Your Ultimate Guide To Choosing The Best Wedding Photographer
Your wedding day will flash by in a whirlwind of activity. You’ll be so full of emotions, dancing, eating, drinking, and celebrating your special day with friends and family. The very last thing you want to do is worry where your wedding photographer is, and whether or not he or she got that once-in-a-lifetime shot.
Instead, you want to rest easy knowing that your photographer/s have your back at all times, and that they’re getting all the right shots at the right times. Better to have 50 shots of the detail in that wedding dress you’ve been obsessing over for months, rather than none. After all, you won’t be able to re-shoot your wedding, and, after it’s all over, your photos will be the only tangible thing you have left to cherish your wedding day.
Luckily, we’ve got all the best tips on how to choose the best wedding photographer in Sydney to suit your needs (and your budget). We’ve got a range of wedding photography packages to cater to all kinds of weddings, big and small, glamorous, or laid back.
How to choose a wedding photographer in Sydney
Read on to get our top tips on choosing your wedding photographer in Sydney and how to brief them correctly to ensure you get the wedding photos of your dreams.
Image quality and style
Surprisingly, not everyone considers that each wedding photographer has their own unique style, but this is a crucial part of getting the shots you want. Some photographers favour intimate close-ups, whereas others favour posed, high-end, magazine-style photos. Others favour a very natural, laid-back look. In the editing process, some photographers prefer to edit their images light and bright, whereas others go for a moodier look. Do your research and discover what kind of photos you like. Scour Pinterest and Instagram for inspiration and be sure to save your favourite images.
And, while you can ask your photographer to change up their style, it will be very difficult, as, when shooting, different photographers will see different things and shoot the way they feel is most aesthetically pleasing.
All styles can look equally good, but you’ll need to determine which style you prefer for your wedding photos. Always ask to see the wedding photographer’s portfolio before you book. If you like their style and you’re crystal clear about what you want for your wedding photos, you’re sure to be happy with the end result.
Your wedding photography budget
Most people allocate significant funds to photography or videography from their wedding budget. After all, once the day is done, all you’ll have will be photos.
Your budget is one of the most important factors when choosing a wedding photographer in Sydney, but, when thinking about photography and videography, you might need to have multiple photographers working your wedding, depending on a few factors.
Consider:
How large your venue is. If there will be different people in different spaces at the one time that you want shots of, you may need more than one photographer
How many shots you’d like of the guests. If your friends and family are visiting from all over the world, and you would like to capture images of them too, you might need a bigger team
What the pace of the wedding is like. Is it fast-paced, requiring your wedding photographer/s to quickly move from one area to another? Think about how feasible that will be. Some weddings span over the course of an entire day and involve travel between venues, whereas others move at a more leisurely pace
Can you supplement a photographer with something like a photo booth? This can be a fun activity for guests, and an easy way to ensure you have more photos of everyone enjoying their day or night. We offer beautiful photo booths for hire, complete with props and a range of beautiful backdrops to suit your wedding style
Personality and experience
When choosing a wedding photographer in Sydney, you might think that personality doesn’t matter much, but, with wedding photos, your photographer will only have a limited amount of time to get certain shots.
Your wedding photographer needs to be bold enough to hustle your wedding group into line, get your more camera-shy wedding guests to smile and laugh, and all the while watch the time, to ensure he or she doesn’t miss one of the key shots on your list. They need to be in the right place at the right time, not chatting with the groom’s dad when the first dance comes on.
All this comes with having the right personality, and enough experience to know where to be, when, and how to time your wedding photos to perfection, without getting in the way of you and your wedding guests.
Shooting a wedding is different from shooting product in a studio, where a photographer might have unlimited amounts of time. Events photography can be extremely fast-paced, and isn’t for the faint-hearted.
All our wedding photographers have more than five years of experience under their belt, and are experienced in working at events.
Briefing your wedding photographer in Sydney
A clear brief to your wedding photographer can make the process much simpler, and will ensure you get all the right shots (and more) on the day.
Consider:
What style of photos do you want? Do you want a natural look, or something more glamorous?
How do you want your photos to be edited? You can have moodier shots, or, you might prefer something lighter, brighter and airier.
What do you want shot? Some couples prefer to have their entire wedding shot from beginning to end, including the preparations before the wedding as well as the after party.
What are your must-have shots? Would you want your photographer shadowing you all night, or would you prefer they mingle with the guests? Is there an aspect of the decorations you’d like to remember?
Make sure you’re clear on post-production, and how you’ll receive the photos. How many edited photos do you want? Do you want prints?
These are all important aspects of your brief. Looking at other people’s wedding photos can be a great place to start to ensure that you get the shots you want.
Show the photographer images you like, but also be clear about what you don’t like. You’ll need to ensure you and your photographer scope out your venue before the wedding, and find the best photo spots beforehand. Speak to your venue and ask where the best photo spots are.
Recommendations
It’s hard to find a high-quality wedding photographer in Sydney on Google. To find a great wedding photographer, your best bet is to find someone who comes recommended to you; but this isn’t always easy and great photographers get booked up quickly.
We’ve worked with each of our wedding photographers countless times, and we only work with the best, so you don’t need to worry about your wedding photographer not showing up, or not performing on the day.
To score your dream wedding photographer in Sydney, booking in advance is essential to avoid disappointment.
We provide premium wedding photography services with unlimited shooting and editing, and can deliver your wedding photos online within 7 days. To find out more about our wedding photography services, click here or contact us now to make a booking.