Your photo’s will form the basis of all your lasting memories of your wedding day, so choosing the right photographer is one of the most important decisions you’ll make! That sounds serious…but actually, that’s because it its!! Once your feet touch the ground and your honeymoon is over you might have a case of the ‘post wedding’ blues, after all, you’ve been spending your every spare moment thinking about, tweaking, perfecting and planning your wedding for all this time…and now it’s over… But guess what? There’s still more good stuff to come…your wedding pics will soon be ready! It’s so important that you’re happy with your photo’s, because you won’t get a chance to take them again. Don’t have any regrets, make a plan and you’ll look back on those happy memories for years to come…dad walking you down the aisle, your groom glancing over his shoulder as you approach, the joke in the Best Man’s speech, that special look you shared when you said ‘I do’... But getting the right photo’s is ALL about choosing the right photographer, so how on earth do you choose? Firstly you need to decide the style of photo’s that you’d like, there are really 3 main styles, Reportage, Traditional and Contemporary. Here’s a bit of a bite sized guide to each style.
Reportage Style[/caption] REPORTAGE - This is a more relaxed and casual style of photography, sometimes known as journalistic photography, it means that your photographer tends to capture the moments as they happen, spontaneously and naturally. It can be seen as portraying the real story of your day, without staged, posed images. Take Note: With this style of photography, if you don’t ask for specific shots, you wont get them! I speak from experience, I wanted a low key, unobtrusive photographer who blended in, and he was fantastic, but I didn’t have any pictures of my mum and dad together, or of me and my new hubby together specifically posing for them, I didn’t even realise this until the photo’s arrived after we got back from honeymoon! 
TRADITIONAL - This is the much more formal wedding photography that you’ll recognise when you’ve flicked back through your mum and dad’s wedding album. More conventional group pictures, images of the couple and specific groups of the wedding party etc. This used to be the way it was always done, and the photographer is very much in charge, it means you won’t miss any pictures, but it can be long winded and a little tiresome for your guests whilst they’re waiting, so think about something to keep them entertained whilst you’re having these pictures taken. [caption id="attachment_5345" align="aligncenter" width="547"]
Contemporary Style[/caption] CONTEMPORARY – This style can feel like a magazine shoot and can be combined with reportage. It’s great for arty, stylised shots, but it’s vital you are on exactly the same page as your photographer as you may both have a different idea in mind. Open conversation and detailed expectations are important here. Find someone who has the same vision as you do and you could have dramatic stylised photo’s to look back on, that you would be proud to display as wall art. Things to consider:-
- Budget, photography can be expensive, but it is one of the few things that you may not want to skimp on as it’s so important, expect to spend between £1000 and £2000 for a good photographer who will be with you all day. I would always recommend finding money in your budget for the photographer you want if at all possible.
- Style, of the 3 styles mentioned above, which feels most like ‘you’?
- Ask for recommendations from friends, or your venue or another trusted supplier if you need a bit of support
- Create a shortlist of photographers whose work you like and do your research, read their reviews, ask for testimonials and don’t be afraid to ask to speak to previous customers, ask them how it went, did they get all the shots they wanted etc
- Ask to see a portfolio of their work. ALL good photographers will have a great back catalogue that they will love to share with you. Do the pictures tell a story, do they flow, are they capturing the day in the way you’d like?
- You need to know that you totally trust your photographer and that they know exactly what outcome you’re hoping for, so meet with them and ask them questions. Do you feel comfortable around them, do they put you at ease, do they ’get’ you?
- Check that it will be them taking the photo’s on the day as some bigger companies use multiple photographers.
- It’s also worth knowing if they have a back-up should anything go wrong, like they are taken ill for example.
- Book an engagement shoot, quite often your photographer will do this for you at a special rate or even free if you book your wedding photography with them, this will give you absolute certainty in your choice, if it doesn’t feel natural, then it’s time to rethink