So you have got engaged and after the party and celebrations, a new world of organising suddenly opens up for you. How on earth are you going to organise everything for your wedding day!!! What do I need to book? When do I book? how much do I pay? How do I select my suppliers? When to book your wedding photographer?.....There are so many questions to be answered. In this article, hopefully I can help with when to book your wedding photographer. For everything else, have a look at my very popular wedding timeline infographic. It covers everything from booking your church through to venues, cake maker, florists and lots of other things that will make your wedding day amazing! Click HERE for my wedding planning timeline
So, when do you book your wedding photographer? The simple answer is as soon as you can. Of course you need to go through the process of selecting the right photographer for you. I will go through this process in depth in another article. Needless to say, there will be many hours of trailing the Internet to get an understanding of what is out there.
Research and find the right style and approach for your wedding
For many brides and grooms, you have not been through this process before and it's a new world of discovery! After some research, you will start to see the difference in the quality of work between one photographer and another. You will also get to see not only different styles of photography such as classic, vintage, etc. but also the different approaches. There are those that are pure 'Photojournalistic' that are purely there to capture the day as it unfolds through to your very classic photographer that asks all your guests for a 'smile to camera' image. Most photographers sit in between these two extremes by the way.
Don't miss out on your favourite photographer
When you find a professional that suits your style and will fit in with your day and budget, its best to book them when possible. The vast majority of wedding photographers are self-employed and working on their own. Unlike a large organisation that can send the next available person to you, photographers can typically only book one wedding per day. Photographers busiest times are from April to October although many (myself included) work throughout the year. In the UK, Fridays and Saturdays are of course the busiest although I have shot a wedding on every day of the week.
Jewish weddings for instance are often on a Sunday. I recently booked a wedding on the last Thursday in October. The following day, I had another enquiry for the same date. What I am trying to say is that just because you are getting married on a Tuesday in January, don't assume that your favourite wedding photographer will be free when you get to book him.
A deposit normally secures your photographer
Booking anything for a wedding can be expensive. Suddenly you are paying out for pretty much every part of your wedding day. It normally takes only a deposit to secure your wedding photographer so don't worry about having to find the whole budget as soon as you book.
Don't assume that your favourite is booked!
Personally, I have been booked over two years out from a wedding but also booked within two weeks. Some dates seem to be super popular for no reason and others like a Saturday in August will stay un-booked. Overall, once you find your photographer or any other professional where you are relying on a certain persons skills, book them in a soon as you can.
Of course if you are currently looking for a photographer for your big day, I would love to hear from you. You can email me on [email protected] or call m direct on 07903 798 755.
