So, you have met ‘The One’. Set the date. Found the perfect Warwickshire Wedding venue. Seen a glimpse of a beautiful Wedding dress which may just be perfection itself... and now you need to book a professional Wedding photographer.
It should be easy - there are lots of photographers in Warwickshire to choose from - but where do you start? How do you find a Wedding photographer?
A great way, the best in fact, is to ask for recommendations from friends and family. Who was the photographer at their Wedding? Does the Wedding venue have recommended photographers?
Professional photographers usually belong to professional photographic bodies who set standards for their members - they often have lists of members available. Qualifications do not present the complete picture - experience must also be taken into consideration when you ask questions of your proposed Wedding photographer.
The internet is a great way to overview of a Wedding photographer's style and the current trends. Do you want traditional? Contemporary? Reportage? Or a mixture? There is always the classic of Wedding photography - black & white photographs have timeless style and elegance.
Make a shortlist of photographers & telephone them. Check about availability then ask about their style, experience and qualifications, and also about packages and prices.
Many photographers will have Wedding photography packages. Other photographers will price your Wedding photography on an individual basis meaning you pay for exactly what you want. Price is important - but good photographers are worth paying for. Both good & bad photography will still be around long after you have forgotten how much you paid for it. Poor photos will be discarded whereas fantastic images will become integral to your cherished memories, so be choosy with your Wedding Day budget.
It is essential to make appointments to meet the Wedding photographers on your shortlist. Every photographer will have a different personality and each should have samples of work. They will have traditional & contemporary Wedding albums to show you as well as Wedding ‘Storybooks’ - these are ‘digital albums’, books which set out the whole ‘story’ of your Wedding Day often beginning from the Bride's preparations and ending with the first dance or even the fireworks at midnight! Do let your photographer present their work & ideas to you but also ask questions too. Here is a list of questions which they should expect you to ask:
- Will you be personally shooting our Wedding photography or will it be an associate photographer?
- Which packages do you offer for Wedding photography? Or can you price individually to give us a tailored Wedding photography service?
- How long will the Wedding photographer be there on our Wedding day?
- Would a second Wedding photographer be advisable and how much will this service cost?
- Does the Wedding photographer meet with us again before our Wedding day to discuss our photography in details especially any traditional group photos?
- How and when will we be able to preview our photographs from the day?
- Who selects the photographs for our Wedding album or Storybook?
- Are there any extra costs associated with the album choice such as additional charges for certain Wedding album covers or types of finish?
- Will the photographs in traditional albums be archivable quality prints, or are inkjet prints used?
- What happens if our Wedding photographs don't come out or if they are not acceptable to us? Has the Wedding photographer got the appropriate insurance to cover disappointment or disaster?
- What do we pay and when does it have to be paid? Make sure you have a contract so you know what is included in the Wedding photography service.
Then go away to think about your decision. Don‘t be pressured into making a decision on the spot (there’s a difference between knowing what you want when you see it and feeling that you have to make a quick decision). Genuine ‘special offers’ will have more than a 10 minute time limit on them.
The final questions are reserved for you to ask yourselves as a couple:
- Do we want this Wedding photographer there on our special day? Will they fit in with us, the style of our Wedding day? Will our Wedding guests be comfortable with them? Do we want to share our intimate occasion with this particular Wedding photographer?
If the answer to those questions are YES, and if you have asked the preparation questions properly, then you should have gathered all the information necessary to make your own decision about whether to proceed with booking your chosen Wedding photographer!
If you would like these questions in a printable format so you can take them with you when you meet the Warwickshire Wedding photographers who you are considering booking, please download our ‘Questions to ask your proposed Wedding Photographer’ pdf document.
To ask Sally at Sally Evans Photography these questions and to make an appointment to discuss the possibility of booking your Wedding photography, please call 01926 854695, email contact@sallyevansphoto.co.uk or complete the Contact Us form. Rest assured that your appointment will be relaxed & informal - simply explore the possibilities for your Wedding Day photography service.
For more information, please visit our About Sally Evans section and to find out what Sally Evans has been up to recently please see Sally's Blog.
Sally Evans Photography - the discerning choice for wedding photography, portrait photography, schools photography, event photography, commercial photography and photography workshops in Kenilworth, Warwick, Leamington Spa, the Cotswolds and Warwickshire.