Getting married is an incredible experience. It is a day full of excitement, joy, happiness and sometimes a little sadness when a family member or friend who is no longer with us is not there to share our special day.
As professional wedding photographers, we know how stressful it can be to organize your wedding day. With so many photographers around, where do you start? What do you need to know when looking for a wedding photographer? With prices ranging from a few hundred pounds to many thousands, how do you know if they are right for you?
It is a simple fact of life that with the advent of digital cameras, many people now call themselves “photographers”. In recent years there has been an explosion of people offering their services as wedding photographers, many of whom have never received any training, do not have insurance, do not use professional equipment and do not have enough backups to handle any eventuality.
A professional photographer will have all of the above and this post is a quick “Help Guide” on the things to look for and the questions we recommend you ask when choosing a wedding photographer. Have a cup of tea and make yourself comfortable. This is not a definitive guide, just an overview of what to look for.
Looking for a photographer:
Personal recommendations: Have you been to a wedding recently? What did your friends think of your photographer? As a Yorkshire wedding photographer, most of our clients come from personal recommendations from the bride and groom who have used us or from Venues who know the quality of the work we produce and the fantastic value for money we offer.
Google and other search engines:
A quick search on any of the major search engines will yield an overwhelming number of options. For example, if you Google the search terms “Wedding Photographer”, you will get millions of results. Simply reviewing each result would take years, so as a general rule of thumb, follow the ones on page 1 or page 2. The reason is simple: if they are on page 1 or 2, then they have taken the time to make sure. that your website is well designed, optimized and located, to ensure that your products or services are easy to find for the future bride and groom.
Choose a photographer
As soon as you have decided on the date, reserved your wedding venue and received confirmation, book all other necessary services for your wedding day as soon as possible. Leaving it for the last minute to book your wedding photographer is not a good idea.
Many grooms start looking for their photographer the day they get engaged.
Websites:
The first thing to do is look at a photographers website, but DO NOT be fooled into thinking that this is it and the end of it all. Always focus on the images and not the website design. These days, for a few hundred pounds, you can have a really fancy website designed. Never forget that a website only shows the content that the photographer WANTS you to see. In general, you will only see the best images, the ones that they want to use to show their skills, so take a look at the website. Take a look and see how many different weddings you can see. If there are only one or two, have they only photographed a few weddings? Also, how much information does the photographer give you? Are they frank about their prices or do you have to go see them to find out how much they charge? Do they give you specific detailed information about their services?
Also be VERY cautious if they say they are members of a “Professional Trade Organization”. Some commercial organizations only require photographers to pay an annual subscription fee to join and then allow the photographer to use the organizations logos on their website. In fact, some organizations have absolutely no requirement to join, you don’t even have to have a camera, and your grandmother, who has no idea of photography, could join if she wanted. Do your homework and review business organizations carefully, as they are not all created equal.
Some are for full-time professionals only and members must undergo an appraisal, inspection and insurance documents verified, others simply allow you to pay a nominal amount and declare that you are a “professional photographer”. Remember that the photography industry is unregulated and anyone can claim to be a “photographer”.
Price:
If it sounds too good to be true, it most likely is! Many just starting out photographers tend to charge really low prices and only cover their costs. Many see their wedding as a way to create a portfolio of wedding images. Now this won’t apply to all budget-priced photographers, but as a general rule, if the price seems really low then there’s a reason for it, so try to figure out what it is.
For many grooms, the price ends up being the determining factor. You spend hundreds, if not thousands, on the dress, the venue charges a small fortune, then there are the cars, the bride and groom attract, the bridesmaids dresses, the cake, the flowers – cut your wedding photography costs it can result in poor wedding photographs. In a huge disappointment and pictures of the day that you just don’t want to look at.
Remember that it is a one-time event: for everyone to take the pictures again it will be time consume and very expensive.
Make an appointment:
Until you meet the photographer, you will not be fully informed if he is the right person for the job. Ask to see photos of AT LEAST five recent weddings at the meeting. Ask if the photographer has worked at your venue before and if so ask if you can see any images from that wedding. Ask to see the demo albums – is there a good variety to choose from? Does the photographer have letters of recommendation from previous clients? If so, ask to see them. Does the photographer work from home or from a studio?
During this meeting there are some really important questions to ask, some are detailed below:
Q. How long have you been trading and how many weddings have you photographed? If the answer is “6 months and 2 weddings, both friends of the family that I did not charge because I need the experience and the images for my portfolio” – is this the right photographer for you?
