5 things to ask your Wedding Photographer before booking!
Hi I’m Emma! For those of you that don't know me I’m a Suffolk Wedding Photographer and I also work across Norfolk and the East of England! I’m from the small town of Lowestoft, I live by the sea and I’m a home girl who loves the little things in life - Being lockdown in the pandemic was not such a hardship for me!
The world of Weddings is certainly an overwhelmingly large industry with so many variables to consider, creative ideas to browse and businesses to view on social media! One of the biggest things you need to concentrate on first, aside from the Wedding Date and Wedding Venue of course, is your Wedding Photography.
Ladies you need to start thinking about your Photography with the same passion and dreaming that you do your Wedding Dress! Wedding Photography differs just as much in style, quality and detail - so do not overlook doing the research and finding the perfect fit for you (pun intended!). Remember - you’re only going to do this once!
Now you might be thinking; ‘you’re a Wedding Photographer so you would say that’ - BUT, think about this logically; bar the memories instilled in your brain where overtime the details fade - what is the one way of sharing with your children when they’re grown or reminiscing with family members past and present about how perfect your Wedding day was = it’s Wedding Photography! I would also completely agree that Wedding Videography also does this - but it’s much harder to put a Video all over your walls and on your coffee table right?
So to help you in your decision making when it comes to what Wedding Photographer to book, I have compiled my 5 top tips on what to ask when booking your Photographer. I wish it was all about the pretty pictures you see on Instagram and Facebook, but sadly it’s not! You need reliability and assurance that the big investment you’re making (There’s no getting away from it, Wedding Photography is not the cheapest!) is going to deliver the perfect images you’ve been dreaming about and that you can go away from your Photography consultation feeling confident you’ve made the right decision and that you are in good hands!
So without further adue, here are my 5 top tips to ask your Wedding Photographer when booking…
1) The Photography Style
Okay this is a bit of a research step you need to start with, but it’s also something you do need to talk to your Wedding Photographer about. If there are some shots you’ve seen on their Insta/Pinterest/Facebook, make sure you either send them in a message or show them on your consultation, to ensure they know this is what you love! If you’re big on Pinterest you could even pin together a board of their work you like! This will help the Photographer understand what you’re looking for in your Wedding Photography and they can also help direct and advise you of what they need to do to achieve these types of images - they can also give advice on what time of day these Wedding photos need to be taken to get the right effect, which you want to know ready for your Wedding schedule! (Ahhh sorry, I won’t mention the stress game that is a Wedding schedule again…)
During the Wedding Photography consultation is also a great time to discuss any ‘special shots’ you might have in mind that you’ve seen online, but not on their portfolio. You do not want any disappointment later down the line if these cannot be re-created!
2) Do your research!
Nowadays there are soo many review platforms out there just calling out to be read! You can review almost anything nowadays, I get e-mails from Next asking me to review the bath mat I just bought!
Online reputation is everything nowadays and I’m not just talking about ‘how many stars you’ve got’. The devil is in the detail! Grab a cuppa tea, get comfy and spend half an hour having a good read. I promise this will give you a good idea on how a Photographer works and you may find some nuggets of gold that spark ‘yes I need a consultation!’ or even ‘no way, you’re definitely not for me’.
Not sure where to start looking?: Facebook Reviews or Google Reviews are my favs!
You should also have a good read of the Wedding Photographer’s website. The length and content of the text in their bio and on their pages will give you a good idea on their personality and ways of working. You’re going to spend a whole day with them right? Then you want them to be someone you would hang out with!
3) Budget vs. Wedding Photography prices
Now Wedding Photography prices can seriously vary and this is down to a large number of things e.g: Experience, expertise, skill set, popularity and much more! It also reigns true = you get what you pay for! So make sure you weigh this up in the enquiry stage and pick what matters most to you out of all these factors.
My biggest piece of advice is to know your budget and stick to it - you’ve got to do what is right for you and DO NOT get pressured into anything that leaves you vulnerable!
4) Ask to see a full Wedding Gallery
I can’t drum in enough that most of the work you see on any Wedding Photographer’s website or social channels, is their ‘best work’, it’s the images that reflect the perfect hook for their portfolio. Which is normal and absolutely fine, I do the same! You’d be mad not to show your finest and most favourite work right? But there’s a lot more to Wedding Photography than just those ‘WOW shots’ with gorgeous landscaping, stunning off-camera flash with a perfect Bride & Groom pose. A lot of a Wedding day is documenting the flow of the day in a non-invasive way, a Photographer cannot pose you every moment of the day. Any great Wedding Photographer will have a Wedding Gallery of images from one particular Wedding (or maybe two), where you can see the flow from Bridal Prep, to the Ceremony and all the way to the First Dance!
This is also the best way to avoid any funny surprises…
5) The Wedding Photography Contract!
If a Wedding Photographer does not have a Wedding Photography Contract - RUN! This not only protects the Photographer, but it also protects you!
Make sure you read your Wedding Photography Contract in full. I know this sounds like the most boring step in the world and definitely the most obvious one, but it helps to manage your expectations, ensure you’re covered and know your rights!
Any Wedding Photography Contract you receive is not necessarily final, if you’re unhappy with any of the clauses or something that is not covered, talk to your Photographer, at the end of the day you only do this once, it is a BIG deal and you want to be fully protected.
I really hope that you were able to take some nuggets of gold from this post, even if it’s just one thing. Because that one thing could save you from making a grave mistake/help you make the best one ever!
That’s all from me for now,
Over & Out.