Top Tips On How To Make Sure Your Wedding Photographer Is A Professional

After paying hundreds for just the dress alone, never mind the church, the flowers, the reception and all of the food and drink, it's very tempting to book a cheap wedding photographer; after all, the photography is probably the last thing you want to think about. But first-class wedding photographers get booked up months in advance so don't leave it to the last minute to book. However saying that, there could be a few dates not booked, so give them a ring and see if your date is free.

Nothing is more significant than your wedding photography. Why's that? Well, just think about it - what happens when your wedding is over? The flowers are dead, the dress gets freeze-dried (or whatever it is the cleaners do) and put in a box, the cake is eaten, and a year after your wedding you won't even remember what you ate. All you'll have left from this day are your memories - and your photos are doorways to those memories.

Down to the tips:

1. Does the photographer have many different photographs from the same wedding to show you? I'd be concerned if they were all from the same wedding. Professional photographers have taken wedding photographs for many different brides and that should reflect in their work. On the other hand if you only see one photograph from each wedding I would suspect that the photographer only gets one good picture from the whole day. You need to know that they are consistent and have taken photographs at many different weddings with at least three different pictures from each wedding in their gallery or book. As an average guide, photographs from three recent weddings are appropriate.

2. Does the photographer listen to you? A photographer that talks all the time about how great they are is someone you should be wary of. If a professional is not prepared to listen to you then they are not very professional, I mean how do they know what you are looking for?

3. Do you actually like this person? You will be spending the most important day of your life with a stranger, make sure you like them. If the photographer's personality clashes with yours, you could be in for an unhappy day - or at least an awkward one.

4. A Professional has style. A professional photographer will have a distinct style and taste. The photographs may be in black and white or in colour; you may see lots of manipulation in the images or none.

5. What are the images like?
1. Are the images flat?
2. Too dark or too light?
3. Can you see the details on the wedding dress or is it just a white blob?
4. Do the people in the pictures look awkward or distracted?
5. Do the group photographs look messy?
6. Are the backgrounds in the pictures cluttered?
7. Do the backgrounds compete for attention for the people in the picture?

If you answer yes to these questions then I would say that the photographer is not a professional.

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