If you value high-quality imagery, you’ll want to ensure that the wedding photographer you select for your big day is going to do a great job! After all, there are no retakes and no way to see the final product in advance – and when it’s all over, the photos are the lasting legacy of your wedding. That’s a wee bit scary!
Fear not! I’ve been on both sides of the coin: one half of an excited couple, trusting someone to beautifully capture the detail of my big day…and now I’m professional photographer, recording real life fairy tales, so I hope you enjoy my honest-to-goodness guide to selecting the wedding photographer for you.
1.Meet face to face
And when you do, do you get on? Can you have a laugh and share a joke? I think this is vital!
You should feel a connection with your photographer when you meet – and you’ve lucked out if you properly hit it off. You and your guests need to be relaxed at your wedding and the photographer can have a surprisingly big influence on the day.
2.Check proper sample work and real albums
First of all – do the photos make you feel something? They should. Go with your gut. Be sure to ask to see photos of a real, entire wedding, not just a carefully selected sample of photos with models instead of normal people. And when it comes to albums, make sure you don’t just look at samples – you want the real deal here, too. Many photographers may offer you a photobook, which is essentially a digital, modern day album but much cheaper to produce. Do your homework to check you’re getting quality for the price quoted.
3.Don’t rely on accreditations
I recommend doing your homework regarding accreditations. Often, photographers can pay for professional memberships and can use accreditation logos but they aren’t always linked to the quality of their work. Truly.
4.Don’t rely on venue recommendations
Sometimes venues sell spots on their preferred vendor lists and so it just might be that the photographer they suggest has paid for the privilege. I’m not for a minute suggesting this is always the case – but it can be, so check out their work.
5.Seek out real testimonials
Seek to find independent reviews of the photographer’s work, not the just the testimonials they’ve chosen to publish on their website. Check out their Google and social media ratings for authentic, honest reviews.
6.Question low pricing
Ask yourself why the price is lower than everyone else around? It’s not a bargain if your photos are terrible. You have to work out what is being compromised? Is it the quality of the albums, their equipment, the editing etc? Maybe they don’t have adequate insurance. You can bet your boots there will be a reason. And if the price is too low, will they still be in business when your wedding comes around in 18 months’ time? Argh!
Also, in relation to pricing, check that the package has everything you want included – and that there will be no add-on payments at the end. I’d say a good package includes:
- Insurance
- Drone license (if applicable)
- Pre-wedding shoot, possibly at an extra cost depending on the photographer
- Album with 30 number of pages and 400 – 600 number of prints if digital
- Smaller parents’ albums or pocket albums
- All day photography, getting ready shots, speeches, cake cutting. You will need to specify if you want the first dance or beyond included
- CD, memory stick or online gallery from which to select your images
- Secure online gallery so your friends and family can purchase prints (at reasonable prices!)
- Online payment option – this is more secure
If you are currently planning your wedding, click here to download a FREE checklist of 12 important questions you should be asking any potential wedding photographers you meet with! We’ve created a convenient form for you to print and take along as you talk with photographers. Make this big decision a little easier! Download your copy today!
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