Lottie Designs is an incredible fine art, documentary wedding photography company based in the same beautiful county as me, Lancashire.
Lottie and I knew each other on social media for a while before we got to work together on a wedding (I have more friends online than I do in the ‘real world’). I knew I was going to LOVE working with her because her style and how she comes across seemed so very similar to me. We both love a spot of baking for clients AND she’s included Audrey Hepburn on her About Me page, what’s not to love?
I’ve had the pleasure of working alongside her a few times now and our styles match well.
We become the perfect wedding team on the day, it’s super fun, relaxed and there’s no awkwardness for anyone (something you can find if the photographer hasn’t quite gelled with the couple).
There’s never a dull moment and it creates a great atmosphere on the day. Because I enjoy her company so much at a wedding I am always recommending her to my couples and my friends.
This was Stuart and Sarah’s wedding at Eaves Hall. I can’t find a single photo or video still of us together because we worked too well at not being in each others shot! One of my favourite things to capture is in-between the photographs when the couple are enjoying a bit of a chat (and sometimes gossip) with us both!
I felt it would be nice to introduce her properly and let her give you a few tips for finding your perfect wedding photographer…
“Well my biggest criteria for booking with clients is that we get along and gel as a threesome. Sounds really corny but if they don’t GET me and my work, then its a recipe for disaster.”
And she’s so right. I love chatting in detail with my couples before they book me too, finding out more about their day and what films they’ve enjoyed on my website so far. Lottie is the same and we both love to have our clients meet us in person to see if we all get along…
“Most of my potential clients come and meet me at my home, we talk about the day and what they are planning, and I don’t SELL myself at all, I ask about their day to get to know them. Right at the end of the meeting I’ll give them a price list to take away (all my prices and diary are on the website so they know what the costs are before they come) Personally I hate a hard sell, so i don’t sell at all, leave it up to them.”
Back when I was a Bride I hated the ‘hard sell’ too. Wedding fairs were like running a gauntlet at times trying to dodge all the leaflets being thrown at you. They could be great for meeting someone informally and chatting to them without too much pressure but meeting people at their homes or studios can help get a better vibe of how they are and how they work.
After all, you’ll be spending a lot of time with them on the day so if you feel comfortable and relaxed in their company when you first meet then you’re going to feel confident in front of their lens on your wedding day I promise!
“It helps if we have common ground, so they might like dogs or have one coming to the wedding, or i might have shot a friends wedding and they were guests, so they’ve seen me work, or they love shortbread and I always bake for them at the meeting
I think to get the best from me they have to be able to relax around me, so we can have a laugh, make the day run smooth, and hopefully then they can allow themselves to enjoy the process of getting the images. Most clients have hang ups about themselves or a really self conscious when it comes to being photographed, so I spend a lot of time talking them through the day so they know what to expect.”
Yep. I didn’t even include my own wedding vows in our final wedding film because I hate my voice. I totally regret that now!
Yes we will be self-conscious about things but picking the right photographer will hopefully mean you’ll forget all about them and enjoy your day being super relaxed and grinning from ear to ear!
If you do have any worries then chat to them about it, I’m sure they’ll be more than happy to help and have experienced those concerns before.
“I was advised once that complimenting your clients when you first meet them is a good way to break the ice, and I do. After a wedding no one remembers what you said, no one remembers what you did, but they do remember how you made them feel. I love this. My mantra :-)”
Don’t you love this?
She’s totally right isn’t she?
If you go away feeling excited about your wedding and what they could do for you then it’s highly likely you’ve found ‘the one’ (it isn’t just saved for ‘the one’ with your wedding dress you know, it goes for Photographers and Videographers too…)
You can read more about how awesome Lottie is over on her website here. Or why not send her an email and arrange a time to meet (and eat shortbread) with her?