For all the hard work and planning you put into organising your wedding, when it comes to the day itself, blink and it will be over before you know it. It’s a day of high emotion, intense excitement, a blur of faces, a whirl of activity, a crescendo of all your hopes and dreams. And then it’s gone. That’s why wedding photography is so important!
You will have stand out memories from the day itself, or course, those special moments you share with your betrothed, your closest family and friends. But there is so much going on that, when the dust has settled, you will want to be able to turn to those photographs to complete the picture of your perfect day.
There are lots of things that can go wrong during the planning of a wedding, and also on the day itself. But some of the most heartbreaking are finding out that your wedding photographs haven’t come out right, that they have somehow been lost afterwards, or that you haven’t got those shots you really wanted.
It is therefore well worth putting some thought and planning into your wedding photography and making sure you get the memories you really want to keep. Here are some key things to consider.
Do your homework on your photographer
This is the big one. Whether or not you get the fabulous wedding photography you hope for will depend in large part on the quality of the photographer you choose. Opting for a professional wedding specialist is the safest option. It means they have the skills and the experience of taking quality wedding shots, and their business depends on upholding a good reputation – they are motivated to do the best job possible because they want your positive feedback.
On the flipside, sometimes married couples complain that pro photographers were a bit too detached, treating it as ‘just a job’, not listening to requests, or being very stuck in their ways about how to go about things. That’s why it is still important to pick the right person. Ask friends who have had their weddings in the recent past for recommendations, read online reviews thoroughly, and most important of all – meet your photographer early on. Establishing a rapport with them will greatly increase your chances of getting exactly what you want.
Ask about back up procedures
Back in the old days of film learn more cameras, there wasn’t much anyone could do about protecting photographs after the fact. Photographers would usually get through a number of reels of film in a day, so if one was faulty, at least there were plenty of others in reserve. But if there was an issue during development – that was it. Nowadays, things are much easier with digital photography, but there is still room for drives to crash or transfers to go wrong. Really, your photographer should be uploading images to the cloud throughout the day. Double check this is part of the service.
Make a shot list
Wedding photographs are often a mix of staged and ‘natural’ shots taken throughout the day. The staged part is the bit where the happy couple can feel they are dragged away from their own party for hours, missing out on the fun. This is often because the photographer is trying to think up the best shots on their feet. You can save time, and make sure you get exactly the images you want, by planning a shot list in advance. This is best done in consultation with your photographer, and ideally by visiting the venue.
Consider a second photographer
Some couples are disappointed with their wedding photos because they get back a lot of very impressive staged shots, but feel they are missing too many of those off-the-cuff natural ones to really tell the story of the day. Many pro photographers will see their job as mainly doing the staged stuff, and will only do the others as a token gesture. To avoid this, consider asking a friend who is handy with a camera to spend some time photographing what friends and family are up to while the main camera is focused on you.
Pick a pretty venue
Finally, for the very best wedding photographs, location does matter. For all that the memories are about you, your partner and your special day, having some breathtaking scenery or an attractive old building as the background to your photographs will really bring them to life.
If you’re still looking for that perfect wedding venue, why not book an appointment to look round Colony HQ? Set in the gorgeous rolling Cheshire countryside just outside Wilmslow, in easy reach of Manchester, Liverpool and Chester, we can promise plenty of photogenic scenery ideal for a picture-perfect wedding.
