Your wedding day is one of the biggest and most important occasions of your life, and from the venue and the dress right down to the flowers, every bride and groom want the day that they tie the knot to be just perfect.
But once the big day is over, it’s the memories that will stay with you forever, and ensuring you have a skilled and professional photographer on hand to capture all of those beautiful moments is essential.
Nevertheless, choosing your wedding photographer isn’t a task to be taken lightly, and technical skill and experience isn’t always enough to make sure the images they provide you with afterwards will be aligned with your expectations. A photographer who understands you and who intuitively knows how and when to get the best shots can mean the difference between a set of clinical images and an album that artfully captures the true emotion of the day.
Here, we look at just what it takes to find your perfect match. No, not your spouse-to-be, but the right wedding photographer to record all those wonderful memories in the most beautiful ways possible. Whether you’re looking for wedding photographers in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, London, Devon, or anywhere else in the UK, you’re certain to find the ideal person for you with these simple tips.
Decide on a style you love
It can sometimes be difficult to describe what you like in a set of wedding photos, and what you don’t, but often it comes down to style. Consider whether you want a formal photo shoot, or whether you’d rather have a photographer candidly capture the moments of the day as they unfold. Once you have your shortlist, you can look through the different photographers’ portfolios and see which best matches up with what you’re looking for.
If you’re looking for something unique, then keep an eye out for quirky photographers who know how to add a little fun to the end result – often, the memories you want to keep forever aren’t just the romantic moments, but the celebrations with friends and family, too, and your perfect photographer will know just how to bring them to life in a still.
Additionally, there are more and more wedding photographers who offer videography too. Having only one person – a so-called ‘videotographer‘ – shooting both formats means less footprint, less obstruction on the day, fewer suppliers, invoices, briefs, and meetings, and – probably most importantly – your wedding photos and videos will look and feel the same. This is a relatively new trend but one that will certainly grow in the years to come.
Ask for recommendations
When a wedding photographer does a good job for a couple, they’ll tell all the engaged couples they know – so ask your recently married friends and family for recommendations and you can be sure that you’ll be getting a professional who is up to the job should you choose to go with them.
While looking through websites and portfolios can give you a good idea of a photographer’s capabilities, one thing they can’t communicate is what the real experience of working with them is like, so ask people you know and trust for an honest account for some insider insight.
Look at their experience
A family or pet photographer might have some excellent skills behind the camera, but photographing a wedding day requires experience and a different set of capabilities. The perfect set of wedding photographs isn’t just about technical accuracy, but the ability to capture mood and emotion, too – and a professional who is experienced in this particular niche will know exactly where they need to be and when, as well as the best moments to capture some natural and candid shots.
These often turn out to be couples’ favourite images of their big day, so don’t be swayed because a photographer is a family member or friend themselves – know what you want, and don’t be afraid to say no to anyone who doesn’t meet the criteria, as you only get one chance to get it right.
Ask them their back-up plan
Although no bride or groom likes to think about something going wrong on their big day, unfortunately, it is sometimes a reality – and if your photographer gets sick or is unable to fulfil their obligations on the day, you need to know that there is a plan B. This isn’t something that should be left down to you, but taken care of in advance by the photographer themselves, so ensure they have contacts they can rely on to step in should the worst occur.
It’s also worth requesting a second shooter for the day to ensure that, should the lead photographer experience any technical failures, you will always have an additional set of images and your memories of the day will not be lost – leaving you free to relax and enjoy without any unnecessary worry.
