Photography - clueless....how much?!

Hi ladies

I'm getting married on 26 August 2012. So far we've booked our venue  - and that's all!

We're hopefully securing our steel band and DJ this week and the next big thing on my list is photographer - but I've no idea where to start!

How much should we be expecting to pay? We're thinking of also having a videographer too - is it worth it? Also, if anyone can recommend anyone (we're getting married in SW London) that would be fab!

Thanks and apologies for all the ???'s!

Hi There Jules,

wedding photographers prices range vary depending on what the have to offer such a different packages or to your specified needs. our TOG was around £600 but my OH haggled with her a bit as was suppose to be more.  remeber the photos are the most important part of your wedding, and youll want them to look great so it does take a while to find the perfect TOG, we spent ages looking for ours, and she is brilliant and photos are gorgeous. Look for a photographer who has a portofoli of weddings to show you, and some have different working styles.

i hope this helps.

Karina xx

Im struggling too....i want disc only package so that i can produce them myself.....

I have found this lady www.captureamoreweddings.co.uk....but how do you know someone is any good?  she will do it all for £225

I am paying £995 for mine.  I am south east England, I looked at loads of guys and the best two were Richard Page (who I booked as he knows my venue really well) and Andrew Dobbel or dobell?  (think he's leatherhead area -he charges 1250 for his basic package)

Have a look at some of the HIB's , there are some amazing photographers on here!

I think in our area they mostly seem to be around £1000-£1500 

I'm not doing videographer as I would watch it once then stick it in the back of the cupboard and never look at it again!

Begin your search by asking friends who their photographer was, personal recommendations are always the best if you can get any.

Next step, search the internet, papers and also here on Hitched for photographers in your area, but you need no limit your search to local as many photographers can travel. With literally thousands in the country it seems daunting I know! So do start local.

Start by looking at styles and photographs that you like, can you see your wedding in those photographs and are they what you'd like as the end product? When you find photographs you like, make sure the photographer has an extensive portfolio either on or offline. As to see complete weddings if they don't have them online.

Narrow down your choices by price and style but don't let price dictate too much. Be aware of very cheap photographers, anything below £500 doesn't leave room for the photographer to have insurance or sufficient equipment with back up. Of course there are photographers who are just starting out that can afford to do weddings for cheap because they have another job to allow them to make a financial loss for the experience, if you find one of these make sure they can show a sufficient portfolio.

Whilst prices for photographers is like the length of a piece of string, a ball park figure between £800-£2000 for the "average" disc only package in the country. Prices can peek at around £8,000.

When you've collected some that you're interested in, ask to meet to see if you like them as a person. It's imperative that you get a long with your photographer, if you don't like them, don't be afraid to carry on looking. If you like them you will be happy on your wedding day = better photographs. When you meet, make sure they are very specific about what you get for your money, this should also be clear in the contract further down the line.

How do you tell if a photographer is good? Look for image sharpness, focus, colour balance, skin tone and good expressions as basic check boxes. If they have been published in magazines that's also a great sign of a good egg.

I hope that helps, I've tried to keep it short but if you want any more specific advise I'll be happy to answer!

Good luck :)

TheHappyTog:

Be aware of very cheap photographers, anything below £500 doesn't leave room for the photographer to have insurance or sufficient equipment with back up. Of course there are photographers who are just starting out that can afford to do weddings for cheap because they have another job to allow them to make a financial loss for the experience, if you find one of these make sure they can show a sufficient portfolio.

I think this is excellent advise. Our photographers asked £900 for 8 hours on the day, a pre-wedding shoot (which is well worth doing, I was nervous but delighted that we did) with ten photos though we got about 40, and a disc with 300 with permission to print. We had spent a long time looking as to us the photos are essential and food/venue aside it's what we're spending most on. So that's an important question - how important are the photos to you?

Hey Jules

There are some really good photographers in the suppliers section on Hitched so that’s a good place to start. We a have worked with lots of different photographers and the quality can vary a lot not just with picture quality, but how they conduct themselves on the day. You really get what you pay for.  So I would say set a budget to start. Look around and see what you can get for your money. Then if you’re not impressed up the budget a bit until you start finding TOGs of the style and quality that inspire you.

Lots of people used to prioritise photos over video however we have found that in the past few years this has begun to change. The standard of videos has now greatly improved and people are genuinely shocked by how good it has got. Reading the reviews on hitched really shows how much couples value their videos.

Happy Planning!

Laura Berry

A good way to get an idea of different styles is to search for photographers who've worked at your venue. Just do a simple google search with your venue name + photographer. It'll give you an idea of different styles of photography using the same background of your venue. Then you can email those you like asking for a quote.

I am paying £2500 for a full day of photography. The package includes a pre-wedding shoot, photobooth for a few hours, HD Blu Ray slideshow DVD and 70 photos with a Queensbury album (these albums tend to bump up the prices as they are handmade but there are other cheaper good ones) and 2 photographers and a disc with all the photos.

I love photography so I was quite particular about the style of photography I wanted for the big day but I am very happy with my choice and had a little taken off the price- bonus!

We are getting married in Hertfordshire and paying £675 for:

A complimentary engagement session and venue visit.
Full cover of your day - from your bridal preparation in the morning to 1 hour after the first dance in the evening.
An online gallery with password which you can share with family and friends.
A CD of full resolution images - with printing rights so that you can print as many photos/canvases/photobooks for you and for families and friends as you choose

The lady has only just branched out into weddings after being a family/portrait photographer for years.  I like her general style (contemporary/reportage) and have seen a couple of weddings she has covered.

I did book a while ago and think her price for the above has now increased but is still pretty good.  Let me know if you would like her details as she does travel to London according to her website.

I'm not bothering with a videograper - another expense!  Have you considered something like shoot-it-yourself.co.uk?  Don't know how this compares price wise but it looks like fun!

Thanks so much for all the advice ladies - SO appreciated!