Picking a Wedding Photographer

Your wedding photos are yours to keep forever, so it’s vital that you pick the right photographer to ensure they are amazing. Many couples, when planning their wedding get bogged down in the details of decorations, the cake, the dress, and what gifts to give the wedding party. While all of these need to be checked off your ‘to do’ list , sometimes choosing the perfect wedding photographer is overlooked.

As a couple, its important to keep in mind that the photographer you book is going to be the one capturing the memories and moments of what is the biggest and best day of your life. Given this, you should take great care in picking a wedding photographer wisely.

This really comes to the forefront of people’s minds when the day is over. On honeymoon you recount the day, and the fun that was had. You recall the 1st kiss, the craic of the best man’s speech, and your granny’s face when she saw you in your dress. You start to look towards the photos, and are delighted when they bring the memories gushing back. This is why it is important to prioritise your wedding photography. Your images are the one thing that will recreate the emotion of your day, remind you of that special look your dad gave you when giving you away. They are yours to pass through the generations, so it’s vital you choose well.

Wedding photography is one of the hardest kinds of professional photography. Your wedding photographer has to be sure that everyone looks great, while shooting in many different locations and in all sorts of weather conditions. They also have to do this in a seriously short timeframe.

On top of all this, your wedding photographer must have the right personality to fit with you…after all, they will be spending a lot of your wedding day with you, so you need to get on well with them. Keep reading to see my 6 top tips on finding a photographer that you are comfortable and happy with.

1. Choose me:

Lol..joke …but not really, so do pick me

2. Friends and Family:

A really good starting place is asking friends, family, and colleagues for personal referrals or recommendations. For the most part, anyone that had a positive experience with their own wedding photographer is going to willingly share that information with you. Also, you’ll get some unique insight into the personality of the photographer prior to actually meeting them. Whilst google brings me some new brides and grooms, the majority of my weddings are referrals from happy customers!

3. Initial contact:

The next thing that you should do is either email or call them. This preliminary contact lets you ascertain their availability, which will strike names off your list quickly. You can also learn about what kind of work they personally specialise in, such as traditional, documentary, etc. My style is creative, timeless and relaxed and is one of the key reasons why people book me as their wedding photographer.

4. Viewing portfolios:

Once you have narrowed things down, then you can go online. Visit the website of each recommended photographer and look over it to review their portfolio. When a portfolio looks appealing to you, then odds are good that particular photographer might fit you well. Most of my couples have booked me as their Northern Ireland wedding photographer in this way. When couples meet me, I show them full examples of weddings that I have covered, many of which are at their chosen venue. This gives them a much better idea of what they can expect from me as their wedding photographer. This is really important, as anyone can pull together a portfolio of their hand selected best shots, but under pressure on the day, find it difficult to deliver a full wedding consistently.

5. Meeting the photographer:

When you narrow down your list to photographers that seem like the best potential fit, schedule appointments with them so you can discuss your wedding in more detail and view their portfolios personally. Meeting your photographer before you book them is essential as your wedding photographer must have the right personality to fit with you. After all, they will be spending a lot of your wedding day with you, so you need to get on well with them. I’m pretty easy going, don’t get in a flap on wedding days, and tend to have a tissue at hand just when you need it. All my clients love my chilled (but organised) approach..I know you will too!

6. Let’s talk cost: 

There is no doubt about it, cost is a big factor when choosing a wedding photographer. You can spend anything from £200 to £20000 (I kid you not) However, like all things in life, you do get what you pay for. The cheap photographers may deliver you 1500 photos, but 1200 of these will be the same, with just a slight angle change and may also be over processed in some fad new style. In a year’s time you will cringe at them. However, I can assure you  that my style is consistently timeless.

So, when you find a photographer that you love (AKA me), but you think I’m outside of your budget, consider ditching those 100 flip-flops that you planned to buy for your guests to dance in (you know the ones that will give them blisters between their toes) Instead reinvest this in your photography budget and book me. I can assure you that you will love your photos in 10 and 20 year’s time  Both you and your guests toes will not regret this decision.

So that’s my top tips complete. I hope I’ve given you some food for thought, and provided you with some helpful ideas to consider when you are choosing your perfect wedding  photographer.

Ursula is an award winning Belfast Wedding Photographer and Northern Ireland Wedding Photographer