The First Big Decisions When Planning Your Wedding – Choosing A Wedding Photographer?
When it comes to life moments, your wedding day is amongst the biggest. It is an event filled with love, joy and never to be forgotten moments. Whilst the memory of the day remains, the details can fade over time and that’s why it is so important to have a wedding photographer that you can trust and can enhance the day rather than being intrusive.
This short guide will hopefully take some of the stress out of choosing the right photographer. Here’s our Top 10 list of things to check off before making that choice.
The digital age has lowered the bar for entry into wedding photography as a profession, so there has never been more choice of wedding photographers of all price & skill levels. Be diligent in your selection – the responsibility placed on a photographer is huge.
1. Availability
Photographers can get booked up far in advance – sometimes 18 months in advance. Summer months and Saturdays are hugely popular, but now the wedding season is year-round and seven days a week, so take nothing for granted on availability. Make choosing a photographer that has availability for your wedding date step one to avoid disappointment.
2. Do They Share Your Vision?
For a number of years, there has been a movement to a more casual reportage style that lets events unfold, with minimal formal posing. This has also led to a reduction in photographs of the wider family, putting the bridal couple at the centre of everything. Make sure your chosen photographer reflects your vision for the day and even if they do, make sure that that they are open to suggestions. It’s your day, so document any special requests and be clear on the direction taken.
3. Can you see their work?
It should go without saying that a professional wedding photographer should have a body of work to show. This is usually available on their website, so should be used as part of an initial down selection of potential photographers to speak to. Ask to see an entire wedding to see the flow of the wedding and how the story is being told, not just a selection of single images. Wedding photography is very fast-paced and the photographer needs to adapt to events such as bad weather and tight timelines. Ask them how they handle the unexpected.
4. Are they set up for success with their equipment?
A camera is a camera – right? Not exactly. A professional photographer should have professional grade equipment and be skilled at using it. Things fail, so they should have two cameras for back up and each camera should have two memory cards duplicating each shot.
Moreover, to a get different feel to the images, requires different lens focal lengths to mix things up, from wide angle to bring in the landscape for that hero shot, to a telephoto for that intimate shot of exchanging rings.
5. Can they provide reviews or references?
Not often asked for, but photographers should be used to being asked for references. As an alternative, check the reviews on Google or other online sources. It’s a great route to get the little details of how the photographer handled the end to end relationship.
6. Is their pricing structure clear?
Many photographers have packages to meet different budgets and level of photographic coverage. Make sure you are clear on what you are choosing. Are there additional hours charged for travelling or time overruns? Is an album included or is it extra? Look for a fixed price for a fixed outcome and if there are extras, know the cost going in.
7. Is a contract in place between you?
Be wary of a photographer that is not wishing to make the arrangement binding, as a contract protects the client as much as the photographer. Any contract should outline the terms of the service, payment schedule, cancellation policy and the overall details of the wedding regarding date, time and venue.
8. What happens when things go wrong?
Sometimes things can go wrong – a photographer breaks down or takes ill. Whilst this is a rare event, ask for the contingency plan. If you have two photographers attending, that is a contingency plan in its own right, but what can the photographer reasonably have in place as an alternative strategy if the worst happens?
9. Do they have insurance?
Should a catastrophic event take place, what is your recourse? Is the photographer fully insured should things go wrong? Insurance can cover claims arising from negligence such as the photographer making a mistake in their work for which they are held legally responsible or for claims arising from damage to third-party property or injury to a member of the public. Whilst highly unlikely to be called upon, having an insured photographer provides peace of mind.
An album creates another layer of complexity to the process, as the final say on the layout is typically with the bridal couple and often de-prioritised as you settle into married life.
10. How quickly will I get my images?
A wedding generates a lot of images and its part of the photographer’s role, to take those images, edit them, curate them and turn them into a love story that captures your day. That takes time, so understanding the lead time for getting your finished images will help ensure you do not get frustrated post wedding.
Final thoughts
You have 101 things to think about when planning your wedding, however you should put the wedding photographer up there in priority levels with choosing a venue, as the images generated are the one part of the day that keeps on giving forever. By focusing on the ten questions outlined above, you will stay on track with getting your dream photographer to cover your special day. You want to have no surprises to sour the relationship and key to establishing a great rapport with your chosen photographer, is ticking off all the details, so that you can focus on looking fabulous on the day.
About The Photographer
Tony is a professional wedding and social photographer, based in Edinburgh, Scotland. He is a former alumni of Napier Photographic School.
