BRIDAL TIPS
So you’ve got hitched, set the date and off you go booking your Wedding Vendors, this can be one of the most confusing and daunting times especially when booking something as important as your Photographer!.
It might come as a surprise to most Brides but on average your photographer spends more time with you on your wedding day than your GROOM so it’s important to get the right Photographer to suit the right couple.
Ive comprised a few tips on what to look for and what you should really consider prior to agreeing to book your Photographer.
STYLE
In the modern digital age its super easy to find many Photographer’s local to you, with a few clicks you can automatically see different samples of work but looking a little closer can define a style, some Photographers aim for candid or documentary style Photography while other lean more toward traditional and many use phrases such as modern, portraiture, classic, bespoke and traditional. It can sometimes be overwhelming to decided which to go for but a massive feature is how the Photographer approaches his or her style, I personally try to inject fun, craic, banter and energy into all of my shoots and aim for documentary modern photography as to the more traditional approach BUT always add snippets of traditional photography set ups into my style as classic photography never ever goes out of fashion.
To get the correct mixture check out your Photographer’s social media, find out more about their approach either via Instagram stories or video content online and the very best way is to book a Wedding consultation in person to have a chat about what you want from your day and more importantly if you click with their personality!, I often say to my clients “if you don’t see me as a person you can imagine having a few drinks with down the pub then maybe Im not the photographer for you”.
2. PRICING + PACKAGES
So this is an extremely important…. super extremely important folks!!!
In the modern age more and more people are buying Digital DSLR and Mirrorless camera systems as they’ve become a lot more accessible via reduced prices and basic kit lenses included with most. It can be tempting and in some cases your only option to ask a family member or friend to capture some images as they’ve produced a few cool snaps on Facebook, in the trade these are known as “Uncle Bobs” which is basically a person who has little knowledge of wedding photography but owns a camera. I do teach Wedding Photography Workshops to Amateur and Semi Pro Photographers and in some cases members attend 4-6 workshops with around 25-35 hours live training plus countless hours practising to use their equipment and 2nd shooting with other main photographer’s prior to advertising their own weddings.
If the temptation is there to use a Uncle Bob my advise is “DON’T”. A Wedding Day is one day of your life where you want to capture those tiny moments that take you back to that very second in time and you can almost feel how you look in the image, you can almost relive the excitement of each smile and the taste of each kiss…. these moment last a lifetime and if we are lucky we have 29,000 days to live and its 1 day you want to capture everything in the best way possible.
A Photographers fee for professional services in Northern Ireland is anything between £1000 to £3000+ and generally you get what you pay for, my packages ranges from £1250 upwards and as most people agree its an hefty fee for most to pay out but a few things to consider within this fee is travel, editing time (30 hours), equipment (usually 10k upwards), 2nd shooter fees, Albums fees, Image hosting, insurance, back ups, training and so on are just a few things photographers have to factor in hence the fees….. but could a uncle bob factor in the same time, care, skill, equipment on your day?
Its easy to book your wedding photographer for a small deposit of a few hundred pounds and most only accept full payment 30 days prior to your wedding date so its not a massive up front fee by any means folks!.
3. 2ND SHOOTERS
So you’ve done your research and got your eye on a few Photographers and you’re pondering “why do I need a 2nd Shooter at my Wedding” Its pretty simple to explain… “TIME”.
On your Wedding Day you want to spend as much time with your family and loved ones as possible, the usual process is to say your vows and exit the chapel or church to a epic location where your Photographer does their magic and creates stunning pieces of art… but hold on a minute… 3 hours later and you are tired, exhausted, fed up and in most cases a little thirsty lol. A 2nd shooter enables the main Photographer to work super fast and decrease the time needed on location to enable you to get back to the reception and kick off the fun and craic with family and friends. Its also a major boost to get a different perspective on your day, a basic example would be the Bride walking down the aisle and the 2nd shooter shooting from behind and the main shooter capturing images from the front, this allows a fluid merge of images added in your portfolio of images and really gives a sense of intimacy to your collection after the Wedding. This is just one of many example having a 2nd shooter included in your wedding package is a massive boost.
4. TIMING
It might come across as a pretty simple thing to consider but its usually not until 6 weeks prior to your Wedding when I usually send an email to arrange a meeting on how your day is planned out for timing. Its critical that we can wrap things up to be on time for food or speeches and factor in the required time needed to capture your images, in some cases the typical Irish weather causes issues but indoors shoots can be covered when using Off Camera Flash indoors to give amazing results, its also important to factor in travel times to and from locations and work between these times to make your day the least stressful it can be.
All professional Photographer’s will have this approach and not intend to show up on the day and just wing it, I know from previous Wedding’s when things are put together for a fluid flow the craic is better on the shoots and the expectation’s are covered by the Brides needs also!
5. ALBUMS
It’s tricky to decide if an Album is really worth the investment when booking, I see a lot of couples look at my lower package of £1250 with just digitals and think that the extra £500 for a 2nd shooter and Album is really worth it… My answer is “yes”
All Albums supplied by myself are fine art bespoke albums which contain Italian Leather and high grade gsm paper, pages are boarded and built to last a lifetime and all come in a protective box measuring either 10x10 or 12x12.
It sounds a bit morbid but when we all kick the bucket the first thing people reach for is Family Heirlooms and your Wedding Album is definitely one of those, its also a great was to relive your amazing day for yourself and also any children you have after or prior to your wedding, they become an amazing product to show family how much of a commitment and bond you have created and how important marriage and love is, its also great to show off how good you looked 10 or 20 years down the line ;).
So thats a few tips finished up for today, if your interested in catching up for a coffee or tea and chat about your special day then get in touch via my contact page to check availability for 2019, 2020, 2021 and soon to be released 2022!