It’s an oft repeated cliché that your wedding is the most important day of your life, but for many people, especially brides, this is true. Choosing a photographer to record your day is often given less importance than expenses like the cake, honeymoon or dress, but we think that it deserves to be right at the top of your list of priorities because in twenty years’ time when you’re reminiscing, it’ll be the photos that remind you of your special day. This week we’re going to help you find your perfect photographer.

To an extent, you get what you pay for in life, but that is not always the case with a wedding photographer. Always have a budget in mind and expect to pay at least £1000 for a decent mid-priced photographer, but be prepared to go a little higher for someone that fits your other criteria well. Oh, and never try to haggle... pros have spent years honing their art and many thousands of pounds on kit to do the job competently – pay them what they deserve! 

It helps if you have some idea of the style you’re looking for. Traditional, contemporary, reportage and fine art are the most common styles these days, and they all have their advantages. Fortunately, the internet allows you to really do your homework and research to find the perfect style for your personalities. We do, however, recommend avoiding gimmicky photographers because the images they produce will tend to date very quickly.

When you’re critiquing a photographer’s portfolio, you’ll need to be able to determine whether they’re consistent in their quality or not. You want to see images from many different weddings presented and for them to be absolutely consistent in quality. If you see a few slightly out of focus, badly composed, or poorly edited images in the portfolio, you’ll know that the photographer is either quite inexperienced or not skilled under all conditions.

It’s absolutely crucial to meet the photographer before the wedding because your photos are an organic process between the photographer, you, and your guests. We would always recommend a friendly, open and warm photographer over one with poor people skills – your wedding is stressful enough without having a grumpy photographer adding to the stress! Most pros, however, are people-friendly and do their job because they love to make their clients happy.

Your photographer should be completely open about the pricing structure: what’s included and any extras, when your deposit needs to be paid, and when you can expect to receive your albums etc. If you sense any reticence to talk about this post-wedding, move on and find another photographer.

Follow these simple guidelines and your wedding day will be something you can look back on for years to come. Of course, we also recommend that you talk to your photographer about adding canvas prints to your package because they’ll look wonderful hanging on your wall as a more contemporary alternative to traditional framed photos.