Experience - Be sure that the person you are talking to is a specialist wedding photographer. There are many photographers who specialize in portraits an other photography and only do the occasional wedding. There is nothing wrong with that of course, as long as you are happy with their style.
Final product – More and more people are asking us for "jpeg only" shoots. In other words, we provide the edited images and our clients put together the album in their own time (and believe us, it takes a lot of time). This is an option worth considering because there are many inexpensive specialist wedding album sites. You can edit the albums on line and the final product is superb. If you prefer your wedding photographer to put together the album, it's a good idea to agree on the style well in advance.
Photographic Style – The most popular styles are photojournalism, formal, classic and candid. Make sure that you discuss the exact meaning of each of these with your photographer and decide which is best suited to your wedding. Generally a combination of these works best.
Meeting your photographer – It is amazing how many couples say that they are too busy to meet their photographer! Believe us, it is very important that you do, and well before your wedding day. You will need to ensure that style and personality are exactly what you are looking for. We regularly get last minute inquiries, sometimes only one week from the wedding, but we always make time to meet the couple.
Price Range – There is a rule you will need to force yourself to adhere to: "Never shop by price". Your wedding photography is (hopefully) a one off. You really do get what your pay for...
Delivery
– Make sure that you have a clear agreement and understanding about
how long it takes between your wedding day and the time that the
photos are delivered to you. If you are getting married in the high
wedding season (Between September and Easter), it generally takes a
minimum of 4 - 5 weeks.
During off season it's a little less. Don't be put off by long
lead-times, it's often an indicator of the popularity of the
photographer.
Package Deals
– Many photographers offer videography service as well (we do!). If you would like to combine wedding
photography with video, you will get a discount of at least 20%
compared to the individual price. It's worth considering...
Why choose a professional wedding
photographer?
Because you don't want to leave your most cherished memories to
chance! That's the short answer, now let us elaborate...
With so many reasonably priced DSLR cameras on the market,
professional photography equipment is affordable by just about
everyone who is a serious enough photographer. But would you really
trust you wedding to a dedicated amateur? We hope not... The problem
is that many amateur photographers get excellent photos by accident.
In other words, they take so many shots that by the law of averages,
some of them are bound to come out spectacularly. You don't have the
luxury of happy "accidents" during a fluid event like a wedding.
Does this mean that every shot a
professional wedding photographer takes is a brilliant shot? Of
course not! But the ratio of good photos compared to ordinary ones
will be quite high.
So here are five reasons why you should choose a professional for
your wedding rather than a friend.
1) To maintain the friendship. If one of your friends or guests
shoots your wedding an the photographs don't turn out well, how will
that affect your relationship?
2) Peace of mind. You already have enough on your plate while
planning your wedding. If you employ a professional photographer,
that will save you a lot of headaches and heart ache.
3) Results. A wedding photographer does it for a living, their
reputation depends on giving you the best possible product.
4) Experience. Art and specific skills acquired over many years of
wedding photography. There is no substitute for experience!
5) Commitment to time. It would be very hard to push your friend to
deliver your wedding photos on time. When you sign a contract with a
wedding photographer, there will be a clause as to when to expect
the finished product.
You will remember your wedding day through your photos in the coming years. Ensure that you will remember a fantastic wedding rather than an average one. If you are getting married in Sydney, please give us a call.