Choosing the right photographer for your wedding can be a scary and daunting process, here we describe 12 Things to Check When Choosing Your Wedding Photographer to make the process a bit easier for you and to ensure you get the right wedding photographer for your wedding.
Table of Contents:
Price
If you are working on a tight budget then some wedding photographers may well be out of your budget. That being said don’t go with the cheapest option either, there is a reason they are the cheapest. If you are on a budget ask your photographer if they take instalments. Most photographers will want payment complete before they photograph your wedding and certainly most likely before they hand over the images.
Album quality
Ultimately you want a good wedding album with good memories from your big day. Be sure to check out the photographers website or portfolio to see what sort of work they can produce. Also, check within the Wedding Package that they offer and that you have chosen that they offer a printed album, USB stick or even both. You may want a copy for someone so ask if they can provide this and if there is any extra cost.
Don’t be fooled
A Portfolio is just a collection of their best images! Don’t be fooled into thinking that all of your images in your album will look this good…they won’t. Ask them if you can view a previous client’s complete wedding album so you can see what the real album is like and get a true look and feel for what the photographer’s work is really like, especially with the invention of Artificial Intelligence as lots of Portfolio’s are just about to be AI boosted.
How long to get your photos
Ask how long it takes them to turnaround the album? Some photographers can take months which if the Bride and Groom are unaware of can cause a bit of impatience and ill feeling. Most take a couple of weeks but check with them to make sure, also check if it states in the contract (if they have one).
How does the photographer work
Ask how they work? Does the photographer take control and bark orders, do they sit back and just let people do what they want or are they in between these extremes? You may want to know these details so that you know how they get their work done and are not surprised when they start telling people where to stand etc and your guests start to get annoyed being told where to stand and how to pose.
Do they pose the photos
This is actually a very important point to know. If the photographer that you have chosen does pose then you need to give them time to get the people in the image posed properly. An experienced photographer will be able to pose a person within 30 seconds, however it can take up to 2 minutes to fine tune the pose, so imagine you have 6 bridesmaids in the image with you, this can take a few minutes for the photographer to get it the way they want it, an experienced photographer should have that image posed and shot within a minute but it all very much depends on their experience and the people in the photo, how well they react to being posed.
Do they work alone
Will they bring an assistant or another photographer? You may need to feed and water them. Many wedding photographers use an assistant to help the throughout the day, it is a long day for the photographer so they will have an assistant carry equipment or stand with a light stand just to make it a little easier for them, They may also be training the assistant up so there may be 2 people taking photos on the day, it is important to know who is the main photographer.
Do They Have a Contract
Will they have a contract setup for you? This is to protect both the couple and the photographer. Be aware if they don’t then emails can be used as means of agreements should there be any legal dispute. Check all the details as it may include feeding, restrictions on fireworks, time limits etc. A well written contract also hints at a well organised and professional photographer. If there are any details you are unsure of or not happy with, make sure and discuss this with them before you agree to it. There are certain things that may be out of the photographer’s hands due to insurance or venue limitations so these may be forced and unavoidable.
Does the photographer have insurance
If you plan on using fireworks make sure your photographer is aware as this may affect their insurance.
Previous clients reviews
Read any reviews about the photographer. The photographer may have previous clients’ reviews on their website, check them out to see what others are saying. Also checkout their social media platforms to see what the comments are saying.
Communication
Has the photographer communicated well with you? Have they been asking questions, getting to know you and your partner, asking about the venue etc. Have they provided an initial questionnaire that gathers all of this information. An experienced photographer will want to know as much as possible as soon as possible so they can then start planning at their end. Be wary of the photographer who is happy to book you in based only on the dates and venue and as little information.
Versatility
Will they accept a list of photos that you want? We have all been there and checked out images online and seen some images that you love and want for your album…but will your photographer reproduce them or do they have their own images that they will only shoot as this is their style. Most will be happy to try and reproduce what you have seen online but not all, make sure and figure this out before you book them.
So, as you can see there are quite a few things that you need to consider before booking the first available ‘tog’ for your wedding.
Why Argyll Wedding Photography?
At Argyll Wedding Photography we aim to provide our clients with the best possible experience. Ultimately you may think that as a Wedding Photographer our main objective is to ensure that we give you a printed album with photos that you will cherish for the rest of your life.
However, we feel there is more to it than that and that is why we go the extra mile to make sure that we help your big day go as smoothly as possible. To achieve this we get as much information about your wedding day beforehand as we possibly can via an initial questionnaire, a face to face meeting or via a video chat so that we can start planning how we can get the best images for you.
We feel it is vital that we take responsibility and are proactive in communicating with yourselves as well as with the other suppliers/vendors on the day to ensure that we are all in sync so that we can all have a great experience and day.
With our experience, passion and desire for Wedding Photography we believe we can provide you with an excellent experience and will capture stunning memories of your big day so Contact Us for availability and we can get the ball rolling.
We are delighted that we have been placed in the top 30 Best Scotland Wedding Blogs and Websites also, check it out.
Check out the infographic below: