Tips for Planning Your Wedding Photos
Planning a wedding can understandably stressful, this is a once in a lifetime event to celebrate your commitment to the love of your life. You want everything to be perfect, and all your happy memories to be captured. So, it’s crucial for you to find a wedding photographer that will capture your vision, and create beautiful images that you will love and cherish for a lifetime.
We’ve heard wedding horror stories of photographers not delivering the quality of photos they promised, or even a simple mismatch between what the bride and groom were looking for, and what the photographer delivered. Ultimately, these are problems you can avoid, and here are factors that you should consider when choosing a wedding photographer.
Style of photography
This all depends on your personality, your event and what you want out of your photos. Not all photographers will have the same style, and most photographers will have a specific editing style that they are proud of. London Photographers WeShootYou emphasise the importance of careful research on exactly the type of photography you want for your big day, which means going through a large list of photographers and narrowing down your best options. Unless you’ve struck gold, we advise you not to go for the first photographer you find, without any consideration!
Wedding photography styles can vary from traditional, classic to creative and avante garde style of photography (and everything in between). Furthermore, in terms of the shot-styles themselves, some photographers prefer a classic and posed approach, and others may chose to have a candid and photojournalistic approach to their photos, or even something in-between. It’s up to you to decide what kind of photos you want, or you more of a fan of a moody, dramatic style? Or do you lean towards light and airy photos. There are a lot of options for you to consider. Perhaps note down what you want in a diary, and allow yourself to be guided towards your ideal photographer by having a thorough look at their portfolio.
Experience
Just like with every other skill, experience is an important factor to take into account when choosing the right photographer for you. Ideally, you want to work ith a photographer who has experience in shooting weddings similar to your requirements. You might want to ask questions to the photographer which pertain to your wedding, for example:
- How many weddings have you shot?
- What kind of weddings venues have you shot at?
- What kind of different weddings have you been to?
- What are the sizes of the weddings you’ve worked at?
These are important factors to consider as experienced wedding photographers will be able to anticipate the flow of the day, and know how to adapt to any conditions that may arise, such as changes to lighting or weather conditions. Once again, have a look at their portfolio and see if it matches they they have told you, so you have a crystal clear idea of exactly what you want.
Personality and Communication
You already found the person you have a sprak and real conenction with, now it’s time for you to find a photographer that you can fully click with. Wedding are a very intimate occasion, and it’s important for you to therefore have a photographer that makes you feel at ease, that makes your partner feel at ease, and can navigate your wedding fluidly.
You might want to have an initial conversation with the photographer you wish to work with on the phone or in a video call, this allows you to get a look and feel of who the photographer is, and if they resonate with your personality. Whilst you and your partner are the stars of the wedding, your guests are also essential part of your big day, which means you should ideally look for someone who are friendly, professional and responsive to your question and concerns, so you have an exact idea of who you wish to work with.
Reviews & Recommendations: Are they Who They Say They Are?
Looking for reviews and recommendations of photographers is a great way of finding the best wedding photographer for you. You might want to reach our to your friends and family, and find people who have been happy with the photographer they’ve worked with, and ask them any questions that you might have on what would make the photos stand out for you.
When planning your wedding, you are likely to work with many people who have crossovers with wedding photographers too, so this is something to consider. Such as wedding vendors, florists and venues may know photographers that they highly recommend, so it’s worth reaching out to them for any insight for a great photographer for your wedding.
In the modern times, there is also the option of scrolling through the internet and either finding photographers with heavily favourible reviews, or contacting people who have worked with a particular photographer before, and finding out what they are like to work with. Remember, it’s very easy to fake reviews online, hence why we recommend contacting people directly, instead of taking online reviews seriously.
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Pricing and Packages: Are they In Your Budget?
Everybody has a different budget, and every photography has their own pricing range too. So when looking for wedding photographers within your budget range, have a look at what their packages including, and if it is for you or not.
Different photographers will include different elements in their packages, and this might also have an impact on what sort of budget you want to spend. These might include the hours of coverage, number of photos, number of prints, number of photographers etc. Whilst we do understand money is a sensitive subject, if it is within your realm to spend a bit more on a photographer who meets your requirements, do not be afraid to spend a little more. These photos will be passed down to your friends and family, and you will cherish them for a very long time!
But also be vigilant about what the photographer is offering you, and please ensure to work with photographers who are transparent with their pricing and services. Also it’s worth considering your budget for other things such as wedding dresses, venue budget and more when deciding which areas to spend more on, as good photography does not come cheap.
Professionalism and Equipment: Do they have the Right Gear?
It’s always important to consider the photographer’s professionalism and equipment. Whilst equipment does not always make a photographer, you will feel more comfortable working with a photographer who are well-equipped with professional-grade camera and lenses, and photographers who have backup equipment in case of failure.
Ensure that you ask the photographer if they have the right equipment that best befits the location of your shoot, for example in dimly lit venues, you might want to ask the photographer how they will hope to overcome that with any lighting equipment that they might have worked with, or perhaps you may want to know how the photographer to know how they expect to shoot different types of shots (close ups, group photos, aerial photos etc).
On the admin side of things, ensure that there is a contract that outlines the scope of work, pricing and expectations of both parities (this is also something you might want to share with a lawyer or anyone that can read the stipulations well). We also recommend asking a photographer if they have liability insurance so all parties feel secure before the photoshoot.
Availability and flexibility: Is my Date Booked Up?
Wedding dates can book up very quickly, so it is important to capture the photographer’s availability early in your planning process, you should inquire about their flexibility and availability to travel, as well as a back up plan they might have in case of an emergency or an unforeseen circumstance. Ensure that you get a clear understanding of the photographer’s policies and procedures for cancelling or rescheduling.
In conclusion, choosing a wedding photographer is a huge process, as they are the ones who will capture your story of the happiest day of your life. So please be very diligent in searching for exactly the type of photographer you want based on your budget, the location, number of people, the decor your personality etc.
