I remember getting engaged and it was the best feeling in the world. Then you decide to start the planning process and it can suddenly feel like a huge task (and it truly is!) and a tiny bit overwhelming.

If you are not appointing a wedding planner and are deciding to plan your own wedding, then I have got some handy tips to help you choose your wedding photographer, which after your venue and catering, is, for most, a high priority supplier, investment and consideration for engaged couples.

 

There are a lot of us out there and it can feel a bit overwhelming I am sure. So the first thing to consider is:

 

1) STYLE: What sort of style are you after, and I do not just mean how the images are edited and how they are composed but more the APPROACH that photographer will take to capture images in that way.

 

I hear of couples wanting a certain look or style but what many don’t consider is the approach different photographers will take to capturing a day like that. Beautiful photos edited in a way you love is of course important but what is MORE important is how you are left feeling after your wedding day and a photographers role can truly impact that depending on their approach and whether it sits in line with your bigger vision for your day and how you want to enjoy it.

A truly documentary style photographer will likely be very hands off all day which lots of couples love the sound of, but it can mean less artistically curated shots of those all important and beautiful details, as well as potentially less ‘swoon-worthy’ couple portraits.

A high fashion and editorial photographer may be more hands on, as it’s all about ‘the shot’ and less moments for you to enjoy your day without feeling like you’re on a photoshoot. Which some couples love as they want more heavily structured photography on the day.

It really does depend, and one of the above examples doesn’t always mean that their approach typically matches that either. You will only know if you ask about the day and how they treat each part so that you can understand how that will make you feel vs the photos you’d get afterwards.

My couples want a relaxed approach, but also someone who is friendly and confident to come to the forefront when needed, eg organising bridesmaids and groomsmen photos, capturing naturally beautiful couple photos, but also knowing when to become more documentary to ensure that they have a chance to just ‘be present’ in that moment

 

 

2) RAPPORT: Quite simply, do you like them? Can you imagine getting on with them? The one way to find this out is to book in a face to face (or call) with them to see if your energies are compatible as it is really important that you can imagine them blending in well with your friends and family, which as a bonus will make for more natural and relaxed photographs too.

You also spend a fair amount of your wedding with your photographer as your third wheel so enjoying their company is really important.

A question I get asked a lot by guests come the evening of a wedding day is, ‘So how do you know the couple? Did you go to university together?’. I personally see this as the best compliment because it tells me that the perceived rapport I have with my couples is one of trust and friendship and that is because of how relaxed my couples are around me.

 

3) PRICE: I am going to a little bold here and say that price should truly be the last consideration and not be the main thing to drive your photography search. We all have a budget we are working to of course, but if a photographer is a priority for you, then ultimately those top two points are the main things to consider. After your wedding day, you are physically left with each other, your rings and your photographs which will become timeless and priceless heirlooms. Tangible representations of your memories of that incredible day….

I treat every couple’s plans for their day as unique as they are and no longer offer set priced packages. Instead, I create bespoke pricing proposals for all enquiring couples, to curate wedding day coverage that works for their plans, vision, special considerations and budgets.

As a Luxury Wedding Photographer, I want my couples to know that they are receiving a curated and bespoke service, that will be different to everyone else and therefore be a truly personalised and luxury experience. I believe couples should not just enjoy their wedding day, but their whole wedding experience throughout their planning process and long after their wedding day. How you are left feeling after your wedding day can impact how you feel about your photographs and I know that an amazing wedding service experience should be as wonderful as the finished photographs.

If you’d like to connect and find out more about how we can bring your wedding vision to life in photographs, you can contact me and we can arrange a friendly discover call.

 

**My extra tip when supplier searching is to narrow each category down to just THREE that you love. Any more than 3 options to chat with and decide between can be quite overwhelming**