HOW DO I FIND A WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER? (PART 2)

5 questions any wedding photographer should be asking you.

Ok, you have read part one and found your wedding photographer, right?

No? A hypothetical shaking of my little finger is now taking place. Only kidding, if you haven’t read How to find a wedding photographer , click here. It has lots of tips which are too good to miss and will really help in narrowing down your search for a wedding photographer.

You have booked your wedding photographer, you have asked all the questions you need to ask and you are sure they are the right photographer for you. However, there are a number of questions that your wedding photographer should be asking you and if they haven’t, why haven’t they?

Love story

One of the first things I want to know from my couples is their love story, how they met and fell in love, all the mushy stuff! I love hearing about it all, how your fiancée proposed, what you like to do in your spare time.

It allows me to really get to know you as a couple as well as starting to form a friendship between me and you which inevitably leads to more relaxed imagery, both in the engagement shoot and on the wedding day (See my article Engagement Photography tips.) This is helped even more by the creation of a Pinterest mood board.

The whole effect allows me to start to tune into you as a couple, what you like to do, where you like to hang out and that is important as it allows me to pinpoint your priories and express your personality in the photos that we create together.

Timeline

As we get closer to the day I need a range of information from you. One of the

first things I will need is to sit down with you both and work out a timeline. This is really crucial not just to me, but so that every vendor understands

what is happening and when. A timeline feels a bit like military planning, trust me I

used to be a CI in the air cadets, and as such have been involved with planning that

requires down to the minute accuracy. Although not quite that bad, a timeline does

allow a degree of flexibility, but it is still a really important tool for everyone involved.

The one certain thing is that your wedding reception will start on time regardless of

anything else.

VIPs

One of the next things I need is a list of names, and ideally photographs. of all the people in the VIP wedding party. It is much more friendly when someone knows your name, and although I may not always get it right, I will do my best learn the names of all the people who are most important to you both.

Along with this please tell me if there are any family dynamics I need to be aware of, a list and names of immediate family, any special people and older members of the family that you would like a special photo with.

Group photos list

It’s getting to be quite a list in its own right, isn’t it?

Next I need a list of photographs that you both want of your family, and friends.

This list should ideally contain no more than 8 photos as it will take approximately 5 minutes to find people and pose each shot. On average venues give photographers about an hour to take these shots during the cocktail hour.

Along with this list, I need the names and mobile numbers of two people attending the wedding who know everyone, but are not part of the immediate wedding party. This will really help to speed up the whole process as they can be getting everyone together while I pose and take the photo.

Please see my article on wedding group photos.

GDPR

We are on the final countdown.

One of the most important pieces of paperwork I will need from you is a list of all the children under the age of 13 who will be attending your wedding and a signature from their parents to say that they can appear on my website. Of course no names will be mentioned, but the law now requires that this is in place to protect all children. If any of your guests do not want their children to appear in my website and withhold their permission then it is the parent’s responsibility to ensure that their child does not have their photograph taken at any point during the day.

And finally

6. List of vendors

I always ask my brides for a list of all vendors, and their contact details, involved in your day. This allows me to email them with an introduction if I have never worked with them before and to confirm any details that we may need to work on together. This collaboration helps us all to have a great working relationship on the day and makes your day run more efficiently.

About Helen Chapman Photography

My philosophy:

“To provide excellence by placing YOU, Your dreams, Your wants, Your needs in the heart of everything I do”.

“To create beautifully, naturally, authentic, fun, romantic heirloom photography, that YOU are guaranteed to love and that will be cherished by future generations to come”.

“To provide YOU with a truly exceptional service through following my core beliefs of honesty, fairness, integrity, determination and creativity.”

I have been helping couples plan their weddings in the stunning natural landscape of the Devon countryside, rugged moorland of Dartmoor and spectacular seascape of the coastline of Devon, Somerset, and Cornwall for years and I’m using that experience and relationship with a great network of wedding vendors to help you plan your special wedding day. Why not take a look at my Client resources pages & Check my availability for your wedding and book a call today.

And check out my FREE ” HOW TO CREATE THE PEREFCT WEDDING PLANNING TIMELINE”.