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You never really know if you chose the best photographers for your wedding day until the actual day itself or after the wedding when you see the photos.
Over the years we’ve heard countless stories of how the photographers on the day were an absolute nightmare, either running behind schedule, not organising people, not being confident, lacking experience and so much more. Yet at the time of booking and first meeting the photographer he or she seemed to give a completely different impression.
Then there are those weddings where the photos are an absolute disaster, sometimes the blame can lay with the bride and groom in that it was clear the photographer that was booked was not good enough for the job. Whilst on other occasions the bride and groom were misled in to booking something they thought was going to be exactly as they wanted.
Wedding photographers don’t always get it right no matter how good they are, we have to keep everyone happy, everyone sees things differently, shots are missed, some wedding guests can be very uncooperative and occasionally some bride and grooms aren’t easy to work with!
Even though we’re professionals you can’t please every single person, particularly when a couple getting married on a day where the weather is poor still expect their photos to look like they’ve been taken on a sun-drenched beach.
All we can do is try our very best.
Our advice is short and simple for this article when choosing the right wedding photographers you need to...
1. Ensure photos on a photographer’s website are real and
and not models.
2. Don’t be taken in by wedding awards; every photographer is an ‘award winner’.
3. Is your photographer confident? Will he or she organise guests on the day or rely on the Best man and Ushers to this for you?
4. Is the wedding photographer a full time professional? Would you put your trust in someone who works part-time shooting the most important day in your life? Is your wedding day a priority or is their other job more important?
5. Can you visit the photographer, does he or she have an office you can meet or are you relying on someone coming to you or meeting in a coffee shop?
6. Does the photographer list a permanent phone number and address on their website?
7. Is there an acceptable contingency plan if your photographer is taken ill before your wedding or has an emergency preventing, he/she from being there on your day?
8. If you’re recommended to a photographer by someone else, is the person recommending that particular photographer because they are genuinely the best photographers, or simply because they are good friends or business acquaintances?
9. Don’t try and let the photographer become your ‘best friend’ before the wedding, you need ‘professionals’ on your wedding day, professionals who make you feel comfortable and relaxed and are fully concentrated on what they’re job is. You need to book someone you get on with, but that should not be your main decision.
10. If you’re booking a photographer based on price that’s fine, however consider that all photographers are completely different. You need to pay for ‘experience, expertise and professionalism’. If you find photographers are willing to offer big discounts, it’s probably best to avoid them. Look out for photographers who claim they are ‘Award Winners’, ‘Best in Area’ and ‘In Demand’ when at the same time they are offering discounts…it doesn’t quite make sense!
