Choosing a Wedding Photographer

Your wedding photographs will be the key keepsakes from one of the most important days of your life. Inevitably your wedding pictures will even help to shape your memory of the event, so it is important that you choose the right photographer for you. Making this choice can, roughly speaking, be broken down into the three questions below:

1. Do you like their work?
2. Do you get on well with the photographer?
3. Are they within your price range?

1. Do you like their work?

These days the first port of call in answering this question is usually the portfolio(s) on the photographer's website. Remember that these are effectively the photographer's shop window, and as a result this is where some of their best work should be found, and if you don't like their best work there really is no point progressing any further with them!

The next thing to consider is their prints, albums or books. Ask any photographer about the difference between pictures displayed on the internet, and a printed photograph, and they will tell you that images are heavily compressed for web-display, and the way you see an image on the internet will be altered by the settings on your computer screen. This is why it can be very useful to view printed copies of the photographer's work (where possible). If the photographer is based in your area then it should be simple enough to arrange a meeting to view some of their books. Don't be entirely surprised if there is a small fee associated with this, such as travel expenses, if there wasn't, photographers would spend everyday visiting potential clients, leaving no time to actually shoot weddings!

2. Do you get on well with the photographer?

Meeting a photographer to view their work will also be a very effective way to judge whether you like them as a person and feel you can get on with them. Where meetings aren't possible, a detailed telephone conversation is a must. Do you want to invite him or her to your wedding? We have all heard tales of bossy, rude, arrogant and/or unpleasant wedding photographers. These stereotypes really do exist, I've even met some of them! The right choice of wedding photographer should enhance your special day, not turn aspects of it into a chore.

Ultimately, if you feel comfortable with your photographer this will be reflected in the pictures. The best pictures are taken when your photographer makes you feel happy and relaxed!

4. Are they within your price range?

While nobody will want to feel that they skimped on the only permanent memento of their wedding day, for all but the most well-heeled, money will inevitably be a factor in your choice. However, if you want to benefit from the time and experience of an established professional, you should expect to pay a fair price for it.

What is 'a fair price' though? Well, this will obviously be determined by a great number of things (not least by the package and coverage options you choose), but, as a basic guide, professional wedding photography tends to range from about £1000-£3000. Wedding photographers at the very top end of the price range (those that tend to shoot only celebrity weddings and minor royalty) can charge very significantly more than this (the entire cost of many people's weddings)! At the opposite end of this scale you may find some photographers charging less than the £1000 mark.

Ultimately, I would suggest that you set a budget for your wedding photographs based on how important photography is to you. If you have spent significant sums on a stunning venue and a beautiful dress it would be silly to then pay your cousin Mick £400 to take some happy snaps. It would perhaps be equally daft to have a very small registry office wedding and spend £3000 on the photography.

Once you have set a budget, rule out photographers that you simply cannot afford, but then let questions 1 and 2 be your only guide. Do you like their work and do you get on with them? If you are lucky enough to find a photographer within your budget whose work you absolutely love, and with whom you feel comfortable, then snap them up early! Bookings are typically made between 6 months and a year of the date of the wedding, and some photographers may be fully booked long in advance.

All the best with your wedding preparations!