A skillfully photographed wedding album will be one of the most adored and precious items that is kept and loved many years after your wedding day. As well as conveying the emotions, romance, humour of the day, and everything synonymous with you as a couple, they are a testament to your relationship. Needless to say, such an important part of your lives should be captured by a highly qualified professional photographer.

So, what do we need to know?

Establishing open communication and an honest, helpful relationship with your photographer is important because your photographer is an important part of the day. The better photographers do more for you than simply take photographs. They help with planning, timing and even with the fine details.

It is important to have an understanding of the industry and basic business practices before embarking on a search for a professional photographer. The following information provides a behind the scenes understanding and should be used as a guide to help you select your photographer.

How much should we budget?

When starting out, it is hard to know what wedding photography costs, because photographers are not prone to advertising their prices. An important factor to remember, is that any price quoted will be a starting coverage or package price only. Every wedding is unique, as is every couple. Generally, the prices between different photographers reflect their qualifications, experience, skill, and creative style. The quality of the overall product and level of service will also vary with price.
Basically, like many services, you generally get what you pay for. Therefore, the more paid, the greater the quality of photography and professionalism.

Most photographers will have a starting package or coverage which allows for the time that will be spent together on the day and will either include a basic amount of photographs in a basic album (package) or a credit that will go towards an album afterwards (coverage). Starting amounts are usually around $1500 and generally will provide only about 20 to 30 photographs. Remember these are basic or starting amounts only and generally do not include all the extras you will want. Also, generally 20 to 30 photographs is not enough photographs to tell a full story of your wedding day, so most couples want more and better than the basic album.

You won’t really know what and how many you will need until you see the images, so you need to budget for the extras of additional photographs and a better album. Prices can range anywhere up to $5000 for a full photography package.Great photographs are hard to resist. A decision to employ a photographer based purely on price however, and not skill, generally ends in heartbreak, so think carefully before choosing a cheaper option. You will invest a lot of money on a wedding and all will be for only that one day, except the photography. This will be the one thing that you will have forever that will bring all the wonderful memories of that one day back. If money is an issue however, organise to get a better photographer, but spend a little less time with them on the day and choose a few less photographs. It will be the quality photography you remember, not the cost.

Why does wedding photography cost this much?

Photography today is expensive today because of labour and material costs. Good professional photographers also use professional equipment, film, labs and albums and unlike amateur products, these are higher in cost. There is the photographers high overheads and their time to consider. Even though you may only see them for about 15 hours before, during and after the day, they will also spend at least 30 to 40 hours producing your album. You really though, are paying for the value of a photographers style, experience, qualifications and expertise and not just for time, materials and overheads.

How should we choose a photographer?

A referral from family or friends is a good starting point. Also browse through Bride Online's Online Gallery or through our huge list of Photographers in our wedding directory.

From these sources it is best to only choose two or three photographers to start with. Picking more at the beginning will only be confusing. A lot of studios are now single operations, meaning there is only one photographer and they are usually the owner. Some have more than one photographer, and some are fairly high volume studios that call in part-time photographers to shoot for them. When choosing a studio like this it is important to meet the person that will be photographing your wedding so you can establish a trust based relationship before you even book with the studio.

Make sure the work you are viewing is that photographers work and look at complete weddings and a full set of the original images and not just the best shots from various weddings.

You cannot pick a photographer based on a brochure or a phone call price enquiry. The only way to establish the value is to meet with them, so make an appointment with the studio. In the initial enquiry allow about an hour so you can base a decision on the style, creativity and quality of the photos and albums as well as the compatibility and qualifications of the photographer. As photographers work weekends and some have days as a break through the week, evening appointments can often be arranged.

All photographers are qualified aren’t they?

No, contrary to popular belief. In this industry anyone can set themselves up to photograph your wedding and no qualifications are needed to become a ‘so called’ professional wedding photographer, which is pretty scary really. There are however photographers who do possess qualifications and you should consider these people in your choice.Viewing the photographers images and their professional manner is the first step in the decision making process. It is then advisable to check out their qualifications and professional status. Ask to see any professional photography association membership certificates. One such qualification is the Australian Institute of Professional Photography (AIPP) recently established Certified Professional Photographer (CPP) qualification.

Why should I even bother booking a photographer when my Uncle Harry has a great camera?

Remember, it’s not the great camera that takes the photo, it’s the photographer. Although a friend or family member may be a great amateur photographer, they will not have the experience, equipment or knowledge of a professional photographer. Quality wedding photography does not happen by chance. It is created by a specialised professional who has a creative eye and a genuine love of people and wedding photography. Your photographer will also need to co-ordinate the flow of the day, know all the types of shots that need taking and must be able to do all of this in variable weather and sometimes difficult time constraints.

A specialist wedding photographer can provide a fantastic story telling role and will be able to help you before during and after the day.Before you dismiss the thought of using a professional photographer for financial reasons, perhaps look at ways you may be able to afford one. You may be able to re-prioritise the wedding budget, or you could ask guests to provide money towards the photography as a gift. Some photographers have credit vouchers and you can include them on the bridal gift ideas register. Most photographers also offer layby to spread the payments for you.

Booking Your Photographer Part 2 >>

This information has been supplied by the AIPP’s new Certified Professional Photographer program in the interests of better photography.