7 things you MUST know before hiring a wedding photographer in 2023 - Oxfordshire Wedding Photographer - Darren Weston
With the dawn of a new year comes the exciting opportunity to meet new couples who are looking to embark upon planning their special day. A day that takes many hours to plan and choreograph yet is over in the blink of an eye. It is therefore important to ensure that you have an idea about how you want your day to unfold. This blog helps you to learn some important information about one particular aspect of your wedding day - Wedding Photography.
What to consider when booking a wedding Photographer?
There are lots of things that might influence your choice of wedding photographer - photography style, cost, availability, and simply whether you and your partner hit it off with the individual, after all, you need to feel comfortable with them as they will be with you for most of your magical day.
When reviewing my wedding diary it is not unusual to have clients book me two, sometimes three years in advance. Whilst it cannot be disputed that the wedding photography industry is saturated with individuals labeling themselves as wedding photographers, don’t assume that you can leave such an important decision as booking your chosen photographer to the last minute. Furthermore, once you have secured a photographer, or another professional supplier for your special day it’s one less thing to worry and stress about. So don’t delay…
Don’t be afraid to request a meeting with your photographer.
I have in the past conducted zoom or teams meetings with my couples to introduce myself. Many of my couples have booked me after meeting me at wedding fairs (click HERE to review WONDERFUL OXFORDSHIRE WEDDING FAIR GROUP to review where I will be displaying next) where they have seen firsthand my work.
Understandably not everyone is relaxed and comfortable with being in front of the camera. I cannot stress enough that removing some of these nerves falls to that of your photographer. It is up to them to communicate with you both before the day and throughout your wedding day to help you look and feel relaxed and be the best you can be in that moment.
When couples book me for an all-day wedding photography package they receive additional benefits that not only save them money but allow us to meet and for them to be photographed before the wedding day. Known as engagement shoots, I arrange to meet my couples at a location that holds special memories for them where we get to know one another before a single picture is taken.
Before booking your photographer request to see some of their work. Do they have historical folders or digital albums that you can view for example?
Often my couples have a particular wedding venue in mind when booking me. They like to see previous images of couples at their chosen venue to get a feel for ideas for their special day. I am fortunate to be able to show a selection of images from multiple stunning venues shot with previous couples. If your wedding photographer will not show you any evidence of their work, proceed with caution.
That said, if they cannot show you because they simply don’t have the evidence because they are just starting out in their careers as photographers this shouldn’t be a reason to reject their services. Clearly, if your budget is tight then a new photographer in the wedding industry might save you some hard-earned cash. In the absence of being able to show you wedding images, ask about their experience using a camera and understanding the fundamentals of “taking an image”. Providing the individual is open and honest with you, you both stand to benefit from the booking.
How much should I pay for a Wedding Photographer?
With a saturated market of wedding photographers with varying degrees of experience and knowledge the above question is not an easy one to answer.
Along with levels of experience, the time your photographer is needed and depending where you are looking to hold your special day are important factors. Like many things purchased in and around inner city locations, you might find money draining from your wedding budget quicker than you think. It might be worth obtaining quotes from photographers that are willing to travel to inner cities to photograph your wedding. Even with their additional travel rates, their overall hourly rate might be more cost-effective.
Generally, within Oxfordshire, you can expect to pay on average £1250 for an all-day wedding package (current at the time of this blog). This covers photography by a single photographer from bridal makeup and preparation, right through the day up to the first dance. On average this tends to be around 8 - 10 hours and supplies the couple with digital images in a digital album.
As is often the case, there is the scope to hire very experienced photographers that far exceed this average rate.
Regardless of costs or budget, my main rule of thumb is to ensure you feel comfortable with whoever you choose.
Other factors that might increase costs are things like hiring a second photographer for the day’s proceedings. This doesn’t mean that you’ll receive a separate set of nearly identical images. It might mean that one photographer will be responsible for capturing the main or key images expected from a normal wedding day whilst the second photographer adopts a more candid photography angle, possibly using different focal lens lengths (this might be images that appear closer to the guests or a lot further away taking a wider viewpoint).
Adding a physical album containing actual prints are services that some photographers offer. This in itself can dramatically influence the final costs of hiring your photographer, with albums ranging from a few hundred pounds to, in some cases adding thousands of pounds to your final bill.
Personally, when trying to exceed my client’s expectations I am proud to try and bespoke my costs to meet the client’s needs… again this is only established with good relations and understanding.
Just one final word on costs - I cannot tell you just how many times I have heard that professional wedding photography seems “expensive for one day’s work” … please try to remember the following - your photographer will arrive at your special day with expensive equipment. Modern cameras that perform well across a whole range of lighting restrictions cost thousands of pounds, and that’s before non-standard lenses are purchased to give those dreamy blurred-out backgrounds…
Once the gear has been purchased the photographer’s tasks continue long after the actual wedding day. Editing and post-processing via digital programs called photoshop and lightroom (which many photographers pay for monthly) can take several long days before releasing the wedding album to you in all its glory.
Remember your wedding images will be viewed hopefully by generations to come so think of them as a financial investment.
Which type or style is best for wedding photography?
The answer to this is simply down to personal choice. But before you decide, have a look at different styles from varying photographers.
Sure there are always current trends that seem to be in vogue but the most important thing to be sure of is that you discuss the images that you really want your photographer to capture on the day. Most photographers will be able to undertake the brief that you require if they are informed before the day commences. By and large, my couples generally want an unobtrusive documentary (fly on the wall) style of photography. This generally allows the day’s events to flow without the need for formal posed images. Whilst the majority of the images they receive from me will reflect this style I always offer group formal posed shots. These are classed as traditional and classic type images. These images are shots taken at eye level whereby all of the party is looking directly at the photographer.
