So you have booked your venue, talked to your vicar or registry office, sorted the music, bought the rings and planned the theme of your wedding.
Most of the bullet points from your wedding planner have been ticked off by now.
However, at the bottom of the page, last but surely not least, there is a box and right next to it, in bold letters, it says 'Wedding Photographer'.
This box for me and many others is one of the most important boxes on your list.
After all, this chap or lady will document all the efforts you have made and fun you will have with your family.
Your wedding photographer will stop the time for you and let you look back at Your Big Day again once it is all done and dusted.
There are a couple of ways when it comes to researching for a perfect wedding photographer.
Each and every one of them has advantages and disadvantages.
Let's start with Wedding fairs: Pros: • Large selection of photographers under one roof • They are available to answer all your questions • You can see and easily compare their work Cons: • Good wedding fairs are expensive to get in • You will only see a selection of their very best work and not the coverage of the whole wedding.
• They will try to push you to book and pay the deposit on the day thus making you feel a bit under pressure Family and friends recommendations: Pros: • They have already been tried out • You are able to see the whole coverage of the wedding looking through their album or/and digital images Cons: • Just because they liked their photographer's style it doesn't mean you will • Wedding photography is an art that is constantly evolving and what was in fashion five years ago can look a bit tatty now • People who have bought into a business/system or service, spent money and invested heavily are more likely to vouch for it and recommend it rather than admit mistake in case they made the wrong choice Google/Internet: Pros • Hundreds of results with literally a few clicks away • Ability to view online portfolio • Research in the comfort of your own home in your own time • No pushy sales Cons • Does Google page one list best photographers or best Search Engine Optimisation wizards? • Can take quite some time to separate the wheat from the chaff As you have probably realized by now it is best to combine all the above mentioned ways of researching for your ideal wedding photographer and don't solely rely on friends and family experience or Google for that matter.
Once you have narrowed your choice down to two or three photographers then you make an appointment.
This is the time when you want to see their whole work and have a chance to bombard them with all the questions you can only think of.
Important questions to ask: • How long is their full day coverage? • Is full day coverage from 9 o'clock till the First Dance? (This is my personal pet hate number 1! All the fun starts after the First Dance!) • Always check their BLOG! Do they display only a few good images (pet hate number 2) or a good healthy in size coverage of the whole wedding? • Do they watermark their digital copies? (pet hate number 3) • Do they licence unconditional, unlimited and any size and format printing? (If not - pate hate number 4) • Do they have back up equipment? • Are they insured?(IMPORTANT: ALWAYS ASK TO SEE THE CERTIFICATE/POLICY!!!)? • Do they call their photography timeless? (be careful! Not always but very often this is a sign of wedding photography which lacks in the creativity/surprise/fun/WOW department! So as it says in the title of this article, finding a good wedding photographer can often be a no mean feat! You are spoiled for choice and your budget will very often dictate how skilful and experienced a photographer you can hire.
Following all his advice will hopefully make the whole process less painful and quite an enjoyable experience.
I will be adding a few more articles in the near future so watch this space.
In the meantime, if you are looking for London wedding photographerplease check out our website.