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Choosing a wedding photographer

Finding a Wedding Photographer

Choosing the right wedding photographer is crucial for your big day for two main reasons:

1.     The right wedding photographer can exactly capture the atmosphere and spirit of your day, leaving you with perfect memories to treasure for the rest of your life.

2.     A bad photographer can put a real downer on your wedding day by being too bossy, holding the day up (thereby traumatising your caterers!), being disorganised so you’re always waiting for them and generally getting under everyone’s feet!

Just as with the wedding venue, the best wedding photographers are often booked up a long time in advance; for some in excess of 12 months ahead, so it can pay to plan early.

The key to getting this right is planning and research. Many photographers will advertise on the internet and it’s a good place to start as it allows you to view examples of their work and see what style they have.  Are they quite classical with the shots they take, are they people focused, or venue focused, do they tend to do black and white or colour? This is probably not something you’ve thought of before, but by looking at examples on photographer’s websites you can start to see what kind of style would suit you.

Do ask around, many photographers don’t need to advertise for work because they are so highly recommended. Ask your friends, ask friends of friends because with something as personal as your wedding photographs a recommendation is often invaluable. Another great place to find a wedding photographer is at a wedding fair. Not only do you get to see examples of their work but you get to meet them. For someone who’s going to play such a key role in your wedding day it’s vital that you get on with your photographer and feel comfortable with them.

How to get those perfect pictures

Once you’ve chosen the perfect photographer for you it’s time to make sure they capture those magic photographs you’ve been dreaming of.  Meet with them and talk through the particular shots they had in mind and you have in mind. Perhaps meet with them at your wedding venue so they are well prepared and remember to decide with them on a Plan B, just in case the weather decides to interfere! 

Give them a copy of your schedule for the day so they know exactly what is happening and when. This is important not only so they capture all the key moments of your wedding day, but also so they can ensure they don’t cause you any problematic delays. For instance let them know key times such as when you have to leave the church for the wedding breakfast, your dream dinner could be burnt to a crisp if you don’t take basic measures like these! 

Talk through with them what you’re wearing and the style of make-up you’re going with on the big day. This will help them to understand the style you’re looking for from you photographs and help them to work out some beautiful shots in advance. Lastly and most importantly, just be yourself. Forget there is a camera pointing at you, have fun and enjoy your wedding day. By doing this you give your photographer the best possible chance of capturing the very essence and magic of your big day, that through these photographs will stay with you for the rest of your life.

Pre-wedding photography

Recognising that some couples can be uncomfortable or unused to having their picture taken, many photographers offer a pre-wedding service to take some romantic pre-wedding shots and give the bride and groom chance to get used to their photographer and posing for the camera. A little time spent here can pay big dividends - you know exactly what to do when the big day comes and are relaxed and happy whilst the photographers do their work.

 

Richard Holgate Photography Protectyourwedding are thrilled to recommend the services of Richard Holgate Photography, an established husband and wife team, Richard and Michelle operating throughout Yorkshire and the North of England. Richard and Michelle offer a full photography service and have been commisioned to work on weddings of all sizes, including some very famous and prestigious venues. They aim to make you totally comfortable with the process, resulting in classic, relaxed portraits, together with fashionable reportage and candid shots of the day. So committed are Richard and Michelle to delighting their customers, they offer a pre-wedding shoot service for an astonishingly generous £35 - allowing customers to get used to the camera and feel totally relaxed when the big day comes. Click here to visit their website and view a selection of their previous work.