Q. Are you insured?
All professional photographers must have Civil Liability and Professional Civil Liability insurance. If they don’t, tread carefully.
Q. What are your prices and what do I get in my package?
Sounds like a silly question, right? Well, no! There’s nothing worse than handing over your hard-earned money only to find that after the wedding you’re not getting what you thought you were. Is there an album in the package? How many hours of coverage do you get? What additional products are included in the price? Does the price include image editing? Do you have an overtime rate if we get hit?
Q. Do you hire the photography service for your wedding?
Imagine this scene … you spend months researching photographers, you finally decide on one, have them booked for you, and on your wedding day, someone you’ve never met before shows up to photograph your big day. How are you going to feel? Angry?
Make sure the person you book with is the person who will attend and take your wedding photos. It sounds simple I know, but you will be surprised how many photographers outsource their work to other photographers, often inexperienced and uninsured.
Q. Is this your full time job?
Many photographers have full-time jobs and shoot part-time weddings, so they may not necessarily be available to answer your questions or emails during normal business hours. If you have a last minute question, it may take some time to get an answer or you may not be able to schedule meeting times that are most convenient for you.
Q. Do you provide a written contract?
It is absolutely essential that you receive a written contract detailing your exact expenses and what products / services you are receiving.
Q. How many weddings do you cover per day?
If the answer is not ONE, be careful. Many photographers will cover more than one wedding a day and this can create problems for YOUR wedding. What if the first wedding is delayed? This will mean that the photographer may be late for yours.
Q. Can I see some of your work / see the demo albums?
Make sure to take a good look at the photographers’ work. Look at the quality of the image, look at the quality of the album. Looking at pictures of babies, sunsets, buildings or family portraits will not give you an idea of his skills as a wedding photographer. Also ask the question “Is this from a royal wedding?” You will be amazed at how many photographers use images taken on training days in their portfolios. They attend a training session in which a trainer prepares the shot and then tells the photographer how to take it. The image may be amazing, but can you reproduce it during a royal wedding with all the pressure and stress involved?
Q. What backup gear do you bring to the wedding?
It never ceases to amaze me that photographers continue to attend a wedding with only one camera! If that camera breaks, what are they going to do? Get out your cell phone and keep shooting?
Q. Do you do a site visit before the wedding?
Have you ever been to a wedding and when it comes to getting your pictures taken, it’s absolute chaos? Uncle John went to check in, Aunt Flo went to the bathroom, your godfather showed up at the bar. Surely the bride and groom should have been a bit more organized, right? Well not really!
This is up to the photographer and not the happy couple. Site visits allow photographers to create a plan for the day and are a critical component to overall planning for the day.
Q. In what “style” do you take pictures?
There are different styles such as Traditional, Reportage, Photojournalist, Fashion, Glamor. Does the photographer shoot in the style YOU want? Do they do it on the weekends, weekends out, or are they trying to photograph in a way that they don’t necessarily do on a regular basis? Do this right and you will love your wedding photographs, as you will receive what you expected. Get it wrong and you could end up hating them.
Q. Will my wedding photos be posted online for our guests to see?
Most photographers now do this as standard, although some still charge more for it. Check to see if there are any additional costs involved.
Q. Do you have a pre-wedding meeting?
A professional photographer will prefer to sit down with each and every bride and groom at some point before the big day to discuss the day itself. Topics covered can include things like what photographs will be taken and where, any special requests from the bride and groom, etc. This helps to ensure that the day runs as smoothly as possible.
Q. What will you wear when photographing my wedding?
Again seems like a silly question right? You will be amazed at the number of “professional” photographers who show up to photograph a wedding dressed in jeans, T-shirts and sneakers. Smart business attracts is the norm, but check it out!
Booking your photographer:
As soon as you have decided on the photographer who will cover your big day … CALL THEM! It is not unusual for photographers to work “first come first serve” and there is nothing worse than doing all the hard work and finding out that someone has booked your appointment 2 hours in advance.
Many photographers will ask you to pay an advance to secure the date. This will be a fixed amount or a percentage of the total package price and will be deducted from the total photography costs.
Remember: make sure you get a written contract that details how much you are paying and what you are receiving.
One last thing to think about: personality. Chances are, your wedding photographer spends more time with you than any of your other vendors. Can you spend a whole day with them? Can you work with them for an extended period of time? This is a point that is often forgotten!
I hope this has helped and if you are getting married in the near future, I hope you have a wonderful day!
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