A little bit of a rant, but also a reminder of how important it is to select your photographer with as much care and consideration as you do your dress and flowers!

The flowers for your big day are lovingly chosen to fit your theme and then ordered from a professional florist and flower arranger who will meticulously create the perfect arrangements, button holes and bouquet for you, you are unlikely to cut the blooms from your Nan’s flowerbed and try to create them yourselves!

Whether you are having a full Wedding Breakfast or cold buffet reception, the chances are that you will employ the services of a professional caterer in some capacity to prepare and present your food. You are unlikely to have your mates knocking up a few cheese sandwiches, especially as they will be in their best bib and tucker helping you celebrate your special day.

Whether the venue is a church or a civil ceremony location, you will want a location that is both attractive and suitable for the ceremony. You wouldn’t normally make your vows round at your mates house, no matter how swish it may be!

So ………………. why oh why do so many people think that their pal with a fancy camera is going to be able to provide a professional photography service, able to do justice to all of the above?!

Assuming that the pal is good with the camera, is it fair to put the pressure of taking those pictures on them? Will they have the expertise and time to edit the pictures to an acceptable standard, once the day is over?

Oh yes……. and isn’t your pal supposed to be at the wedding celebrating your day with you…….not working!

When having a consultation with a professional wedding photographer, please please consider the following…

1. Insurance - a pro will have public liability insurance and professional indemnity cover – just in case. What happens if your friend has a disaster with the pictures, or worse still, a personal injury accident?

2. Low light photography - for example inside the church. A pro will have spent on average, several thousand pounds on lenses and lighting that are reliably able to cope with even the darkest scenarios. With the best will in the world, an enthusiast lens will struggle in such circumstances and the pop up flash is just not going to cut it!

3. Crowd control - Arranging a group photograph of up to 100 people is not something that just happens. It takes planning, experience and a certain personality if you are to achieve any sort of success. A professional will know how to deal with these highly challenging scenarios and will deliver results …………… you won’t be trying to work out who is stood behind who and cursing the 24 people who have their eyes shut!

4. Posing - A professional photographer will instinctively know how to pose both individuals and smaller groups to ensure everyone is presented at their most flattering, no matter what their shape or size. The superb landscapes and sunsets your friend takes will in no way prepare them for a portrait shoot where no one wishes to be kept from the bar any longer than necessary.

5. The album - So your friend has produced some great pictures, now what? Are they going to process the numerous images themselves, help you select the best ones and then source, order and build you an album? Do they know what is available in the market place that may be best for your wishes. Most important of all, do they understand colour profiling, the difference between CMYK and RGB and is their computer even properly profiled for the purposes of editing?

A professional photographer will have access to a range of suppliers and album builders. He will know who is going to produce a product that you will love and will do all the background work for you, this is worth it’s weight in gold as it will ensure the album has both balance and impact and you only need approve or suggest changes to the work they present to you.

6. Reprints - Are you going to the supermarket for your reprints or would you prefer larger, professionally retouched versions, presented in a quality mount? Would you like your friends and relatives (especially those living some distance from you) to be able to view the days images on line and to be able to order prints for delivery direct to their address?

So, just as with the florist, the venue, the food and all the other aspects of the day that you wish to spend money on, the professional photographer is worth every penny.

When the flowers are wilted, the cake and food eaten and the music has finished, you will have wonderful memories of your fantastic day.
If you use a professional photographer, they will ensure those memories can live on forever through the images taken, surely you deserve these to be as good as possible. Don’t short change yourselves, those memories are priceless.

I realise that I am generalising here and that there some extremely competent amateur photographers and some not so “professional” ones. Below is a list that you should use when discussing photography with any potential photographer, be they your mate down the pub or Lord Snowdon!

I hope you find it useful.

Check list when speaking to potential wedding photographers:

Will he/she be taking the photos at your wedding?
If not, you should meet the person who will be and ask him/her these questions.

Are they are a member of any associations or groups specific to the industry?
If the photographer is a member of an association, he is networking with other professionals and is most likely up to date with current trends and styles of photography. Members also have access to continuing education and other resources that non-members do not have.

What styles do they specialize in? Do they do any creative shoots?
You want to make sure the photographer is comfortable shooting the style you prefer. Communicate what style you want.

What type of camera will the photographer use?
You will get a sense about the photographers knowledge and experience.

Does the photographer use an assistant? Is there an extra charge for this?
Usually an assistant who knows and understand wedding photography is there and makes your photographer’s job faster and easier.

Will there be backup equipment available? And what happens if the photographer is ill?
You want to be sure the photographer is prepared in case of emergency. Make sure your wedding photographer has adequate backup equipment of the same type and quality. Also, you want to know the backup photographer is someone you would want to photograph your wedding.

Can other people take photos while you are taking photos?
Some photographers will not allow others to take pictures at the same time he/she is. The other cameras flash may effect the photographers photo or may distract the people in the photo to look another way. The answer to this question may be important to you if you want others to freely shoot photos during your formal session.

Has he/she worked at your event locations before? How did it work out?
Lighting issues and restrictions on using flashes may come up as a surprise once you are at your event location. If your photographer checks out the location beforehand, he will be prepared for these surprises.

