How to Find Your Perfect Wedding Photographer 

Choosing your wedding photographer is one of the biggest decisions you'll make when planning your wedding. Once the confetti's been swept away, the flowers have wilted and you've just about recovered from all the excitement, your photos are what you'll have left to relive it all.

So, how do you find the right photographer? Here's my advice...

Don't hang about!

If you've got your heart set on a particular photographer, get in touch as soon as you can. Wedding photographers can book up really quickly (especially for those popular summer Saturdays), so once you've secured your venue it's definitely worth getting your photographer sorted too.

Think about the style you love

Have a scroll through Instagram, websites and galleries and ask yourself... what photos make you stop scrolling?

Do you love relaxed, natural moments that tell the story of the day? Or do you prefer more traditional, posed family portraits?

Every photographer has their own style, and that's exactly how it should be. Photography is creative, so my biggest piece of advice is to book someone whose work you already love, rather than asking them to copy another photographer's editing or posing style. You'll be much happier with the end result if you choose someone for their work.

Do a bit of detective work

Google and social media are your friend! Have a look at photographers in your area, browse their websites and spend some time looking through their galleries.

Don't just look at the handful of highlight photos either. If they share full wedding galleries, even better! It gives you a much better idea of how they capture an entire wedding day from start to finish.

Ask people you trust

If you've been to a wedding recently and loved the photos, ask who they booked.

Recommendations are brilliant because you'll hear about more than just the photos. You'll find out what they were like to work with, whether they helped everyone feel relaxed and if they blended into the day without taking over.

Go to wedding fayres

Wedding fayres are such a lovely way to meet suppliers properly. You get to see albums, chat face to face and get a feel for whether they're your kind of person.

You'll spend more time with your photographer on your wedding day than almost anyone else (apart from your new husband or wife!), so it's important you actually like them!

Be realistic with your budget

Wedding photography prices vary massively, and that's absolutely normal.

Think about what's important to you. Do you want just the ceremony covered, or the whole day from getting ready through to the first dance? Would you love a beautiful album to flick through every anniversary? Or maybe you'd like a little highlight video alongside your photos?

Read the reviews

Reviews are worth their weight in gold. They tell you so much more than whether someone takes nice photos.

Have a look on Google, Facebook and wedding websites to see what previous couples have said. If lots of people mention how relaxed they felt or how much they loved having their photographer around, that's always a good sign.

Do you click?

This is a big one.

Your photographer is with you for a huge part of your wedding day, so you want someone who feels more like a friendly face than a stranger with a camera.

That's why I always offer a Teams call before anyone books. It's a chance for us to have a proper chat, for you to tell me all about your plans (I genuinely love hearing them!) and to make sure we're a good fit for each other.

Read the boring bit...

I know contracts aren't exactly exciting, but they're important!

Make sure you know exactly what's included, how payments work and what happens if plans change. A good photographer will be happy to answer any questions you have.

Trust your gut

At the end of the day, trust your instincts.

If you keep finding yourself going back to one photographer's page, smiling at their photos and thinking, "These just feel like us," then you've probably found the one.

Once you've booked, relax. Trust the person you've chosen to do what they do best while you enjoy every second of your day.

Here at ZoPhoto, I offer wedding photography packages to suit all kinds of couples and budgets, from a couple of hours' coverage right through to full-day weddings, first dance and even highlight videos. Click Here to see what packages I have to offer.

If you'd like to have a chat about your wedding (or you're just not sure which package would suit you best), pop me a message. I absolutely love hearing all about people's wedding plans, and there's never any pressure to book.