5 Things to consider when booking a wedding photographer
There are some simple things that you can do when planning your big day to ensure that you get the best images possible. You will often see beautiful weddings featured in magazines, blog posts and other photographer websites and you want yours to look the same. Well, they may not look the same if you don’t consider the following:
1. Time of day – What time of the day you are having your ceremony is very important, whether this is indoor or outdoor. Having a wedding ceremony outdoors in the middle of the day is certainly not ideal and you will get a completely different look and feel to your images then if you do them at the end of the day when the sunlight is softer and golden.
2. Location: Don’t compare your wedding to a country or vintage wedding if you are having your wedding in the city and it is modern. They will be completely different in the look of the images and the way they are photographed. If you want a vintage wedding then you need to consider theme and colours and how that will all go together on the day.
If you are having a church wedding there will be many different factors that will affect the look of your images: How much light does the church get, will the photographer be allowed to use flash, will the photographer be allowed to move around. Ideally the location for your ceremony will have good lighting and the photographer should have the ability to walk around and use flash if needed.
3. Photographers shooting style: Take the time to discuss this with potential photographers. Sometimes what you think they are going to do is completely different to how they do things on the day. There are photographers who say they have a “photojournalistic style”. What does this mean to you and to them. To me a true photojournalistic approach means that you do not interfere or influence in any way while at the same time capturing the special moments. To other photographers it means something different. This is why doing an engagement session is very important, it gives you the opportunity to connect with the photographer and get comfortable with them. Also getting those images from them may help you decide if you want to continue with them or not.
4. Getting to know each other: Make sure you do get to know each other during your consultation. You should get an idea of what is important to the photographer and likewise they need to get an idea of what is important to you. Your photographer needs to get to know the real you and what you value because this is what they will be hoping to capture on the day. If you don’t tell your photographer that your grandmother has flown all the way over from England and you never get to see her how will they know that these images in particular are very important to you and must be captured? Communicate! Your wedding day is important and you are paying someone to capture the moments and people that mean something to you.
5. Allow time: Allow enough time for everything. Don’t rush. Relax. Make sure you allow time to reflect and spend time with family during the preps. This is why full day coverage is great. You don’t need to worry about having to be ready at a specific time or doing things by a certain time for the photographer because your photographer is starting 30 mins before the ceremony and finishing up at 8pm. Don’t do it to yourself, your wedding day should be a happy day with fun memories not a day that is rushed and full of limits. If you can’t afford full day coverage problem solve with the photographer to make sure things run smoothly on the day.
Happy planning!
