5 Things You Must Know About Your Wedding Photographer
Feeling overwhelmed with decisions? It can be a very daunting task to pull everything together and with all that effort, you want to make sure your day is captured down to the very last detail. So WHO will you choose?
Start by deciding if you are looking for someone to turn up and take some 'nice' photos? (You should go back to your Google search if you are!) Or are you looking for that 'wow' factor?
...But how can you find someone that will understand you, make you look gorgeous AND tell your love story to future generations? These 5 thoughts should help you along the way:
No.2 - PERSONALITY
You can't just choose any photographer - they have to be a good fit FOR YOU and your wedding. Do they make you feel calm and comfortable? Do they listen? Do they understand your style and your story?
I think it is so important to have a good chat with your photographer about your wedding - they will want to understand your personalities, and work out what matters to you both. You will be spending a lot of time with them - you need to find someone you can trust and rely on to deal with any curve balls. Make sure they help you feel relaxed and calm!
No.1 - STYLE
If you don't like the photos on their site, or the look of their albums, then you may as well move on to the next - UNLESS you have been bowled over by a recommendation from someone you trust. Recommendations always bring me great clients because they already have some idea of the way I work and the quality I provide. A photographer can't always adapt to your style, so find something you like - images that move you, and you've got a great starting point.
No.3 - RESPECT
This is the most important day of your life! Do they truly understand that? In my opinion, it is a great privilege to be asked to capture a wedding. Does your wedding photographer have the capacity and passion to fully prepare for your wedding, and make those images absolutely stunning after the day? It is a day that is to be treated with respect - and what you are left with once the dress has been packed away must be something that makes you relive every moment - seeing things you hadn't noticed on the day. I love seeing my brides cry over their images (in a good way of course)!
No.4 - LOCATION
There are ways to get around location problems, but check that your photographer is willing to work with you on that! Most photographers will be very happy to visit the venue with you, perhaps even doing a pre wedding shoot there. If it is not a convenient location, how will they handle challenges of the venue on the day if they have not been there before?
No.5 - DETAILS DETAILS!
What are you getting at the end of the day? Photographers structure their packages in various ways which can be confusing - number of images on a disc, number of prints, hours worked, album specification. You will want to know whether you are buying a finished product - an album, or images on a disc which you then have to create something with (must be high resolution images)? Are their albums over and above what you could create yourself?