The wedding industry is unlike most others. At it’s core, it is filled with passionate small business, crafters, and specialists who all have their own way of doing things. While this is an amazing thing that allows couples endless choice and personalisation when it comes to their big day, it can also be a major frustration when trying to figure out just what exactly you can expect from any given vendor.

I’d like to do my part here to help clarify some of the process when it comes to booking your wedding photographer, this is the way that I work, and I’ve found enough common threads with others in my industry that I hope to make the process a bit clearer, and a lot less stressful.

Step one — what to look for on a wedding photographer’s website

The first step is finding a photographer, whether you’ve googled local wedding photographers, searched through wedding directories such as Hitched, or taken recommendations from other newlyweds, you’ll likely end up looking through a whole bunch of wedding photographers websites. But now that you’re there, what should you be looking for?

There’s a few things to consider here, so I’ll break it down into segments that should help:

The about me section

This might seem like an odd place to start with a wedding photographers website, surely you’d be  wanting to look at their portfolio first right? That’s not a bad instinct, but we can get there in a minute. The key thing to know is that, of your vendors, the wedding photographer will be the one you spend the most time with on your wedding day. Meaning you want to make sure they seem like somebody you’d be happy to spend that time with, this is why I always recommend checking the About Me section first. 

Your first impression here is a great indicator that they’re somebody worth going through more of the process with. Make sure to check what they say about themselves, how they like to work, and what sort of person they are. Seeing the things that get them excited might even help you find some common ground and make the task of booking a wedding photographer a little more fun, and less ambiguous.

This is also a great opportunity for you to check for red flags, does how they come across in their about me section feel right to you, or does something feel a bit too generic? If the photographer you’re looking at gives you any impression that feels slightly off, or if they come across totally different in your call with them, it might be wise to consider if they’re actually the right fit for you.

Their portfolio

Now you’ve got an idea of whether you’ll get along with your wedding photographer, and perhaps some gauge of their level of experience. That means it’s time to dive into their portfolio. The photos here will be their favourite images from their career photographing lots of unique and special weddings. The photos you see here are a great way to see what sorts of photos they love to take, so make note of what they seem to showcase more often. Pay attention to if they capture:

• lots of elegant details shots
• formal portraits
• tons of candid documentary photos (hey that’s me!) 

Seeing what they display proudly as the best of their work will help you understand the way they would approach your wedding if given the privilege.

The investment

The pricing page (often called the investment page on wedding photography websites) is a crucial part of this process. You need to know whether or not the photographer will be able to fit in to your wedding budget, and secondly what you’ll be getting for the cost you see.

While many photographers offer their prices on their website, some will ask you to contact them first to receive your brochure. I, personally, prefer to be as transparent as I can by having my prices fully laid out. That way you can decide whether or not to go forward on your own terms. 

Make sure to not just look at the numbers, but what’s included. 

Do they cover prep? Will they stay past the first dance for the party? Do you get a secure online gallery to share with your friends or family? Do you have the option to buy prints, albums, or even add extra photographers or hire video services? (Not to brag but we definitely offer all of these things.)

All of these things will help you decide whether or not the investment will be worth it for what you want to have after the wedding is done and you’re looking back at the memories.

The reviews

While there will always be some mention of reviews or testimonials on a wedding photographer’s website, make sure to check exterior sites. Places like google reviews, or even Hitched, are a great way to check that their previous clients are happy and excited about having worked with this photographer. Looking at these reviews will give you an idea of how well your own impression of the website matches up with other couple’s real experiences with the wedding photographer.

The contact page

Once you’re happy that the photographer is somebody you’re going to get along with, you like not just the style but also they kind of photos they love to take, you understand what you’re getting and how it fits in your budget, and the reviews stack up against the claims the photographer makes. It’s time. Hit the contact button, reach out, arrange a video call (or if you like to go old school meet up for a coffee or a pint to chat things over). This next step is where you get to really dig into what your possible wedding photographer can offer you and see if you’ll be as good a fit together as you hope!

Step two — what to expect from your first call with a wedding photographer

Once you’ve booked in your first meeting with your wedding photographer, you might be wondering what to expect. That’s reasonable. For most people, their wedding is the first time they’ve ever worked with a photographer and it can be hard to know what you’re looking for. With that in mind, this section will help prepare you for that discussion.

The vibes

You can also share any details you have about your day to see how they react to your ideas. It’s also a good time to get a feel for how it would be to work with them in both the lead up to, and the on the day of, your wedding. 

Their approach

It’s unlikely you’ll jump straight to brass tacks. The first part of the call is mostly just a good opportunity to talk to the person whose work you’ve been admiring and see how well they stack up with the impression you got from their about me page. This part of the call is great for an informal introduction to both yourself and your photographer. 

