Photographers

Wedding photographs aren’t just snapshots of your special day, they’re more than that. Brides often say that the memory of their wedding day is a vague one of kissing, crying, eating cake and throwing a bouquet, but great wedding photographs can capture small details and package them in a romantic recollection that lasts forever.

Because memories fade, many women’s most treasured possession is their collection of wedding photographs. For this reason, picking a wedding photographer is one of the most important choices for the prospective bride – almost up there with choosing a husband!

Prospective bridal pairs visit dozens of venues before choosing the location of their nuptials and brides-to-be try on what seems like hundreds of dresses before they settle on their dream gown, so the search for the right photographer to take the best wedding photographs should be taken as seriously.

Arranging your wedding photographs

You don’t have to wait until a date has been set for your wedding to start looking around for the wedding photographer who will capture your most memorable day. By starting early, you can ensure that you make an informed decision about the person whose lens will follow you around on the day you exchange your vows.

It is important for prospective brides to consider a variety of options before they make their decision about who will take their wedding photographs. Meet with various wedding photographers and ask to see samples of their work. Request full albums of recent weddings covered by every photographer, as many of them would only show samples of their best shots to prospective clients.

By perusing a complete album of wedding photographs, you will be in a better position to assess every wedding photographer’s skills and capabilities. Ask them about their experience and if they are willing to give you contact details of couples whose wedding days were recorded through their lens.

A wedding photographer should be able to capture the romantic mood of the day and be able to convey the emotions and sentiments through the pictures. The wedding photos should tell a story of the day and not only be a random collection of snaps.

Face to face

Meeting your potential photographer in person also offers you the opportunity to see if you feel comfortable with them and be confident in the wedding photographs they will take. Remember that this person will spend a lot of time in your immediate presence on one of the most important days of your life, so it is crucial to be able to relax in their company.

When visiting a studio, try to ensure that the person you are meeting with will be the person who will actually take your wedding photographs on the day.

The consensus among experts seems to be that when it comes to wedding photographers, you get what you pay for. As your wedding photographs will be the only lasting memories of your wedding day, this is not an area to hold on to the purse strings too tightly.

However, once you have picked the photographer for taking your wedding photographs, make sure you draw up a contract that stipulates all the details of your agreement. Ensure that all the information about your wedding day appears on the contract, listing the correct date, specific times and address of the venue.

Before signing on the dotted line…

Also make sure that the contract outlines exactly what is included in the price, for example how many hours the photographer will be working, the number of wedding photographs that will be taken, the sizes of prints and who will own the negatives of the wedding snaps.

Brides-to-be should only ever pay the deposit for the pictures before the wedding. Once you have perused your wedding photographs and ensured that you got the service that was outlined in the contract then the newlyweds should settle the outstanding balance.

Talk to the photographer at length about the style of wedding photographs you want for your wedding album. If you want specific details photographed – like the wedding cake, flower arrangements or special guests – compile a list for the wedding photographer to use when they plan their schedule for the day.

It might be a good idea to visit your venue with the wedding photographer before your big day. This will help familiarise the photographer with the backdrop to the wedding, give them a better idea of what to expect, and give them food for thought on what wedding photographs to take. This is not really necessary if the photographer already knows the venue.

Survival kit Also in preparation of your wedding day, make sure your bridesmaid will be at hand with a photo survival kit – containing makeup, a brush, hairspray, hairpins, mints and a mirror – to make sure you sparkle in every snap.

But in the end the most important thing is to relax on the day and allow your photographer to work their magic and capture your most beautiful memories with wonderful wedding photographs.

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