Recently engaged, I can completely relate to the fear of choosing the right Wedding Photographer for you and your Wedding Budget. Hopefully I can help you by sharing my Wedding Planning knowledge and my personal experience with you.

So, where do you start? Well, I should admit to jumping straight in myself and searching like mad without thinking what was important to us and not considering the budget, but like all, I was excited and wanted to see what was out there.

After being brought back down to earth, we needed to set our budget and find out what services would be covered. Also, we needed to decide whether the quality of the photography or the budget was more important. I always advise my clients that you only get married once and going with a budget photographer might be risky business. Just ensure you do you research, ask around for recommended, tried and tested photographers and view their portfolio. Ensure it includes photos of the entire wedding not just their best shots.

From there, we decided what parts of the wedding we wanted to capture. Most Wedding Photographers basic packages will cover the brides preparations right through to the first dance. I personally wanted to capture the boys too! We also thought that some of the best shots could be taken in the evening when everyone’s….how do I put it….a little more relaxed.

So let the search begin…..we researched Wedding Photographers from all over the UK to identify the perfect style for us.

We now had our budget, style, idea of what service we wanted, so we whittled it down to a few Wedding Photographers and made contact to obtain quotes. Once we received those we scheduled meetings with them. It’s important you not only love their work but you get on with them and they get on with you. To help you ask the right questions, I caught up with Lee from Lee Allison Photography who kindly suggested some questions:

– Ask to meet them in person to build a relationship (one of the most important things to get the best possible photographs)
– Do they have a professional camera body x2! In case something goes wrong
– Do they have professional lenses?
– Do they have flashes to use inside if its raining?
– Do they have insurance?
– Will they spend time planning the day in every detail?
– Will they visit the venue beforehand
– Do they have professional editing software?
– Do they understand light in order to get the best possible photographs?