Wedding photography is an essential part of the wedding day. It is really important, therefore, to get a photographer, that will do a really good job I have met so many people who have told me that they have never looked at their wedding photos since the day, or that the photos were dreadful! That I think is quite sad..
The beginning.
You start searching for a photographer - there are hundreds of us! Perhaps personal recommendation is the best? Or you have seen my work elsewhere?
Have you set a budget? Wedding photography is very time consuming and consequently very expensive. Have you any idea what you want? The type of photography - documentary, candid, formal etc. There are many different styles.
Next step
Now you have found me and I am in your price range, I charge £1750.00 for the whole shebang.
We need to talk, there is a lot to discuss. I will come to you at a mutually convenient time/place, and over coffee or tea we will draw up a plan. This might take two meetings, one quite close to the day. This is included in the fee. If you are very camera shy, we will arrange a pre wedding shoot to allay the fears (also included). I am very good at that!
Step Three
The day! I will get to you in time to photograph the whole thing. If possible, shooting all the people getting ready at the venue. Multiple venues does make this challenging, but not impossible. The details here are very important. The dressing part is an integral part of the day. I like lots of bits of detail, shoes, dress, suits, flowers, bridesmaids, groomsmen. There are so many lovely things to photograph, which contribute to the memories of the day
I like to allow two to three hours for this part, as there can be a great many things and people to photograph.
Part 4
From the initial venue, usually someones house or the hotel, where the main wedding party is staying, there is often a journey the the wedding venue. Either way, this is a great photo opportunity, which i like to take full advantage of. Needless to say, this also takes a long time, sometimes an hour or more!
Once at the actual wedding venue, there are arrival photos for the wedding party and the guests. Then shots of the ceremony. Its very nice, just after the ceremony, to have a private shoot, just 15 minutes to get some special shots. Then there are all the ceremonial shots of the whole wedding party, the families and Uncle Tom Cobley and all! I like to get a whole bunch of candid shots during this time. People are still dressed in their finery and looking at their best.
After this, there is the reception, with speeches, the wedding breakfast, and the cake cutting. All this again, takes a very long time.
Finally the party begins and i will photograph the first dance, which I think is really romantic and important. Once the noise level goes up, I am done!
Part 5
Processing the photos is a slow and time consuming process, with one to three minutes per photo to prepare them. Checking the colour balance, cropping out stuff we don't want in the shot, honing in on the best image. This bit takes me a couple of weeks. I have to concentrate very hard on each image. I hope to be able to produce 700-800 images of the day.. Eventually I will present the images in a presentation box with a usb storage stick. These are suitably good!
I can add a photobook and prints, for an extra cost, depending on, what you actually want.
Finally
As you can see, all this is a long and complex process that takes an incredible amount of work to make it all come together. We will both sign a contract agreeing our respective parts of the deal. Half of the fee is payable on booking, that's £875.00. This initial fee is to reserve the day for you, then the remaining £875.00 is payable two weeks before the actual date.
I love taking photos of people. A wedding presents the perfect opportunity to take photos of people looking at their very best, sometimes the best that they will ever look, on one of the most important days of their lives. With the right planning and preparation the day will go accordingly.
I look forward to talking to you!