Choose a wedding photographer in this order: style first, then complete galleries, then the person. Check the practical details and compare prices last. I'm Paul Hickey of Once in a Lifetime Photography, a Worcestershire wedding photographer. I have photographed more than 150 weddings since 2014. This is how I would choose if I were getting married.
Most couples do it the other way round. They start with price, then fall for a handful of photographs on Instagram. Both come later in this guide for a reason.
Step 1: Decide what kind of photographs you want
There are really two approaches, and most photographers blend them.
Documentary. The photographer watches and photographs what happens. Little is posed. Also called reportage or photojournalistic.
Traditional. The photographer directs. More groups, more posed portraits, more looking at the camera.
A third group, often called fine art or editorial, puts styled portraits first.
Look through a few real weddings and notice which photographs you stop at. If they are moments between people, you want a documentary photographer. If they are portraits, you want someone who directs more. I've compared documentary and traditional wedding photography in detail.
My own work is documentary through the day, with creative night portraits after dark.
Step 2: Look at complete galleries, not highlights
A portfolio shows a photographer's best twenty photographs. A wedding produces several hundred.
Ask for two or three complete galleries from weddings like yours. Then look for four things.
Consistency. Is the dark church as good as the sunny garden?
The difficult parts. Family groups, the first dance, speeches in a dim room.
Guests. Do they look relaxed, or aware of the camera?
After dark. Evening photographs show technical skill more than anything else.
A photographer who is reluctant to show a full gallery has answered the question for you.
Step 3: Meet the person
Your photographer is beside you for ten hours or more. You will see more of them than most of your guests.
Meet in person or on a video call. Ask yourself afterwards:
Did they listen, or did they sell?
Did they ask about your day and your families?
Could you spend a day with them?
Would your grandmother like them?
If you dislike being photographed, say so and see how they respond. This is how I photograph camera-shy couples.
Step 4: Check the practical details
These are quick to check and they matter if something goes wrong.
Insurance. Public liability at least. Many venues ask for it.
Backup equipment. A second camera, lenses and flashes.
A written contract. Date, hours, price, payment dates, delivery time and cancellation terms.
Independent reviews. Google, Hitched or Bridebook. Reviews that exist only on the photographer's own site prove little.
Who turns up. Some studios send an associate.
I've written out the questions to ask a wedding photographer, with what a good answer sounds like.
Step 5: Compare like with like on price
Two quotes are only comparable when you know the hours covered and what is delivered.
Before you compare, line up:
Hours of coverage, and what an extra hour costs.
How many photographs, and how they are delivered.
Travel.
Albums and prints, which are usually extra.
Price follows experience, and the cheapest quote is rarely the best value. Photographs are one of the few things from the day that you keep. I've set out what wedding photographers cost in the UK and why prices vary so much.
My own wedding photography packages list every inclusion and price.
Step 6: Book early, and get it in writing
Good photographers take one wedding a day. Popular Saturdays between May and September go first, often a year or more ahead.
Once you have chosen:
Ask for the contract and read it.
Pay the deposit to hold the date.
Put the balance date in your diary.
Ask what they need from you, and when.
Does it matter if they are local?
It helps, but it is not essential. A local photographer knows the venues, the light and the roads, and there are no travel costs.
What matters more is that they know your venue or will visit it. I am a recommended supplier at Hogarths Stone Manor and work across Worcestershire and the neighbouring counties.
Five warning signs
No complete galleries to show.
No written contract.
The full fee demanded at booking.
Slow or vague replies before you have booked.
Heavy editing that hides weak photographs.
Choosing a wedding photographer: common questions
What is the most important thing when choosing a wedding photographer?
That you like the photographs and the person. Everything else can be checked in ten minutes.
How many wedding photographers should we compare?
Two or three. Shortlist by style first, then speak to them.
When should we book a wedding photographer?
After the venue and date, and before most other suppliers. A photographer can only take one wedding a day.
Should we choose a photographer who also films?
It can work well if one team plans both. I've compared separate and combined photography and film.
Is an expensive photographer always better?
No. Price reflects experience and demand. Complete galleries tell you whether the work justifies it.
Next steps
If my photographs are the kind you stopped at, get in touch with your date and venue. I'll send complete galleries from weddings like yours.
Once in a Lifetime Photography covers Worcestershire, the West Midlands, Herefordshire, Warwickshire and Shropshire. My work has earned several Wedisson Awards and a Flashmasters Gold Award.
Paul Hickey, Once in a Lifetime Photography · paul@onceinalifetimephotography.co.uk · 01905 900911
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