You’ve set your sights on the perfect wedding venue, decided upon a date and soon you’ll need to start reaching out to some local wedding photographers.
But who should you choose to capture your big day?
In this article, we’ll be addressing some of the most common queries associated with wedding photography. From budgeting to photo styles, with our top tips, you’ll be sure to receive a beautiful set of wedding photos that you can treasure for a lifetime.
What Makes a Good Wedding Photographer?
Capturing someone’s special day is a big responsibility so it’s important to find a photographer that you can trust. The best wedding photographers will know exactly how to frame your magical moments and will have all the right equipment to take high quality photos.
While it can be tempting to save money by enlisting a family member to take your pictures, sadly, it’s not always the best choice. Even if your relative is an experienced photographer, you have to remember that they will also be a guest at the wedding. To capture the best images, your photographer needs to be ready to shoot at all times. If you ask a relative, not only will they be absent from your pictures, but they’re also more likely to be stopped for chats by other attendees and may miss some of the most important photo ops!
To guarantee great snaps, ask a professional wedding photographer. That way, your guests will only have one job to do, relax and enjoy the day!
When Should I Start Looking for a Professional Photographer?
While choosing a wedding photographer is one thing, deciding when to reach out to them is just as important. If you leave it until the last minute to book, the chances of nabbing your ideal photographer will be extremely slim.
To secure a great wedding photographer, you’ll need to give them plenty of notice. If you’re planning a wedding during wedding season (between May-October), it’s recommended to start looking at least 9 months prior to your wedding day. If your wedding day falls during the winter months, you may have a little more leeway. However, if you’re after the best wedding photographers in the business, you’ll need to book well in advance to guarantee availability.
How Much Does a Wedding Photographer Cost?
Ahhh…the million-dollar question. How much is a wedding photographer?
While there’s no standardised rate for hiring a wedding photographer in the UK, a recent study suggests that the average couple spent just under £1,600 to hire a professional wedding photographer in 2020. This amount illustrates the average starting price for a full-day wedding package.
If you’ve got your heart set on a particular photographer, the best thing to do is reach out to them with your budget and find out what they can offer you. If you’re struggling to stretch your budget to cover a particular package, talk with them to see if they can offer any flexibility. It might be that they can take off some small additions to offer you a modified version that suits your price point.
And don’t forget to aim for local photographers…
If your photographer is travelling from further afield, they may need to increase the price in order to cover the cost of travel to and from the venue so keep this in mind when scouring the net.
Where Can I Find Recommendations?
When choosing a wedding photographer, it’s useful to consider both word-of-mouth recommendations and online suggestions. So, if a friend has come to you raving about the photographer that they used for their wedding, look them up online and take time to read through all of their recent reviews. To get a clear picture of the photographer’s capabilities, check out Google, Trustpilot and website testimonials.
The key to finding a great wedding photographer is consistency. If all of the reviews online back up what you’ve been told by a friend, then the chances are, you’re on to a winner.
How to Choose a Style for Your Wedding Photos
Much like your venue decor, invite design and choice of attire, the style of photograph that you opt for is entirely up to you. An experienced photographer should be able to accommodate even the quirkiest of requests so, if you want pink flamingos and gold sparklers in your wedding photos, you shall have pink flamingos and gold sparklers!
Jokes aside… if there is a certain theme or look that you’d like your images to have then you need a photographer that is both flexible and versatile.
Remember: your photographer’s ability to bring images to life in post-production is just as important as how they take the shots.
So, take a peek at your chosen photographer’s portfolio to see how adaptable they are. If their portfolio showcases a diverse range of professional images that grab your attention for all the right reasons, why not send them a message?
Ask Your Wedding Photographer for a Test Shoot
If you’ve narrowed down your search to just a handful of potential photographers but still can’t decide who will make the final cut, don’t be put off from requesting a test shoot.
With a trial shoot, you can try out a mixture of group wedding photos, couple shots and solo snaps to see how you feel about the photographer’s technique. What’s more, spending time with a photographer enables you to ask questions and find out how well you gel with them in person.
Choosing a photographer is not just about finding someone who can take nice photos, you also need to make sure that they’re warm and approachable. If they fail to make a good first impression on you, you certainly won’t want them interacting with your guests.
Are You Planning a Wedding in the Malvern Hills?
If you’re looking for the ideal wedding venue in Malvern, look no further than The Mount Pleasant Hotel. Our graceful Georgian hotel in Malvern is located in the centre and boasts a range of beautiful function rooms that can be furnished to suit all of your wedding needs. Need a little help with planning? Download our brochure to see all of our wedding packages and take the stress out of preparing for your big day.