Bruno Medici / Wedding Photographers UK

Choosing a wedding photographer

Choosing a photographer for your wedding day

Photographing a wedding is not as simple as snapping a few buttons. Don't expect to negotiate a cheap price based on this preconception that it's just pressing the shutter a few times. Good wedding photographers are highly skilled professionals, it takes many years of practice to master this profession, they also constantly need to keep updated with changing fashion, new technology and equipment.

Covering a wedding is not only about photography, it is learning how different ceremonies are conducted, being able to work with a large crowd and sometimes in stressful situations, knowing what to do when things go wrong and being able to work under various lighting and weather conditions and often with very little time to spare.

The work of a wedding photographer does not end on the wedding day, preparing the images to be presented to the client and assembling albums can take more time than one thinks. Treat a photographer and their craft with respect and you will be able to negotiate better, and find a package you are happy with.

Let's begin with some helpful advice on the best way to schedule your special day to get the most out of your photographer.

First things first – you’ll need to decide what style of photography you prefer since wedding photographers’ styles vary. You’ll have two basic choice; the Classical look…groups of your friends and family and set up shots of the bride and groom in various locations or the reportage style shots (also known as photojournalism) which captures your day with images that are mainly candid, not posed and show the atmosphere and mood of the day. This style is growing more and more popular with brides today. Ideally you’ll want to find a photographer that can capture both styles.

Highly contrived and overly romantic poses seldom succeed. A more casual approach to posing usually feels more comfortable to the bride and groom and can be more successful in its final appearance.

Some of the most successful wedding photographs are those that reveal the couple as they really are and the nature of their day as it really happened. These images are captured during interactions with each other and with friends and family.

There are several factors that should be considered when selecting a photographer for a wedding. When comparing and interviewing photography companies, one of the most important factors in your decision should be whether the photographer can show you more than one complete wedding and not just a few of the best photographs taken from several weddings. Anyone can snap hundreds of pictures at an all day event and be fairly certain that a small percentage of them will be good. Ask your prospective photographer to see all of the photos from more than one wedding, not just a selection of his best work which is what most photographers will offer. If you look at all of the images from 3 or 4 complete weddings and you are impressed, then you can be certain that he/she is a professional wedding photographer.

Some large photography companies rely on work from a group of various photographers. Make sure that the photographer you interviewed is the photographer that will be at your wedding. You don’t want to go through the ordeal of interviewing and building up a relationship with your chosen photographer only to find out on the day it’s someone completely different!

Unless this type of company can show you several weddings from each of their photographers and then you get to pick the photographer you want, then we suggest staying right away from them. We recommend searching for a photographer that shoots all of his weddings on his own.

Some churches/register offices do not allow photography during the wedding ceremony, it is very important that you find out what are the rules regarding photography and inform the photographer accordingly.

What are the three things that you will have after your wedding day? Your spouse, your ring, and your wedding photographs to show you what everything else looked like that you spent all of that money to purchase. A national average for photography seems to be around five percent of the wedding budget. Is that really how important the wedding photographs are? People will not remember what they ate or what they drank, but you will enjoy and cherish your wedding photographs for your lifetime and your children and grandchildren will enjoy them.

Questions to ask your wedding photographer

Bruno Medici - FAQs

Q: Are you a member of any UK body such as BIPP, BPPA, SWPP? (Members of a regulative body are usually high quality professionals)
A: Yes I am a member of the BPPA and the SWPP

Q: How long have you been photographing weddings?
A: Since 1980

Q: Are you the only photographer in this company? If I hire you, am I guaranteed that you will be the one showing up to shoot my wedding?

A: Yes I attend all my weddings personally. In the unlikely event of injury or sickness beyond my control I will do my best to provide a qualified photographer with similar style to cover your wedding.

Q: Is the work that I am seeing all yours and only yours or is it a compilation of work from more than one photographer?

A: The work is all mine.

Q: Can you show me 2 or 3 complete weddings you’ve done?

A: Yes.

Q: Do you offer traditional wedding photography? Photojournalism? Or both?

A: I offer both styles.

Q: Is colour and B/W photography included or is there an extra fee for B/W?

A: Black & white is included in all my packages at no extra cost.

Q: Is unlimited coverage included in your packages or is there an extra fee for all day coverage? Are you willing to come extra early to get shots of us (the couple) before the ceremony if we choose to do that? Would there be a fee for this?

A: I offer unlimited coverage on the more expensive packages, on the smaller packages you have the option to add an extended coverage to include Bride's preparations and first dance if you wish.

Q: Do your packages include one or two photographers and is there an extra fee for a second photographer?

A: All weddings are covered by myself, I can provide a second photographer if required for a small fee.

Q: Do you work with an assistant?

A: No.

Q: How many and what kind of cameras do you use? (Do you have backup equipment if something breaks?) Do you use film based or digital cameras or a combination of both?

A: I use various professional cameras and I always carry backup equipment.

Q: How far will you travel to a wedding before charging a travel fee?

A: I do not charge a travel fee, hourly rate or VAT.

Q: Do you charge a fee if the wedding and reception are in more than one location? What if we want to go to a third location for pictures? Is there a charge for this?

A: There is no charge to attend different locations.

Q: If your packages are not what I am looking for, would you be willing to try to customize a package for me that is within my budget?

A: Yes.

Q: Do you offer only traditional albums or do you have a wide variety of options to choose from including any coffee table style books?

A: I offer a range of Traditional and Reportage albums including the new Wedding Book.

Asking the right questions when selecting your photographer will help you to avoid any unwanted surprises on your special day!

Planning a wedding can be a very stressful and time consuming task, but planning properly is essential for a wedding day that will run smoothly. Make a list before the interview, letting the photographer know exactly which pictures you’re after and who you want in those pictures. Especially in the case of a large wedding; make sure your photographer knows exactly who they must get in a shot. If you fail to do this you run the risk of omitting an important family member or friend. You can’t repeat the day or the photos so make these arrangements ahead of time and be sure that your photographer knows the important

characters in the event!

The most helpful person/people to your photographer is the Best Man and Usher(s). A lot of people don’t seem to realise just how important they can be. Brief your Usher correctly so they can help your photographer by pointing out the key people, help with arranging group shots and shouting out to people who may need rounding up.

If you follow these steps you will be able to enjoy your wedding day, leaving your photographer to his or her own devices and to capture wedding images that you’ll cherish forever.

Wedding Photographers London, Hertfordshire, Essex, Buckinghamshire, Sussex, Kent, Middlesex, Surrey, Wiltshire, Cambridgeshire, Oxfordshire, Bedfordshire

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