Should your event last longer than scheduled, will they stay? Extra charge?
Sometimes the day can last longer than expected, and if so, is the photographer willing to stay and at what cost to you?

How many photos come in each package? What is the breakdown per photo?
You should have an idea of how many photos you want and what you are getting with the package.

What types of photos will be taken (B/W, Color, Antiques, etc..)?
You should know what type you want and if the photographer is willing to take more of what you want.

Will they accept of list from you, for specific photos to be taken?
Make sure the photographer is willing to accept a list of your must haves!

What attire will they and their assistants wear?
You want to make sure they will look professional!

How long after the event will the proofs be ready?
This could vary drastically from photographer to photographer, 2 weeks, 2 months, 6 months, etc.

What type and how much assistance will they provide in planning your album?
It is nice to have a professional assist you in planning your album, it can be a bit overwhelming if you are not sure what you want.

Will they give you the negatives or what is the charge?
Photographers have the rights to their photographs and may not want to give up the negatives or digital full resolution files. It may be an added cost on the contract.

Does he/she have liability insurance?
You want to know if the photographer carries insurance to cover the cost if something goes terribly wrong.

Without a doubt the one thing that is definately going to happen on your wedding day is you are going to have your picture taken, a lot. So how can you get the best photos, and what advice can I give you that might help. Here’s 10 that might help get you started.

1) Before the big day – Have a mess about in front of the mirror on your own and with your partner. Have some fun with some catalogue style poses. They are fun and you can pull them out on the day for a bit of variety.

2) Pre-wedding shoot – arrange a pre wedding shoot with your photographer. Now this might sound like an odd idea to have more photos taken if you HATE having your photos taken, but you will get to know your photographer, feel more relaxed around them and get to practise some posed shots that look un-posed.

3) On the day – Ok here’s my best tip for you guys and gals – pretend we are not there. Yes, you heard it get on with your day. Its up to us to capture you and its up to you to enjoy it. Believe me, by the end of the day you will have forgotten we are there.

4) Girls if you are having the photographer come to your house – get into your dress earlier rather than at the last minute. That way we can snap away some natural shots while you are in your dress rather than the getting your hair done outfit.

5) Rather than looking straight to camera and smiling till you feel your cheeks will bust, try to look off to the side or into the distant for a romantic yet natural look.

6) In shots together lean your heads in slightly. This makes couple shots look more intimate.

7) Another great tip I heard from Amanda Holden of all people, was not to look directly at the lens – try to look slightly ABOVE the lens. Don’t ask me why but it works.

Try leaning forward slightly. It can add interest and removes most double chin problems.

9) This one makes me giggle, but works – just before you are going to have your photo taken try squeezing your bum cheeks together. For some reason most peoples eyes brighten and they produce a slight smile. Don’t knock it until you have tried it.

10) Make a three-quarter turn to camera and shift your weight to the back foot. This position gives the body shape, dimension and makes you look slimmer, so its got to be a winner/

Well there are my 10 steps, tips and tricks. Try some or all of them and above all enjoy your day and love your photographs.

Nobody is better placed to help your wedding day along than your chosen photographer. A bold statement, but stay with me.

You’ve paid out a small fortune for other people to look after everything, and you’ll be a little bit pre-occupied of course, what with getting married etc.

The groom will go along with whatever you want, darling. As will dads. Men, huh?

Mums will help a little, enough, or a lot…I’m not going there.

Your friends have come for the party.

Your cake and flowers will be delivered. The DJ will set up later.

The venue will feed and water you. And the 90 other people you’ve invited. But not at the church, or on the boat, or even the dancefloor.

Only your photographer will be focused on you through all of it. To record the day’s events, we have to always be there…around…watching. Not in your face, in the background. Experience tells us when to expect things to happen, when to nudge them along and when to stay out of the way. We might take photos of your flowers, your table plans, your decorations, but we will always know whereyou are and when. Right up until it’s time to leave.

• We’ve joked with grooms and best men to calm their nerves.
• We’ve told the bride she looks wonderful seconds before she faces the world.
• We’ve asked the flower girls to jump on the page boys, just to see what happens.
• We’ve filled-up when your dad’s voice cracked during his speech.
• We’ve worked out which is your mum and which is your stepmum.
• We’ve made friends with your labrador!
• We’ve taken you both aside for a few minutes to give you a breather and remind you you’re there for each other.
• Oh, and we’ve taken a few photographs too!

You spend months meticulously planning your wedding and wedding reception, organising guest lists, venues, dresses, decorations, food & drink etc, making sure everything is in place so that you can enjoy the day with your closest friends and family, then the day arrives and it’s all over before you can blink, vows made, food eaten, drink drunk. You’ve had a wonderful day but it’s gone by so quickly. You’re looking forwards to seeing the photos and wedding video, reading the comments comments written in the guest book, and… watching all of the video messages left by the guest who used the video message booth you hired for your wedding reception.