Another style of photography that many couples sometimes don’t consider is creative contemporary style shots.
This is where I utilise flash or other sources of light to create a different look to the final image. This style of photography often means the couple is required to pose to a certain extent, but the results are worth it and my couples always love the final images.
The next style of wedding photography is to think back to a time when film cameras were used. The resultant images were full of graininess and had a colour tone rich in colours of muted orange and brown colours giving that sepia nostalgic vibe. Whilst there is some posing to be done when trying to go for the nostalgic look, adjustments to the settings of the image in post-processing (editing) are where the real work is carried out to get this look.
Another popular style is aerial or elevated vantage positional shots. This can range from drones being used to capture images or simply the photographer positioning themselves at a vantage point whereby they are looking down on their subjects. These shots can highlight the vastness of a scene or groups of guests.
How much deposit should I pay?
Before we review the answer to this, it is important to understand why a deposit is necessary. Due to the nature of a wedding photographers role and the way they make bookings, they are often entering into a verbal agreement with their future couples and clients for an intended purchase year(s) in advance.
Rarely would a photographer undertake two bookings on one day in case one booking overruns. Therefore once a photographer agrees to work for you on a particular date one maybe two years down the line, they require some security that this agreement will be honoured especially if they have refused several enquiries that might arise for the same date from other future clients.
You can expect to pay anything from 10 to 50% of the total price agreed.
Dependent on the photographer’s terms and conditions this deposit might not be refundable. Be aware of these T+Cs before entering into a verbal agreement with your photographer.
I personally ensure that my clients are aware that my deposit agreement is non-refundable should the wedding date be canceled or called off for any reason. Should the wedding date be rescheduled at a later date I will always work with my clients to rearrange things.
Many photographers offer a contract to their clients to outline specific T+Cs, which both parties sign and agree to.
In terms of the final amount outstanding, I request this payment 7 days prior to the wedding date. This is quite normal and most photographers require payment in full before the big day.
What is a Wedding Contract?
It’s important not to fear a wedding contact.
It is more helpful to think of a wedding contract being a verbal agreement/relationship or framework that outlines the specifics of your special day. After all, it is vital that your day unfolds exactly as you want it to without any hitches or confusion.
The contract might document the style and intent of your wedding photography wishes, the number of images you can expect to receive, the format you will receive them, and by what date etc.
Whilst there might be some formalities over aspects like damages and injury etc most professional photographers are fully insured for both public liability and damages etc.
In conclusion, view a wedding contract as entering into a healthy relationship with your photographer that is there to protect all parties and ensure that oversights and misunderstandings are reduced as much as possible.
How many photographs/images does a wedding photographer give?
This is something that might be covered in a wedding contract or agreed upon prior to your special day.
As a rough guide a professional wedding photographer will supply 100 images for each hour they are present on your special day.
From experience as an all-day wedding unfolds there might be varying levels of photography activity at certain times. An example could be the number of images taken might reduce if the circumstance dictates so e.g. during a religious ceremony. Also, if I feel that I have captured a particular moment I will stop shooting, more so if I feel my presence is a distraction during the ceremony. If you compare this to when the guests are all exiting the church and are mingling with the newlyweds, I can click away as there are multiple photography opportunities.
Personally, I will never suggest to my clients there is a maximum number of images that are supplied. Some photographers might give a limit so be sure you understand this before hiring them.
Another aspect that might impact image numbers and costs is the agreement on whether the images will be purchased from your supplied gallery.
Some photographers’ fees might be greatly reduced in terms of initial hire, however, you the couple would then need to purchase all your images separately from the gallery. This can become expensive and you might be faced with making difficult decisions over choices of images if you are keeping within a budget.
Another option is that the hiring fee is slightly increased however you the couple receive all the images taken included in the price. Whilst you receive your images at no extra costs, your guests can only view (but not download) all of the images. If they wish to download desired images they would have to purchase them on a pay-per-download option.
The remaining option and generally the most expensive is all the images are free to download by everyone who logs into the gallery.
I personally choose to adopt option two as the latter option adds unnecessary costs to the bride and groom paying for the privilege of the guest’s downloads.
In terms of timescales of when you will receive your edited and finalised images, this does depend upon the photographer. Again this will have been agreed upon in the terms and conditions. Timescales can be from a few weeks to a few months. Be sure to ask this question at the time of booking.
Should we include a meal for the photographer?
This is the point that my fellow colleagues will shoot me down !!
I have always felt that photographers that include this requirement in their contract are being a bit,….well….., presumptuous.
I personally wouldn’t feed a heating and boiler engineer with a sit-down 3-course meal if he or she fitted a new bathroom for me, so why should we be any different within our trade? Just my opinion…
Having said that, where in the past my couples have offered me refreshments - I have gracefully accepted with thanks. The difference is it was offered and not expected. In fairness, most venues will offer the photographer a plate of food from the kitchen once all the guests have received theirs. Generally, this wouldn’t be included in a price-per-head agreement for the couple.
Again just be sure that you review the T+C of your photographer before hiring them and be clear about what has been agreed upon.
What I would add at this point, is if you have hired your wedding photographer for the whole day at some point during the wedding breakfast, they will disappear for a quick bite to eat and a sit-down. Generally, at this point, the opportunity to capture images tends to be limited. Guests tend to feel awkward being photographed whilst eating and provided your photographer isn’t too far away the rest will be welcomed by all. Again just be sure that all parties agree on this before it is implemented.
Ultimately, regardless of whoever you choose to capture images of your amazing day make sure you have agreed on a structure for the day. They will do their utmost to ensure they provide you with a storybook full of images that tell your day as it happened… the laughs, the smiles, and on occasions those inevitable tears of joy.
