How to choose and work with your wedding photographer

Choosing a wedding photographer to capture your special day is a big deal and one not to be taken lightly. You’ve got to work together to ensure expectations are met and you get what you pay for.

I learnt a lot during the process of planning my wedding, so I am sharing my top five tips for how to choose and work with your wedding photographer.

wedding photographer

Identify your style

Allow plenty of time to find your wedding photographer as the internet is chock full of photographers waiting for your business.

Pinterest is an excellent starting point as you can create boards showing your favourite wedding photography which will help your search going forward.

Wedding fairs are also an excellent way to find photographers as you’ll get to meet them and see their work up close, and ask any questions. I found our photographer at the National Wedding Show in London.

Budget

Weddings are expensive but you should allocate a decent proportion of your budget to your wedding photographer.

You also need to think about whether one photographer will be enough to capture your day or if you may need two photographers which will increase the price.

Some people try to haggle their chosen wedding photographer(s) down in price and while most packages offered can be adapted to suit your needs, remember that you’re not just paying for their time on the day, you’re paying for all the work that goes into editing your photographs afterwards.

When searching for my wedding photographer I found one or two that added ‘lens cleaning’ into their costs and I’m sorry, I should not be paying a photographer to keep their equipment in top order.

Some wedding photographers offer payments in installments which can definitely help with budgeting. Make sure you agree dates in advance and ensure you receive confirmation of receipt after each transaction.

Book a pre-consultation

Some couples choose to have an engagement shoot which is a great opportunity for you and your photographer to find out what you feel comfortable with, the shots you like and what you’ll want on the day.

A separate call ahead of the day is also a good opportunity to communicate how much or little of something you want captured, like all the little touches you have around your reception venue in addition to the main shots.

Set an agenda for the day & finalise all arrangements

Your big day is finally here, you’re getting your makeup done but your  photographer hasn’t turned up yet. You said 10am but they rocked up at 11am because they got lost on the way to your house/the hotel/your venue.

In my recent wedding planning tips post, I mentioned my wedding schedule which had all the locations, timings and contact information for key people and suppliers. Your wedding photographer needs to know where he/she needs to be, what time, when the opportunities are for photographs and when their working day ends.

Set realistic timescales & expectations

  • Payment dates
  • Pre-consultation(s)
  • Wedding day agenda and expectations for both the photographer and you
  • Date after the wedding to receive finished photos and how those will be received i.e. digital, print or both. You want these photographs for life so get them saved to at least two USB sticks to store away for safe keeping.

Wedding Photographer

You would be surprised at the types of things that get forgotten, even for the most organised of brides (me being one of them!).

What are your tips for finding and working with a wedding photographer?

Until next time x

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