This is where the photographer can give you a more detailed breakdown of how they like to work, what couples they tend to gel with, and what sort of photos you can expect to see when you get your gallery. Also find out what they do on the day. Are they a fly on the wall? Will they be mingling with your guests? Will they be taking charge during the event?

Think about how you would feel most comfortable on your wedding day. Asking about your photographers approach will give you a great idea of how well they would fit in. 

For me personally, I love to dart around the wedding, chatting to guests, making people comfortable, which lets me take amazing photos of your loved ones enjoying your wonderful wedding, making it feel almost like one of your mates is photographing your wedding, but with much better results.

The cost

While you’ve got the photographer on the phone, it’s a great opportunity to dive deeper into what they provide. This can be where you ask about all sorts of things like: where they source their albums, how to order prints, what sort of coverage is included in their prices and anything else that’s popped up in conversation.

All of this should be obvious from their pricing page or brochure, but it’s handy to get the details straight from the horse’s mouth, so to speak. Making sure that that your desires align with what the photographer can provide is important. Especially keeping within the costs you’ve discussed so there are no big surprises later down the line.

If this all works and you’re finding yourself gelling well with them, it’s time to move onto the next step.

Step three — what comes after your initial call

Once you and your photographer have had a chance to chat, answer your questions, and figure out what your big day is going to look and feel like, it’s time to think about the next steps. 

Do you want to work with this photographer? Does their personality fit with what drew you to them in the first place? Do their photos and approach feel like the right fit for your big day? These are all important questions to answer. As I’ve mentioned, they’ll be with you all day, so making the right call can have a big impact on your day.

IIf everything feels right, let your photographer know that you want to book them. At this stage, they’ll send you a quote so you can start the booking process in earnest. And all you have to do is click it. Well, almost. That’s what step four is for.

Step four – how to book

As with most vendors in the wedding industry, wedding photographers typically will need two things to confirm a booking and lock in your date. These two things are a non-refundable deposit and a signed contract. Without providing those things, there’s a chance that your dream photographer won’t be able to guarantee your wedding date and may end up booking someone else.

(For this next part I will have to speak mainly from my point of view as the process can vary with other photographers.)

Once you’ve finished chatting with me, you’ll receive your quote through my online booking system, this will allow you to check exactly what you’ll be getting in return for your investment.

Accepting the quote

If you choose to move forward with me and book (which I am, of course, hoping you will), you can simply accept the quote. Once you do, you’ll receive an invoice stating your deposit amount (for me this is £250, though this can vary greatly among each business you’ll talk to). 

Signing the contract

Doing this part may seem obvious, but something about contracts make people nervous. So, I’d like to point out a couple of things to help put you at ease. When it comes to the contract, this is not only you agreeing to work with me and the things that come with hiring a contractor, it’s also my promise to you. 

My contract lets me make a promise to you that I will do everything in my power to deliver your wedding photography as we discussed, and as I said I would. It lets you rest a bit easier knowing that a professional is taking care of you. And that you can leave this in my hands without worrying. 

Once the deposit is paid and the contract is signed, we are off to the races! I’ll lock in your date, turning away any other potential couples and securing my services for your big day. 

Step five — what comes next?

This is only the start of our relationship working together. Once you’ve got me onboard, you have access to my knowledge, having shot well over 100 weddings, including advice when it comes to timelines, vendors, how much confetti you should order, photo locations, and more. 

If you want to chat about things like how long you need for couple photos, whether or not you’re doing family formals, or if you should book an engagement shoot, you can fire off these questions whenever you feel and I can get back to you as soon as possible. In the lead up to the wedding, there’s no such thing as too much communication, and if there’s anything I can do to help, I will be excited to do so. 

Step six – what do photographers do on the wedding day?

Alright, I gotta be honest. This is my favourite part. The wedding day is filled with all of my favourite parts of photography: moments of surprise, emotion, opportunities for creative and fun composition mixed with sudden bursts of romance. I love photography and the wedding day is where all of it happens. Again, this is a part where photographers each have a different approach, so I’ll go into detail of how I like to work personally.

Prep

On the day, I’ll arrive at the address for whichever partner wants photos of them and their mates getting ready. Once I arrive, I’ll introduce myself to your wedding party. I do my best to read and match the energy of the room, and quickly sink into the background, grabbing photos of you and your favourite people going about the process of getting ready for your wedding. This first step is great because you get a feel for how I work and how little I ask of you on the day. It’s crucial to me that you enjoy yourselves without the worry of posing or cliche photos. And I can just get to work doing what I do best.

The Ceremony

This sets the tone nicely for how the day continues. While there may be some personal touches, such as first looks with the wedding party, your parents, or even your partner, generally our next step will be the ceremony. Y’know, where the actual getting married bit takes place. 

