Choosing A Wedding Photographer
Shopping for a wedding photographer is not the same as selecting your wedding dress or bridal bouquet... you can’t see the pictures until after your wedding.
For many too often, price ends up being the primary deciding factor, which isn't always the best decision as there are no second chances.
Your wedding memories will be captured through the eyes, heart and talent of your wedding photographer... remember the old adage " you get what you pay for!".
Begin by asking friends and relatives for recommendations. People who’ve had positive experiences with photographers are always happy to show you their wedding photographs and give referrals. It's equally important to find out if the bride and groom enjoyed working with the photographer.
Look through our professional wedding photographer galleries and view their impressive portfolios. You'll save yourself lots of time by pre-qualifying wedding photographers by looking at their comprehensive online portfolios before any meetings.
Mark those that you like as your favourites and send email enquiries to them to get key pieces of information from them such as:
- whether they are available on your wedding day
- what type of photography they specialise in (traditional, candid, photo-journalism, combination, film or digital etc)
- what packages they offer and their prices
Make appointments with the photographers who respond to you, to view their wedding portfolios and discuss YOUR requirements. These meetings should include both the bride and the groom. Consider asking your parents to come along if they are paying for the wedding photographer's services. Make sure you are prepared and write down all your questions before you meet and take notes during the meetings.
Questions To Ask Your Wedding Photographer
There are many questions that you can ask your wedding photographer. The experienced professional photographers will provide you with clear explanations about their services prior to any questions are even asked. If not, here are some you can ask:
- how long they been in the 'wedding' photography business?
- what is their philosophy to photographing weddings?
- what is their wedding photography style...traditional, photo-journalistic, mixed?
- how they will make your wedding photographs unique and personal to you?
- what is their coverage...what are the costs of the various levels of coverage (ceremony / location / reception)?
- do they provide guarantees for their services and / or photographs?
- do they have a backup?
- will they be shooting your pictures personally?...if not, ask to see the work of the actual wedding photographer and meet with them before the day
- are there any extra fees such as travel?
- what is their overtime fee?
- will they use film or digital?
- who will you be dealing with after the wedding?
- how will you be shown the pictures for selection after the wedding? (electronically / proofs / contact sheets / online gallery etc.).
- will you work together to select the final pictures?
- how can it be simplified so that friends and family can order re-prints directly?
- how long until the selection prints are available?
- what is the cost for duplicate prints, albums, folios, enlargements, thank you cards, etc.? Are the proofs for sale?
- what is their payment policy?
When you’ve narrowed down your list to one or two wedding photographers, ask them to show you a complete photo coverage of a recent wedding to give you a much better indication as to what you can expect, rather than a collection of their best shots from different weddings.
Things To Look For In A Wedding Photographer
Examine the photographer's work carefully...take note of the little things:
- do the photos or album tell a story of the entire wedding day or just a series of pictures?
- is there a good mixture of portraits and groups?
- has the photographer captured facial expressions well?
- do the photos capture the detail of the faces and dresses, or is there too much background detail?
Carefully examine whether the photographer successfully captures individual characteristics and personalities and brings the wedding photo's to life. Do they look natural or artificially posed?.
Be Comfortable With Your Wedding Photographer
Finally, your wedding photographer will be an integral part of one of the most important days of your life, (sometimes even getting you a glass of water or helping you with your dress) so make sure you choose someone that has a relaxed and friendly personality and most of all, you feel comfortable with.
