One day, so many emotions...
Emotions, emotions, emotions… an integral part of every wedding day. Lots of laughs, kisses, cheeky smiles and sometimes even tears, this is what creates the story of your day. This is actually what your wedding is about... people and emotions. It's powerful and you want to remember it forever.
But as time goes by the details, laughs & smiles can become distant memories so your photos play an important role to transport you back and refresh how you felt in the moment. Hiring a professional wedding photographer is the only way you can be confident to capture those moments and keep your beautiful memories fresh as though it were yesterday.
So without further ado...
1. The day after…
When organising your wedding every detail counts; you want the venue to deliver the experience you dreamt of, the food to taste great, your dress to look amazing, etc etc everything needs to be right for you. On the run up to your wedding you've focussed so much attention on 'THE BIG DAY'.... so what about the day after? You'll be busy, possibly nursing a mild hangover, whilst tidying up decorations and trying to find someone who knows where your cake is (I could write a whole blog about getting your cake back!!)
But what stays with you? Aside from the obvious, rings and marriage certificate, is a risk of fading memories if you didn't hire a professional. A wedding photographer who knows how to capture everything from the candid laughs to the physical details, everything you've paid so much for, financially and emotionally. An experienced photographer will provide you with high quality, story telling images that have the incredible power to transport you back to that special day every time you look at them.
2. There are no repeats…
On your day you want everything to go smoothly, especially at the ceremony. In order to get the best photos while not breaking the ambience of the moment your photographer needs to know where to stand, when to move to the next position and how not to distract, all while trying to take high quality images often in difficult light situations. So, if you ask a friend or amateur, you are risking not only low quality but also the decorum of the situation and this could be incredibly awkward - tbh they are likely to just completely miss the shot.
A professional wedding photographer will be ready with their equipment for different light situations in a matter of seconds, there's no time for learning on the job, there is just knowledge and experience which is only achieved by taking photography courses and many, many photos - of weddings - ie not just nice pictures of flowers or random kids at a birthday party.
(To any budding wedding photographer reading this, consider enrolling on a course and assisting a pro before you to go solo :)
3. A professional photographer will save you time, energy and stress….
A professional wedding photographer is ready for every situation, they know what kind of photos you are hoping to receive and they know how to achieve it. They won’t be asking questions about what is happening next or what time is cake arriving; they would have the plan weeks ago and would have memorised it. Your wedding day is a time for you to enjoy; you won't want to run around in your beautiful wedding dress needing to remind the photographer to take photos of this or that. It just causes more stress, which is why you should hire someone who knows what to do to save you time and energy on this special day and give you 100% peace of mind that you are in good hands.
4. A professional photographer is there for you…
Some photographers charge per hour with penalties for going over, this is already a sign that they aren't a dedicated wedding photographer. Having worked as a wedding photographer for years, I know that there are situations which cannot be predicted. Perhaps the best man left the rings at the hotel on the other side of town - yep, this has happened. What happens in these situations? An experienced and professional wedding photographer will attend to cover your wedding and not expect to charge for unexpected delays. Especially if you have booked a full day they will be there for you and ask if there is more they can do, like any surprises to occur later. This shows that this is the right person to choose.
5. It is all about the photos...
What are the most important reasons for choosing your Wedding Photographer? Price, their portfolio or personality? Well, I think it's a mix of all three but definitely not price alone. If all you want is a few photos to commemorate the day then maybe you can budget less for your photography and choose based on their rate. But no matter what they charge, only by looking at their portfolio and meeting your photographer can you decide if they're the right person to hire. There will always be people who charge more or less, but your photographer will be with you throughout your day so it's important that you enjoy their company and are confident they will give you the service you deserve.