Video message booths allow your guests to leave personal video messages, congratulating you on your wedding, possibly with sweat on their brow, food on their chin and a drink in their right hand. You get to see the expression on peoples faces and see that your guest had a great time. It’s a fun and informal addition or alternative to the traditional wedding guest book that will give you a good laugh every time you watch it.

Wedding Video Booths are available from…

• Indigo Images, who have some great example video messages on their website.
• Wedding Video Booth, who currently only cover Dorset and Hampshire.
• Video Booth Systems, who cover the whole of the UK and have a very modern touch screen video booth.
• The Video Booth, who cover the whole of the UK
• EVideo Book, who cover the whole of the UK with prices starting at £275

The price of hiring a video booth seems to be dependent on your location, and the date of your wedding. Most video booth companies seem to ask you to contact them so that they can provide a quote, rather than offering a fixed price list on their website. The few prices I could find range from £250 to £450.

Most wedding video booths are simple to use and require no staff, but some do come with a member of staff who will guide your guests through the process of leaving a message. Your guests take it in turns to leave a message and then at the end of the evening your are provided with a DVD of all the messages that have been left.

So for some extra fun at your wedding, and a lasting memory of your guests enjoying themselves, consider hiring a video message booth for your wedding.

Firstly consider the photographic style you want. These can be grouped into three main areas – traditional, contemporary and reportage/photo-journalistic.

All good photographers should be able to do any and all of these so don’t be afraid to ask about them. It’s your wedding after all and we photographers should be able to give you what you want.

Secondly, pick a sensible budget and try to stick to it. Photography takes a long time from the initial meeting, to looking at the venue, the day itself then processing, finally building an album you are happy with. Definitely more than a days work. Many photographers will throw in a few extras if they can, so you could get a better deal, but shhh! don’t let everyone know.

By the nature of the job we are all a little extrovert and definitely fall into the category of being ‘a people person’. We generally want to help you with your plans not hinder them.

Once you have picked your photographer, sit down and map out the whole day with them. They will more than likely take notes of your approximate timings and plans. It will give you a chance to get to know them and vice versa.

A great idea is to collect any photos from the internet or magazines of shots that you like, so you can discuss them and give a copy to your photographer. We won’t be creating exact copies, but we are visual creatures and as they say, a photo tells a thousand words and will help us to realise your vision fully. They don’t even have to be wedding photos, but can be anything, fashion, film etc. A bride once brought me the ‘Reservoir Dogs’ poster which we used as inspiration in one of her shots. You can let your visual mind go crazy!

If you want formal group shots, and let’s face it most people do, make a short list of their names in the groups you want. It is usually better to get the big group shot done as soon as possible, so people can go off and relax if they want to rather than hanging around and waiting.

Another important thing to consider is MAKE TIME for your own private shots. This is important for both you and your photographer. It can be a relaxing and fun moment with you, your partner and your photographer away from the gaze of your guests. So use this time to really relax and be yourself. A great idea is to stop off at beauty spot or gardens on the way to the reception and get some really super shots with no distractions.

At the end of the day your photographs are important to you and your photographer, but he or she does not want to spoil your day. We are professionals and have a lot of experience doing this. Use us to make sure you get the most out of your day. It’s all about balance, so make sure you like and feel relaxed with your photographer, show and tell them what you want, ask questions and get the right deal for you.

I’m sure many Brides looking for a photographer come across several different descriptions about the styles of photography on offer. So I thought a better explanation may be in order.

Traditional Photography
Usually a strictly formal approach with the emphasis on Grip and Grin. Also where group photography is taken on using a set square and compass. Starts to go wrong when the weather is bad, typically group sessions takes up alot of the wedding day. So be prepared.

Contemporary photography
Not quite sure what this all boils down to really and I have been guilty of using that term myself! I guess it means a more modern approach to shooting a wedding, using angles and different lighting often taking the Bride and groom into the roles of fashionistas. Not stilted ot awkard poses.It can be fun and funky. I once asked someone at a wedding fayre what he thought contemporary photography meant, he answered we shoot in colour and well as black and white. Go figure.

Reportage photography
Perhaps the most abused word used by wedding photographers today. Many do not have a clue as to what this means but just bung it in to make them sound good. Reportage or documentary photography is about capturing the moment, to observe and record without interference, without posing, but using the individual talents of the photographer to capture light and atmoshere without being noticed. Almost like a voyuer ! There are some great photographers who shoot in this genre, and do it so well. You have to shoot without flash using fast lenses, to record atmoshere, to record intimacy. `it those type of pictures that leave you feeling tearful they are that emotional. One last thing this type of photography can be warts and all.

Natural photography
As reportage, but with an added twist usually with an added artistic. A combination of the two can creat some brilliant images, making it look like they were shot without coaching and with some form of posing but in a loose and very artistic and stylish way.Again there are some marvelous exponants of this such as Yervant and Jerry Ghionis. In fact Mr Ghionis is my fave photographer.

So a super quick read on types/styles of wedding photography to be had in the UK.

As a couple looking into the world of wedding photography have an idea what floats your boat, and match that to the guy/gal you are going to book your big day with, and if all is as it reads on the tin you will not be disappointed and you will be left with some truly fantastic pictures of your day.