Whether you’re having a church wedding, a Nikkah, a hand-fasting, or any other style of wedding, the ceremony is usually the part you’ll be doing next. I’ll head to wherever your ceremony is slightly ahead of you, making sure to capture guests mingling, the ambience of the venue, any details that catch my eye and add to the feeling of this being your wedding. And once you arrive and it’s time to get married, I stay ready, in documentary photographer mode, pouncing on any opportunity to capture a beautiful and personal moment for you both.

The rest of your day will have me doing much of the same. If you’d like some family formals and guest group shots, I’ll help your wedding party get that done quickly and efficiently. Which means you can get straight back to your guests with minimal delay. 

The reception

This is the part of the day where you get to really relax, and interact with your loved ones and revel in your newly married feeling. It’s at this point people often look to me for what to do next. The answer, fortunately, is do whatever you want! Smash some canapés, play giant jenga in the garden, challenge your gran to a game of beer pong. This is your wedding and your newly married super powers are just starting to kick in, so enjoy yourselves and indulge in the fruits of your labour.

The couple photos

Alright don’t cringe, this isn’t your parents couple photos we’re talking about here. Modern wedding photography comes with modern sensibilities, and with me that means the three of us popping away briefly from your guests to spend some time capturing the two of you looking awesome and soaking in the feeling of finally being married to your favourite person. My aim has always been to produce stunning couple portraits, in minimal time, with no awkward posing. Just take a look at the reviews to see my couples talking about how easy it felt, how comfortable they felt in front of the camera for the first time, and how much they love what we made together.

Couple photos, for me, are a chance to let you interact in a way that is comfortable and real to you both. And an opportunity to frame that interaction in cool, interesting compositions. Leaving you couple photos you’ll be proud to show off to your friends and family.

The dinner

So this is where it’s time to rest your aching feet, take stock of the day and refuel for the evening ahead. Frankly, I’ll be doing the same. I don’t photograph you or your guests eating because frankly, nobody wants those photos. So I use this as an opportunity to reset and get ready for the rest of the evening ahead. This means you get to enjoy your dinner, hold court with the folks you didn’t get a chance to see yet and relax.

The evening

So, you’ve gotten ready, you’ve gotten married, you’ve gotten some awesome photos as a newly married couple and your bellies are full. It’s time to party. You might finish dinner with some speeches, maybe the eagerly awaited best person speech (or dreaded, depending on your friends!) And then there’s some other traditions depending on your wedding. Perhaps a cake cut, a first dance, maybe multiple dance sets, or a bouquet toss. Whatever your evening plans are, you better believe I’ll be there with you capturing it all.

Once we’re partied out, but before things get messy, I’ll come and say my goodbyes. Letting you and your loved ones party on into the evening and really letting loose. 

Step seven – when and how do I get my wedding photos?

The day is done, you’re married, maybe you had a honeymoon (or mini-moon) and you’re back home reminiscing on what an incredible day you had, there’s just one thing missing. Your photos! I know the wait for your photos must seem unbearable, but I promise us photographers are toiling away, making sure your gallery is beautifully prepared and edited to perfection ready for you to obsess over. 

Normally you’ll get a handful of photos within a few days of your wedding. A little sneak peek to share with your family and friends! The full gallery, however, takes a bit longer to prepare. Here at Eyes Closed Head First, we pride ourselves on delivering quality photo galleries in a short period of time. Meaning you can expect to receive your photos in three to six weeks, unlike with some companies where you can sometimes be left waiting several months.

When you receive your photos, it’ll be in the form of a beautiful online gallery. Through the gallery, you can also order stunning large prints for your wall, beautiful albums, or even print bundles to fill your home with memories of one of the best days of your life.

Step eight – sharing the love 

Now that you have your gallery, it’s time to share. First, you can share the gallery with all of your friends and family so they can relive your special day through a different set of eyes. This is a great way to get the buzz going all over again! And they will be able to order prints through the gallery as well.

Next, of course, is sharing your photos to social! When sharing your photos to Instagram, please tag your photographer and other vendors. This is what makes it possible for our photos and products to find their way to other awesome couples! Plus, we honestly just love to see both how excited you are and which photos really stood out to you.

Another crucial thing for all small businesses is the review process. A quick review on Google makes an enormous difference to creators such as ourselves. And is another way that our business keeps finding its way to amazing couples who’re looking for the real experiences we offer.

The wrap-up

So that is, in a nutshell, the process you’ll go through for your wedding photography. From booking to delivery, it can seem like a long journey. But at the heart of it is making sure that you and your wedding photographer get on like a house on fire, that your day is captured and remembered just the way you hoped and that your wedding needs are met. Keep this in mind no matter which photographers you speak to.

Think Eyes Closed Head First might be the one? Reach out and let’s kick this all off!