Your wedding photos will become the tangible memories of your wedding day. You will entrust your chosen wedding photographer to capture and record the most important day of your lives, so choosing the right wedding photographer should be one of the most considered parts of planning your big day.
To write this blog, we enlisted the help of three real wedding photographers Sophie Liffen, Tessa Clements and Claire Sullivan and here’s what they had to say….
Wedding Photography – Top Tips for Couples
We asked the wedding photographers what their top tip for couples to consider would be, in relation to their wedding photos and photographer.
Sophie Liffen of Sophie Liffen Photography told us that you should “Go with your gut! Your photographer is more than just someone who takes pictures … they’re your honorary bridesmaid / groomsman [and they are there to] make your day less stressful. It’s important that you like [your chosen photographer’s] style of photography but it’s an added bonus if your personalities sync – so make sure you have several face to face meetings / telephone conversations [in advance of your big day]!
Tessa Clements of Tessa Clements Photography agrees that you should “always meet your photographer before you book them. You will spend [your wedding] day with them so it’s important you like them as a person, get on with them and feel comfortable that they have listened to all the details of your day and what’s important to you”.
Claire Sullivan of Unique Image Photography said that her top tip for couples is to remember to allow extra time for photos… “Schedule time in your [wedding] day to have some beautiful portraits taken – of the two of you together and individually”. Allow “at least 30 minutes plus another 20-30mins after [your sit-down meal] if possible [and] some extra time for any group shots you might want. Obviously, the more groups you have the longer you’ll need. We don’t want to rush these beautiful photographs nor do we want to keep you away from your guests for too long”.
Wedding Photography Styles
From fun and relaxed to contemporary and formal, there are so many styles of wedding photography. We asked our photographers to sum up their style of wedding photography in just a few words.
Claire told us that her “style is timeless, elegant and beautiful”. She “capture the moments” as well as the portraits and group shots. She reminds couples that they “will look back in 25 years” and the style needs to “still be relevant to the present day – although fashions may change”.
Tessa describes her style as “very natural, fun and relaxed. The day is all about you and your guests and it’s important that I capture your true emotions and individual personalities. I do my best to put people at ease so they can just concentrate on having fun and not worry about having their photos taken”.
Sophie’s style is “laid back and chilled – weddings can be quite stressful so it’s important not to add to that stress. I try to capture all the little moments in between the main events (ceremony / speeches etc) and make the group shots as fun as possible!”
Wedding Photography – What Will It Cost?
Our research found that, as with everything, wedding photography prices can vary hugely and you get what you pay for. From as little as £350 for a fully edited online gallery to £1600 for an 8 hour package including a USB in a wooden presentation box and a beautiful 10 x 10 inch wedding album. For something as important as wedding photography, it’s best to firmly factor this into your wedding budget.
Tessa tell her couples to “make the most of your budget and invest the money in professional photography for the bits of your day that mean the most to you. For example it’s often better to have a photographer from the bride getting ready or ceremony through to the first dance. The later evening part can often be captured by friends as everyone will be drinking and dancing and these aren’t normally the moments that couples tend to choose to put into their wedding albums”.
Sophie explains that “photography budgets can be as unique as the weddings themselves… some photographers offer 2-3 packages but I like to speak to the couple first and find out more about their big day. Some couples may want me there for the whole day whereas some might just need a few hours to cover the big moments”.
Claire recommends that you “allow a decent budget, as much as you can afford. Your photographs are your lasting physical memory of your day – why scrimp and spend more on a cake or flowers that will be gone a couple of weeks after your day. Make sure your ‘package’ gives you want you want – whether you want a beautiful album, printed photographs or just the digital photographs”.
Photographs kindly provided by Fergus Ford Photography
