How to choose a wedding photographer?!

Planning your wedding and getting married is one of the biggest plans and events in anybody’s life. All you want it to go so smoothly in every way even the planning. 90% of brides and grooms have a professional photographer booked in, but what should you look for in your wedding photographer? Good question right, do you agree with me?

Vero J Photography Wedding Photography London

Let me say to remember that your wedding photographs, video and your rings are the only aspect from the big day that you will be left with to remember that special day and so its important to get it right!
The cake will be eaten, the flowers will fade away and be discarded the dress will be carefully stored away or sold.

Let me share some things to consider as you search for your photographer, to ensure you get it right.

My Aunty or a good friend will take the photographs!

There is A few people that will depend on a family member or friend to take the shots on the wedding day to save money. I can understand the thought of it as some photographers can be expensive. The risk of choosing a family member or friend typically has several big issues.

They don’t really know exactly what they are doing, or do they?!
If they are being the photographer, remember that they will not be enjoying the wedding – they will be working, do you want that?
They probably don’t have good enough camera equipment.
They most likely don’t have the post processing skills like a professional photographer.
After reading this does it sound like a good plan?

Oh great, you have decided to hire a professional photographer

But what should you do to help make sure you get this right?

Number one is what style of wedding photography do you like and want, its an very essential decision you need to make.

Formal style – posed shots
Reportage - candid documentary style
Informal – shots that don’t look posed
Colour
Black & White
Retro style – a vintage look
Country - rural style – flowers fields warm light
Street style – urban little bit of grunge and contrast
Something of all these

Typically, the formula most people end up with is:

Mainly 2 & 3 with some 1 and a Mix of 4 & 5
The general theme and the style of the couple dictates which of 6,7 and 8 will dominate.

Typically, people want some formal shots of the couple and family groups but mainly reportage style photographs that are just taken as the day goes with no formal shots.

Are there any alternatives to consider?

Yes, here are somethings to look for and what the implications are of these alternatives

Digital copies of the images
Some photographer will offer you the images digitally in colour and in black and white
1. They will normally retain copyright but that’s not an issue for you
2. You get all the images - why would you not want all the images?
3. In colour and in black & white
4. You can use them on social media as you wish
5. You can send them to friends and family electronically and they can get their own printed
6. You can get them printed at a professional lab
  - as many as you want
  - any size you want
  - you will pay surprisingly little compared to buying them via a photographer, but do not get them printed at a “cheap” outlet. You photographer will advise you.
7. You cant get a canvas done and you can control the size and the quality
8. You can control the process, what you get and what you pay.
9. This option gives you the most control over what you get and what you pay. However the packages that the high end photographers offer are often all you could want with a high customer focus.
Photobooks
These are coffee table style books, they look great and are very accessible, but some things to consider
1. These look easy to do but get you photographer to do them as they understand how to put these things together to create the right style and story
2. They are cheaper than albums and more accessible and so you will keep them out and use them as opposed to storing them away as people do with albums
3. Get two, a colour and a black and white one - it makes sense!
  The two styles of images look much better when separated from one another
4. Once a book is “built” its relatively cheap to get multiple copies and so you can get a copy for the parents as well

What other aspects should you be aware of?

Contracts
You photographer should ask you to sign a contract detailing
1. What will pay and when?
2. How much deposit is required?
3. Cancellation or change requirements
4. What they will provide
5. What you will receive at the end
Food
I would suggest you plan to provide the photographer with a meal. They will be working a long day up to 12 hrs depending on the shoot requirements. Plan to give them the main course from the wedding breakfast. They will have their food in the bar area or somewhere away from the wedding reception. If you keep them well fed they will work well and be flexible.
Shoot list
Expect the photographer to generate a shoot list detailing the shots that will be taken.
This typically breaks down into several phases.
1. Bridal prep and arrival.
2. Groom prep and arrival.
3. Guests arriving at church
4. Inside and outside of church pre ceremony
5. Ceremony
6. Exit from Church
7. Confetti shot - needs to be carefully planned
8. Everybody shot - Do this as soon as possible before people rush off for a drink
9. Group shots
10. Bride and groom will go off for a personal shoot at a pre-defined location
11. Reception venue shots inside and out
12. Arrival at reception and pre meal shots
13. Meal - no shots as people don’t photograph well when eating
  (except young children who look great covered in food)
14. Speeches and post meal
15. Wedding rings
16. Early evening
17. Bride and groom will go off for a personal shoot at a pre-defined location
18. Throwing bouquet
19. Cutting the cake
20. First dance
  (don’t stand still – rotate as you dance it means the photographers will get a range of shots)
21. Disco (don’t go on too late as the shots will diminish in quality as the night goes on)
Elderly or disabled guests
Plan the shoot around these people if you can speed things up and make things as easy as possible for them.
Walk DON’T run
Remember during the day to walk don’t run and to stop take a breath and look around primarily
1. Bride arrival at church
2. Walking down the aisle
3. Walking back up the aisle
4. Confetti shot
  At all of these points walk don’t rush, stop take a breath and enjoy it. You will enjoy the day more and they will get batter shots.
Group Caller
Identify a person who knows both families who will work with the photographers to get relevant people for the next group shot. As the photographers are shooting one group this person is getting all the people for the next group shot. This is essential as the group shot can consume so much time.
Strange Things
Tell the photographer if any thing strange or unusual is happening or if anything has a particularly significant value to you during the day.
Remember it’s your wedding you can do what you want outside of the legal bits
Invite them along when you go to the practice and to the venue so they can discuss with the ceremony and the reception what they can and can do, can give you a feel for how it will work on the day and get some shot ideas as well as understanding the lighting
Processing takes time
Ask that they get you a few shots (3 – 5) through to you in 24hrs so you have something fast and then expect the others to take a couple of weeks.
Rain
What is the plan for the photographs if it rains ?
Shots you forgot
There will be shots on the day that you realise you forgot to mention. So simply ask if they can take these shots for you, as long as it does not increase the duration of the shoot they will be fine and not add any cost. If it does add to the duration of the shoot it may result in small additional cost or it may mean that another shot is lost.
Role of the photographers - It is a strange part they play in the wedding!
1. They see lots of weddings so ask them for advice
2. Pre wedding shoot with bride and groom
  1. Settling nerves
  2. Advising on what will or should be done
3. Post meal and in the space ahead of the evening celebrations they tend to mill around taking shots and have a significant interaction with the guests and help move the mood along at this point
4. To be invisible at all of the key moments
5. The should facilitate the proceedings not take control or be the focus.
Have fun