After booking your wedding ceremony and reception venue the next most important task is to find the right wedding photographer for you. Easy to do, you would think but with hundreds of wedding photographers advertising their services on Google, Bing, Yahoo as well as in online wedding photography directories, the task can quickly become a daunting one.
To help cut through all the offerings, Surrey wedding photographer Richard lists a few critical questions to help guide you in your search.
(To help cut through all the offerings, Richard from surreylaneweddingphotography.co.uk lists a few critical questions to help guide you in your search.)
Can someone recommend you one?
The first port of call is to find anyone you know who has used a wedding photographer. If they were happy, then ask them the questions below to help you see if they are worth contacting.
Or if you attended a wedding, where maybe you got to see the photographer working and you liked what you saw, then find out who they were and get in touch. Starting off with people you or someone you know has actually experienced is always the best place to start as you are dealing with someone where there is a tangible connection and it is a good yardstick to measure others.
Are they experienced?
First of all check if they’re a full time professional wedding photographer or just a part time photographer who has another, main career. If it is the second case then be extra careful as you will be leaving the capturing of one of the most important days of your life in a potential amateur’s hands. Remember that full time photographers will have shot hundreds of weddings at all times of the year in all weather conditions so they know how to deal with what’s thrown at them.
Do they have lots of 5 star reviews?
Check them out to see if they have good and genuine looking reviews from their website and also independent resources such as TrustPilot, Google reviews, Facebook, Instagram etc.
Is their style right for you?
Does their style of photography fit what you are looking for? Only you will know. In addition many photographers now use presets to get a certain look and feel to their final edited images.
Can they show you examples of real weddings?
It’s important that they can show you examples of past weddings and not just their best shots. So covering elements such as: getting ready, the ceremony, confetti or bubble shots, the reception, the family group shots, the newlywed’s personal shots, the speeches and the first dance.
Do their package options fit your budget?
Naturally your photographer needs to be able to offer you a wedding package that suits both your requirements and your budget. If they are adaptable then all the better.
Can you meet face to face for a chat?
It’s good if you can meet them face to face whether in person or via a video conferencing app such as Zoom or Skype. That way you can quickly judge whether you and your family and friends will get along. You can also put them on the spot with any questions you may have.
Have they worked at your venue before?
If they have worked at your venue then all the better as they will know the ins and outs of the place and will know the wedding team which can help. But if they haven’t, don’t rule them out. If they have worked at similar types of venues then that’s fine. Good wedding photographers don’t have to have worked at a venue before, it just makes it easier if they have.
Conclusion
If you can go through these questions and get all the right answers then you should end up with the right wedding photographer for your special day.
