Wedding FAQ`s

Wedding photography FAQ`s

Here’s the first in a series of posts of frequently asked questions about wedding photography. While I’ve given my own answers, a lot of these should apply to any good photographer. These FAQ`s are constantly evolving so if you have any questions that you would like answered, send me an email and I’ll put it in the next set!

This first set is all questions about planning a wedding and booking a photographer.

How far in advance should we be looking for a photographer?
A photographer should be one of the first things you book. Especially if you’re planning on getting married on a Saturday during the summer, you are probably going to have to book a year or more in advance to get the photographer you want. While you may get lucky, these dates book up fast and once they’re taken,they’re gone.

What should we be looking for in a photographer?
Price is of course a major factor, if a photographer is way out of your budget then there’s not much you can do. Of course, you may also have to re-asses your budget or be able to negotiate. The biggest factor though, is the service they are providing. Are you comfortable with this person? They will be spending the better part of the day with you and you should be comfortable with them. Is their portfolio consistent? Look at the photos as a whole, not just individually. I will not hesitate to show you a whole wedding from start to finish, in fact if you want and have the time, you can see every image from every wedding I’ve ever shot.

How much should we pay a photographer?
This is very personal and will vary from couple to couple and photographer to photographer. Most bridal guides will tell you to allocate about 15% of your budget to photography. If photography is important to you, you may allocate more to get a better album or a higher end photographer. Most of my clients pay about £1500 for a complete package. Yes there are photographers out there who will charge a lot less, but there’s usually a reason. The world’s best wedding photographers charge upwards of £6000 to shoot a wedding and are still booked every weekend (or more).

Why is photography so expensive?
Your wedding is a one off.  Unique.  It has events that will NEVER happen again!  Ever!

Walking down the aisle-won`t happen again! Saying “I do”-won`t happen again! The first kiss, the first dance, buying dinner for a hundred of your best friends and family- won`t happen again!

This is why you don`t want to leave it to uncle Bob to photograph the most important day of your lives

This is super important!

It takes a lot of time to provide a professional level of service. While we may only shoot for a few hours, after the wedding there is still a lot to do. I spend 30+ hours after every wedding editing each photo so it’s perfect,designing an album and making sure that my clients are well looked after. Many photographers who charge very little for their services will simply burn the files onto a CD straight from their camera, leaving the client to deal with them. While these photographers might spend 12 hours working on a wedding they spent 8 hours shooting, I spend at least 40 hours working with and for each of my clients.
It also takes a lot of experience to consistently be able to shoot well in the high stress environment of a wedding. Before I ever shot a wedding I spent years shooting lower stress events, and getting to know my equipment. Anyone can pick up a camera and get lucky for a few shots,but luck isn’t always on our side.

What are the different types of proofs?
I offer two different kinds of proofs. The first is the online proofs. This is a password protected gallery where you can see all the photos from your wedding day. Through here you can also order prints, digital files or other products.You can choose to share this gallery with friends and family, or not, it’s up to you. If you do decide to share it, your friends and family will be able to order as well.
The second kind is a proof disc. This is usually a DVD and contains low resolution watermarked files which you are free to copy and email to friends and relatives or use on Facebook, Bebo etc. While it’s not a replacement for an album (the photos aren’t as big or high quality), it’s a good place to start in planning one.

Why should we do an engagement session?
I love doing engagement sessions because it gives us a low stress situation to get to know each other in. We’re not worrying about getting the dress dirty, or getting to the reception late and we can be a little more casual than we will be on the wedding day. While they usually run 1-2 hours, they can go longer if we’re really into it. Afterwards, you’ll have some great casual, maybe even silly, photos that you can use for announcements, wine labels, even a guestbook (these have been a hit with couples and guests).

OK, I’m going to take a second to talk about engagement sessions. All of my packages now include this session.

I love doing these sessions. We get to play around, get to know each other better and just have fun. Most couples choose to do them outside, but we can shoot in studio as well, or at an indoor location. The session usually lasts about an hour, but it can take as long as you want. If you’re up to it, we can spend the whole day shooting, from mountains to beaches to town centres.

The main reason why this session is important is that it lets you get to know me better, how I shoot, how I pose you and how we get along. Not everyone gets along perfectly, and when I shoot all day with someone, like at a wedding, I like to know that it will be fun and good for everyone. If we don’t click, then you’re better off finding a different photographer.

Another great reason is that you will get used to having me (and my camera) around you. Most couples take a little while to warm up to having their picture taken. Once your wedding day hits, you’re going to be stressed out enough without wondering what on earth this crazy photographer is doing. By getting together before hand and doing some stress free, casual shooting, you get to see the results of my antics and learn to trust my eye. This results in a much less stressful wedding day.

A great product I can offer you from your engagement session is a keepsake guest book. These awesome books include your choice of photos and even text (ask your guests questions about yourself, or ask for funny stories) with lots of blank space for your guests to sign. Rather than having people sign a book that you’ll put in a box and never look at or a frame that you’ll hang for a couple years and then replace with something else, you’ll have a keepsake you can keep on your coffee table as a great conversation piece.My guest book can be seen here.

So before you blow off an engagement session as something you don’t need,consider the great benefits and the fact that it won’t cost you anything but an hour or so of your time!