Advice on choosing your wedding photographer

Choosing a wedding photographer is one of the most important decisions you will have to make when planning your wedding. After all, you can’t retake wedding pictures if anything goes wrong. For wedding photographs you will treasure for a lifetime, there is two basic pieces of advice:

• Hire a professional

• Choose a photographer who specialises in weddings

Many brides have cried after putting responsibility for their wedding images in the hands of an amateur photographer. Imagine the bride and groom with glowing red eyes in every photo! The loss of the opportunity to have lovely wedding photos stings for years to come. Professionals have the proper equipment to provide top quality results. They know how to properly light and frame their subjects to make the most of each shot.

Family portrait photographers do many beautiful things and may take a great photograph of Rover, but they don’t necessarily have the expertise to successfully photograph a wedding. Query as to how many years they have been shooting weddings and how many weddings they have actually photographed. A wedding photographer understands how to capture the special moments and romance of the day by composing special groupings, taking best advantage of background scenery and assuring brides and grooms always look their best. The best photographers work quickly and with consideration for the flow of the day and the needs of the bridal couple.

Compatibility:

There are lots of ways to identify possible photographers. Referrals from friends and visiting bridal events are helpful. Also ask the local professional photographers’ association in your area for referrals.

Do you prefer classic poses or casual outdoor shots? Ask to see samples of complete wedding albums. If you are looking for a photographer who will shoot candid shots and black and whites, ask to see samples so you can hire someone whose style is compatible with yours.

Large studios may have four or five photographers and book several weddings on the same day. To avoid last minute surprises, always speak to and meet with the photographer who will photograph your wedding. Confirm this information in your contract. Inquire if a second camera will be available on site, in the event the first one malfunctions. Many photographers work well alone, but ask if they will have an assistant or if there will be additional photographers, especially if yours is a large wedding.

Hire a professional who works well with you. This is a good reason to schedule an engagement photography session. It gives the photographer an opportunity to work with you as a couple and to understand how best to photograph you. It also affords you the occasion to become more comfortable around your photographer in advance of the wedding. Remember, you’re going to spend the entire day together creating your masterpiece wedding album.

Don’t scrimp:

Purchasing a photography package will secure the best pricing but it also pays to compare packages. Purchasing your pictures “a la carte” after your wedding will be more costly.

Let me caution you that photography is likely to be the one item in your budget that will exceed your initial estimate, but I feel strongly that this is an area in which you should not cut corners. Photographs are everlasting mementoes of your wedding day and you’re sure to find it hard to narrow down your choices to just a few. Long after the gifts are opened, the cake is eaten, and the bridal gown is packed away, your photographs will be a source of joy and memories for you and generations to come.