At Kenza Creations, as a wedding reception decorations company we know only too well the importance of having the right wedding photographer for your big day. After all, when you have a wedding, you only have one chance to get everything right, and the fact is that you are not going to see what you will get until after the day when all the photos have been processed.
In a way, this is similar to the actual meal on the day. You have ordered the menu, but you don’t know just how good it is going to be until the food arrives at the table. This is why you need to undertake some research and get some references from other people when you have made a short list.
When you have narrowed it down, you will want to meet with the individual photographers so that you can get to know them. Don’t forget that they will be with you for the whole day, so you need to know that you can get on with them.
The first thing that you need to ask a photographer is whether or not he or she has your date available. They may not. Wedding photographers can get booked up a year or more in advance, and it would be just your bad luck to find the one you like, only to discover that he can’t cover you on that day.
Find out how long the photographer has been doing weddings. If he has a couple of years or more of experience, he will know where to be and when at each stage of the wedding day. A photographer needs experience working in weddings to have mastered capturing all the standard shots and candid moments you’ll want to see while getting ready, and during the ceremony, drinks reception, wedding breakfast, speeches, first dance, cake cutting, and more.
Better Still, Have Two Photographers.
Better still is to have two wedding photographers who work together. Why? Because one cannot be in two places at once. So, if you have one photographer who is taking formal shots in, say, the garden, the other one can be in the reception room catching candid shots that otherwise would simply be missed.
You should also ask to see some full photo albums. You can get an idea of how a photographer works by looking at the gallery on his website, but that will only be a snapshot. You want to see what the photographer – and his partner if present – has produced over the whole of a wedding day to get a feeling for how they have captured the story of the day.
It si also a good idea if a photographer has worked at our venue beforehand because then he will know all the best places to be ready to take shots. It isn’t critical, but if he has not been to your venue before, then he should be willing to go and look at it in order to get an idea of where to be and when.
Your photographer should also be willing to have a shot list – that is a list of all the essential photos that you need such as with your uncle and aunt or your groom and bridesmaids. Don’t make the list too long because that will take the photographer away from catching candid shots if there is only one.
Don’t forget that you photographer will need something to eat during the day. He may choose to bring sandwiches, but it is only polite to offer him a plate and a seat at one of the tables or you can put some money behind the bar for him or provide a meal allowance.
You need to know how long your photographer will be at the venue. You can’t expect him to take your photo while you start getting your hair done at 8.00 am and still be there at the last dance. Most will leave after the first dance shots have been taken.
You also need to know what your photographer’s back-up plan is. People do get ill sometimes, and if he can’t be there in person, he should have another photographer available to take over at short notice.