How to choose a photographer

Over the next few weeks I'll be adding a load of hints about how to go about choosing a good photographer for your wedding. OK so here's the first one:

Decide what is most important to you. It may sound an obvious one, but often the first thing people will ask is what is the price, quickly followed by something like 'can you provide all day coverage plus huge album plus good quality photos'?

What applies elsewhere applies to photography - you get what you pay for. If price is your driving factor, there are photographers out there who will provide you with a cheap package. I have to say here I am not one of them. That's not to say your photos won't be any good, and some photographers at this end of the market take great pride in what they provide. However in my experience (including my own wedding!) you are not likely to get anything particularly different, inventive, or enjoyable on the day. Really creative photography that is spontaneous on the day, and images in your album that are different to those of your mates and family does cost. Customer service should come as standard but there are levels of it, and you should always get good value for your money no matter what you pay - it just depends on what you value!

A note on 'Free' weddings: some people know friends or family that can help keep costs down. Many photographers will advise strictly against this, I'm not such a killjoy, especially since friends of mine were kind enough to risk me on their big day and that's how I started out. And they'll tell you this because they want you to spend your money on them.

But don't just assume that everyone who holds a camera can manage a crowd, take the right images, know how to process them and look after you properly on your day, let alone actually use the camera properly. It's about weighing up the risk against the cost - if you know they can do the job and have seen lots of their work, then you'll probably be fine. You may not get professional images, but you'll get something you're happy with and have saved money in the process.

The big BUT is whether there is anything you are not 100% sure they can do. If you're not, don't even go there, as you'll only have yourself to blame if things go wrong, and you can't ask for a refund. It's also likely  that your relationship is gonna deteriorate, and every time you look at your photos you'll have a horrible sinking feeling.

Next time: what to consider once you know what you want to pay!