We know wedding planning can be stressful at times. Finding the perfect photographer is no exception. Where to even start? It’s an important decision, after all, as they’re the person responsible for capturing your special day. That’s why we reached out to our recently married couples, and asked them to share their top tips for snapping up your dream wedding photographer. Read on to learn for their best advice – they’re now fully fledged wedding experts in their own right, having gone through all the planning you’re now going through!
1. Research on social media
“Ask your venue if they have any recommended suppliers, or see who has tagged your venue on Insta to find who has shot there recently. Start following the ones whose styles you like on Instagram early.” – Danielle & Oliver
“Research research research! Find what style of photography you like and think about how comfortable you and your partner are in front of a camera. Check out the photographer’s social media to see how they work.” – Katie & Andrew
“When I was first planning the wedding, I started following applicable hashtags, like #suffolkwedding and #ukwedding and #ukweddingphotographer. I started keeping a list on my phone of the ones I liked. As I had time, I looked at more of their posts, work, and how they interacted, as well as at what other people said about them.” – Liz & David
“Always check out their Instagram first to ensure the style of their photographs fits what you’re looking for. You can even ask them to send your more via email.” – Simran & Jonathon
2. Think about their style
“Make sure the photographer does the type of photos you are looking for (whether it’s all natural, or posed, or a certain way they edit), and the way you want to receive your photos (whether all on a memory stick, a photo album etc.” – Ashleigh & William
“Look at what styles you love and see what you like when choosing. Everyone is different so knowing the style you love will help reduce the list!” – Claire & Alistair
”Be aware that photographers have a signature style – read filter – some will apply a darker sepia tone across the board and others will pop the colours to give a bright look. You are unlikely to get a mixture of both! Decide what’s most important to capture and what you’ll use most. Some photographers will do a lot of posed shots but you can go for a documentary style photographer to capture unscripted moments and random joy” – Lucy & Tom
“Speak to them about their style and make sure it matches yours! We wanted a lot of candid photos and found the perfect photographer for that – Lauren Henson Photography.” – Phoebe & TJ
3. Check out their portfolio
“Request a full gallery of photos to see how the photographer’s style looks across the whole day. We loved ours, Joab Smith Photography.” – Cait & Alex
“Have a look at their previous work and MAKE SURE they photograph the way you like. Each photographer has their own style so have a look at other weddings they have done and 100% make sure you let them know exactly what you want on the day.” – Georgina & Jack
“Check out their portfolio and compare finishes. A lot can look similar until you look closely at the style of finish – choose one you like. Some over do it and you lose yourselves, some don’t go far enough and the photos can look basic. Look for the sparkle. Sarah Carter Photography takes a lot of time and effort to polish every photo and it really shows.” – Isabella & Arnie
“Look at their portfolios and have an initial chat, to see that their work and personality match you both as a couple. They’re an important part of your wedding day.” – Shannon & Mason
4. Consider your photographer’s personality
“Find someone you connect with. We used Captured By Crissi.” – Anne & Bruce
“It’s so important to meet your photographer face to face. Your photographer needs to be some someone you like and get on with. They are with you for most of your day and often help out with things when you’re stressed and getting ready! We used Nick Brightman Photography – he was a wedding ninja! He blended in like one of our guests and took real photos of the day rather than posed for photos.” – Katie & Andrew
“I LOVED my wedding photographers – Lisa & Neil Wedding Photography! Lisa and Neil were my faves by far so we scheduled an intro Zoom and right off the bat I liked them – most of all because they made my now-husband laugh and feel comfortable. That was so important because he was not a big fan of being photographed. So make sure you and your partner have a good rapport with whoever you choose! It will matter when you’re having a magical/stressful day!” – Liz & David
“Make sure you are comfortable with them, their verbal communication and style.” – Lucy & Tom
5. Consider an engagement shoot
“Having a pre-wedding/belated engagement shoot really helped us get used to being in front of the camera.” – Derrian & Bryce
“Take up the offer of an engagement shoot if you can. It’s not really about the engagement; it’s about working out which shots work, getting you used to the photographer, and getting angles right – you can then feedback to the photographer what you do and don’t like so they know for the big day.” – Lucy & Tom
6. Know who and what you want your photographer to capture
“Find someone who will put you at ease in front of the camera and capture all of the little moments throughout the day that you might otherwise miss. It makes it more like a story of your day that you can relive over and over, rather than just endless formal portraits (unless that is what you want). We feel incredibly lucky that we had such an amazing photographer to work with – Danny Jack Photography.” – Derrian & Bryce
“Give the photographer the images and names of the important guests at the wedding to photograph.” – Simran & Jonathon
7. Consider what you’re willing to spend
“Invest a good amount of your budget in your photographer – you get what you pay for, and for us it was one of the most important things.” – Derrian & Bryce
“Remember your day goes really quickly but your photos last forever, so don’t skimp on your photographer – they are worth their weight in gold!” – Katie & Andrew
“Don’t pay ridiculous prices for something that you can get just as good for half the price. We had a budget-friendly photographer for half the price of what we were originally quoted.” – Laura & Lee
“It’s not all about cost! We found a great photographer who was just starting out on her own but had photographed weddings for years with someone else – we got a great deal!” – Lucy & Tom
There you have the best advice and tips for finding your perfect wedding photographer! If any of those mentioned caught your eye, why not reach out to them on their Bridebook profile?
