Your wedding photos should be something you cherish for the rest of your life, so choose who takes them wisely. Here’s how to find the perfect photographer for your wedding day.
As your wedding venue, we play a vital role in your big day. As does your florist, cake maker and caterer etc. However, there is one supplier you’ll book for your wedding day that has an especially important part to play in your celebrations, long after the confetti has fallen. The wedding photographer. This person, or team will be entrusted to capture every spontaneous, staged and picture perfect moment from your big day. And then present them to you in a style that represents you both as a couple. The responsibility they have cannot be overlooked, and the service they provide is so significant. But with so much weight resting on your choice of wedding photographer, how do you choose between them?
It can be a challenge to compare services, and figure out what makes a photographer great, or know if they’re the right person to capture you and your other half on your wedding day – unless you’re a photography expert yourself.
To help you decide which one is right for you, we’ve compiled a list of essential tips that’ll aid in selecting a wedding photographer.
- How to Choose a Wedding Photographer
Our team believe that investing in the right wedding photographer is essential because the images of your big day are the one tangible thing you can hold on to long after your honeymoon. Here’s how to get it right, and choose the perfect photographer for your wedding day.
- Which Wedding Photography Style is Right For You?
The whole terminology surrounding wedding photography can be a little perplexing, particularly when attempting to decipher between the various styles. Whatever your budget, you’ll find that photographers normally offer one of the three most common types of wedding photography. Contemporary, traditional and reportage. There are other styles, and the lines between them all can be blurred. But these three types are at the centre of them all.
Do some research, look at countless photos, and be sure to truly understand which style is right for you. Our tip, remember that trends come and go. So it may seem cool now to only shoot in black and white, or choose a really arty wedding photographer with a wacky style. But these shots are a record, and your family will want to look back at these images for years to come. Therefore, it’s good to think with a future self hat on, as well as the present.
- Do They Fit Your Budget?
To choose the best wedding photographer, is to invest in a keepsake. And it’s hard to put a price on what this memento should cost. However, you need to set yourself a budget for photography, just like with any other supplier.
Discuss how much you can realistically spend, and keep that figure in mind as you search. Many photographers will list their starting from prices on their websites, or they’ll offer a quick quote based on a few details. Gather these local quotes during your research, and that’ll help you gauge what you could/should be spending.
While €1,500+ for photography may feel like a large portion of your budget, don’t forget this is an investment. See if you can trim a cost somewhere else to give yourself the most money for the photographer you want.
- Seek Reviews from Loved Ones
If you like the photography from a friend’s wedding, or have seen shots on Facebook of an acquaintances’ big day that fit your style – don’t be afraid to ask who shot them. Personal testimonials from people you know, and trust, are invaluable. Because trust, is so vital with wedding photography.
If you can get a recommendation from someone who says the photographer was lovely, turned up on time and delivered the photography when they said they would. That can mean so much more than a quote on a photographers’ website.
- Do More Than Browse the Portfolio
The images on the website of any wedding photographer are there to hook you in, and give you a preview of their style. They’re highlights. Snapshots from multiple weddings. And these are great, but you need to go one step further if you really like a certain photographer.
Before you choose your wedding photographer, request that they send you the images of a full wedding, or two, that took place in a similar setting to your future celebration. That way, you can walk through the photography from start to finish, and assess whether this person can capture more than just one moment. If you can feel the whole story of the day, and pick out multiple shots you love – well, maybe they’re right for you!
- Have They Worked at Your Wedding Venue?
An experienced and talented wedding photographer will be capable of shooting anywhere. Therefore, the fact that they haven’t shot at your venue shouldn’t be a dealbreaker. However, it is a huge advantage when attempting to choose between one wedding photographer and another.
Knowing the space, as a professional photographer, means they’ll have already experienced where the best spots to shot from are. At The Abbey we’ve seen first hand how beneficial this can be, and are only too happy to recommend good, local photographers who have shot here previously.
We hope we have inspired your search for the perfect wedding photographer, and maybe even helped you choose the one! It would be a pleasure to guide you further, and introduce you to our lovely wedding venue in Kildare. The Abbey is only an hour away from Dublin, and has a 18th century abbey on-site (hence the name!), a stunning ballroom, multiple events spaces and 38 contemporary style rooms.Please feel free to have a browse of our wedding venue online, and if you like what you see, you’re welcome to get in touch via our contact page to book a viewing. And while you wait for your visit, you can find out a bit more about us via our online brochure.