Are you amidst wedding plans? Are you rushing around with the planner and your partner to make sure your special day is perfect? We understand you are busy with 1001 wedding checklist tasks, but have you decided on the wedding photographer yet?
Putting it off until later may not be a good idea. Famous photographers and studios have bookings for months or even more. If you want the best, you’ve got to act fast. But, how do you decide on a photographer?
Did a friend or relative recommend someone? Did you find the name on social media and were impressed by the profile? Did you come across their studio unexpectedly? Anything is possible. But if you want to choose the right photographer for the wedding, you have to consider more than recommendations and portfolios.
Why? Because the wedding pictures will stay with you forever, evoking the tender, happy, and wonderful moments of the special day. A picture is powerful enough to take you back to the actual moment and make you smile, cry, or laugh. The photographer you choose should be able to capture such delicate moments and enhance them. Any photographer can handle formal portraits and family photos, but it takes more to identify vital moments and capture them.
We’ve created a comprehensive list of factors you should consider when hiring a wedding photographer. Whether you get married in London, in the countryside, or outside of the UK, you will need to keep these factors in mind.
Different Styles and Requirements
Are you wondering what styles are? They are nothing but themes. The style of wedding photography should suit the theme you have finalized. To make things easier, the styles have been classified (broadly) into the following three-
- Traditional: The name says it all. The setting, the posing, the frames, and the pictures will follow the traditional format. The photographer sets the scene and tells you how to pose.
- Contemporary: This is a mix of fashion photography with reportage. It is both candid and posed. When taken in natural settings, the pictures give importance to the surroundings and the couple.
- Reportage: This is similar to journalism photography, where the photographer captures candid shots of emotions, moments, and scenes. You will have to ask for group pictures separately. They are not included by default.
Experience of the Wedding Photographer
Can we deny that an experienced photographer is who we want? But what kind of experience are we talking about? Every branch of photography has unique requirements. A wildlife photographer thinks differently compared to a fashion photographer and so on. You want someone with experience in wedding photography.
Comfort Levels
We cannot ignore this point, can we? If you don’t feel comfortable talking to the photographer or interacting with them, how can you relax when taking your wedding pictures? If the photographer is intimidating or too casual for your taste, you will not be able to work with them. Choose a photographer who has the same approach to work as you do.
Location and Venue
While this is not compulsory, hiring a photographer who knows the location will be a bonus. They would have taken pictures in the area (or even the venue) already and will know the best spots to capture some terrific shots. Photographers take time to scan and explore the area before they finalize the exact places for the photoshoot. This time can be cut down if they are aware of the place.
Backup Plan
We aren’t talking about your backup plan but the photographer’s plan. Do they have a plan to ensure that the wedding is photographed no matter what happens? There could be various reasons for the person not to make it to the wedding. They should have a substitute ready, and you should know that information. Meet the substitute and see if they can take over the task in case of unforeseen situations.
Recommendations
We have already talked about recommendations, didn’t we? While we cannot entirely rely on them, we cannot ignore them either. The last thing you want is to hire a wedding photographer who is a bad reputation or has received negative feedback from someone you admire. However, you still need to ask why and what went wrong. What did not work for them might work for you, and losing a good opportunity is nothing we appreciate, do we?
Budget Limitations
The budget does play a major role in planning the wedding. We allow a certain amount to each purpose, and having to invest more would mean we have to cut down elsewhere or add the extra from our pockets. Since not all of us have the liberty of spending an unlimited amount on the wedding, make sure the wedding photographers you shortlist come within your budget. Ask if they can provide a discount or work out a rate without compromising on the quality.
Meet Them in Person
Technology has made it easy to interact with anyone without actually meeting them in person. But you can’t do the same with your wedding photographer. Once you shortlist the names, fix an appointment and talk to each one of them. See their studio, spend time with them over coffee, have detailed meetings, and then decide if you want to hire the photographer or not.
Schedule a Trial Photoshoot Session
This is, again, not mandatory. But if you want to see the photographer in action, plan a small engagement shoot and try a few pictures. It will clear your doubts and make it easy for the photographer to get a better idea about your likes and dislikes when it comes to posing and pictures.
While you may or may not consider all the above factors, make sure you go with your instinct. Your gut feeling rarely lets you down. If you and your partner feel connected to a wedding photographer and think that they understand your thoughts, don’t worry too much about the rest. Hire them and let them bring their perspective to mix with yours and create the most memorable wedding pictures.
