Booking the right type of photographer for your wedding photography.

If I had a pound for every time I heard someone say, “I wish we’d booked a photographer with experience in weddings for our wedding day,” or a planner friend of mine say, “They should’ve booked a photographer who’s photographed lots of weddings,” I’d quite frankly be a millionaire.

Now, it may seem quite obvious — book a wedding photographer for your wedding. You’d think so. But with a vast amount of photographers in the world, it’s so easy to book someone who’s recommended, for example. Or a family friend, or someone you know, or someone’s friend’s aunt’s dog’s cat’s uncle (it goes on). It’s even easier, in fact, to book a photographer who’s a renowned portrait photographer, has photographed celebrities, and has 400k followers on Instagram because surely… they must be good, right? And yes, I’m not disputing that. They ARE good. Very good. But what they probably don’t have is experience in photographing weddings and events.

Now, I’m not talking about photographers starting out in weddings (that’s a different topic altogether). I’m talking about someone who truly specialises in weddings and events. And that, my friend, is a whole different ball game.

Now, I am not saying photographers can’t specialise in more than one thing. For example, there may be a photographer who offers family portraits and wedding photography. Or there may be a photographer who offers wedding photography and fashion photography. Specialising in different or multiple things is what makes us all varied and gives us unique selling points. But there’s so much more to photographing weddings than just turning up with a camera and calling yourself a pro. So many things are only learnt through experience — in my case, years of it.

So what am I really saying? I certainly am not saying that if you hire someone who hasn’t shot any (or many) weddings, your final gallery will be awful. It absolutely won’t be. But there will be some things that lack where an experienced (and good, may I add) wedding photographer won’t.

The basics. What are the basics? Okay, so first we have the deliverables — your wedding gallery. How will your gallery be delivered? Will it be on a link accessible to both you and your friends and family? Because trust me, they will want to see them. And they will want to see them quickly. What is the turnaround time? And do you receive previews? Whilst other genres of photography may deliver much quicker than the average wedding photographer in peak season, do you get previews within a few days of the wedding? Something that’s almost become an industry standard now.

What about flow and consistency in a final gallery? Does it flow — and this may sound cringey — almost like a story? Does it make sense, and is the gallery balanced? Do you have an equal amount of each part of the day? Or are there five preparation photographs, 100 of the ceremony, and 2,000 of your friends?

A planner friend of mine once asked me why her bride was unhappy with a gallery that had been delivered. And the answer? It was unbalanced, so the portraits ended up looking diluted. They wanted more — even though there actually were plenty — but because the final gallery hadn’t been balanced correctly, the impact was taken away from one of the most important parts.

Then there’s being able to work under pressure and think quickly. There’s a reason I’m not a studio photographer.

I did work in a studio many moons ago, but when it came to setting up big backdrops, flat white lighting, and modifiers, I think my boss at the time was ready to fall asleep. And the same applies here with the roles reversed. Being a studio photographer — whilst you still have to work quickly — you often aren’t up against constantly changing timelines like you are on a wedding day.

Just the other day, I had a couple’s registrars run half an hour behind. Did I have a meltdown and cause the bride and groom panic and unnecessary stress? No. I calmly reevaluated with the wedding planner, addressed my team members, adjusted the timeline, and made a plan of action whilst still ensuring I got all the photographs needed for an incredible gallery. And whilst saying this, it’s not to say someone can’t naturally do this anyway. But knowing weddings inside and out helped me make those swift decisions.

Which leads me onto my next point — recognising emotions and energy throughout the day in order to make the right (or best possible) decisions. How would you feel if someone interrupted a really special moment with your dad just before you walked down the aisle? Or if, just before the ceremony, you were feeling really nervous and your photographer kept pushing you to take family formal portraits?

Of course, I’m being slightly extreme here. However, I’ve witnessed both of these experiences from the other side, and it’s not okay. A good wedding photographer will recognise when to step in and when to take a step back. They’ll recognise when it’s appropriate to gently say, “I appreciate you want to see your guests, but if we don’t get these portraits now, they won’t happen — and I’d hate for you to regret it.”

After 14 years of photographing weddings and events, now more than ever, I’ve realised that actually taking the photograph is the smallest aspect of it all. From being personable and blending in with guests to ensuring the couple actually have fun — it’s not just about picking up a camera and taking photographs.

You could be the best photographer technically, but if you don’t understand how a wedding day works, how to make your clients feel comfortable, and how to deliver a strong, balanced gallery, something will always lack.