Hi this is my first post on here so thank you for all the help!

Im getting married next year and really cant pick my photographer! I have googled it in my home town and there's about 15 pages of them and the pictures all look really nice!
We have our parents paying for the photography so really dont know who to pick, I just want gorgeous photos!

Some are like £350 and other nearly £3000. I want the best photos and because this bit of the wedding is being paid for by both sets of parents (and grandparents) we dont really have a budget as such.
Does more money = better? Usually ?

I really like the pictures with the blurry backgrounds, where my husband and I are in focus and everything else is really blurred - love this effect! Dont know if this affects price or who we pick? A lot of the ones on page 1 seem to have this effect

Thanks!

I wouldn't say a higher price always means better quality. I think what's most important is the photographers experience. I chose a photographer who has been in the business for a long time and has a good reputation. He has also photographed both my church and reception venue many times before which I think is important.
I would make a few appointments to see a few photographers and have a look at some of their previous work.

Higher price definitely doesn't mean better quality..
What I would suggest is 1. Sitting down with your H2B and drawing up a short list.. 2. Arranging a meeting with all of the ones you pick..
You won't truly know if you want a photographer unless you meet them.. The photographers we met on Friday were lovely people, but seeing a wedding from beginning to end rather than the best bits on their website made me decide they weren't for me.. Never settle for just seeing a 'best bits' album.. Always ask them to bring a beginning to end album too !

Also, set a budget and if they go over it, tell them ! I got 2 photographers down from £1300 to £700-£800 all because I said we couldn't use them as they're too much !! xxx

Wow thank you for the replies!! x

Am I allowed to links to a few different ones Im looking at? These are just on page 1 but they look really nice, but they all look nice and I dont no which to go with! I guess I could enquire with a few and see which I like the most when meeting them with my H2B? What kind of questions should I be asking, I get embarassed easily and would like to have a list of questions to ask really. Maybe my H2B would know more? (btw, i love that expression H2b!!)

I definitly like the style where they blur the backgrounds, but dont want all the pics to be posed ones, I like those where they get you when you dont know it, and you're looking natural - I do want some posed ones too but only for a few shots. Im from near Preston and we're getting married in Clitheroe if anyone knows the area.

You can post links on your wall, but not in the forum..

Never ever book a photographer without meeting them !! You need to get on with them.. Like Lou (kinda) said, they could be amazing photographers but pants people !
The blurred background is easy to do and any established photographer will be able to do it if you request ones like that.. xxx

Your page is restricted hun.. Need to unrestrict it..

Even so, I'd book meetings with all 4 if I were you.. We had one on Friday, one yday and one tonight.. Fridays and tonights are coming to us.. They usually ask which you'd prefer to do with regards to where the meeting is..
Ummm, as long as your H2B doesnt mind, I don't see the harm in your Mum going along, as long as you're not influenced by who she likes the most if.. I know she's paying for it, but it's still your day and it will be your memories for the rest of your married lives.. xxx

She's opened it, As I have just put a couple of links on her wall for her :-)

Low price does not mean poor quality, some people start at a low price when they are starting out as they don't have a big enough portfolio to demand the big money. If you are just having 1 photographer for the day then £750-£1000 is reasonable. Anything above this amount you should be getting some extras e.g. additional photographer, edited photobooks, prints. Look at their previous work and make sure you like them as a person, you do not want someone who doesn't seem to care or gets on your nerves flapping round you on your wedding day xx

Right,....

Pick a photographer for the quality of his/her work, and not on price. The reason why is, most will tailor their prices around your budget, so it depends if you want two photographers shooting bridal/groom prep right through to first dance, or do you want just the ceremony and reception, or just the ceremony?

The Ideal situation would be to find a husband and wife team, who not only take pride in their work, but throughly enjoy what they do. Not only that, they will know each other's style inside out. For example, if you look at our photographers, they are a husband and wife team, and you really cannot tell who's images are who's.

Your'e halfway there as you know what style you want in the bringing the subject to the fore, and blurring the background (depth-of-field).

When the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end, and you end up spending hours looking at the same site, then you know you've found the right one. It's no different from picking your wedding dress, trust me!

I personally think that, for a saturday wedding, with two photographers (you'll need two, trust me), from bridal/groom prep right through to first dance, realistically, you're looking at a ball-park figure of around £1500+. This would not include an album either, but this is just me, personally. £300 is too extreme I feel.

Also, don't worry too much about paying for an album - yet. Whoever you choose should say to you "look, don't worry about choosing an album until after the wedding. They come in all shames and sizes, and we need to let the size of the images dictate what album you have. In other words, we won't know until we know"

Playing devil's advocate here, we have [put some money in for an album, but we haven't chose it yet. We did this simply because it was one less thing to pay for once it was all paid up.

bear in mind you don't need to be a photographer to know a good one from bad. You just need a really good eye, which it looks like you have :-)

Thank you so much for the replies! Cant believe how helpful everyone is! x

The difference in prices is really throwing me! Cant understand why some are so cheap and others so much more! My H2b has a nice camera so maybe his eyes are better than mine at noticing the differences.
An album is something I definitely want, really want something to keep looking at :)

Im going to email each of those above and ask if they are an agency and if we can meet the actual photographer who will be taking the pics on the day.
Definitely wanting full day, right through the day photos. x

The problem ive got is too much choice! There's millions of photographers coming up, I originally said 15 pages of them, but Ive just looked again and there's more like 50! How on earth do you pick one! I am spending lots of time looking at lots of different sites but not sure if the ones on Page 1 are better or if its worth keep going through more pages? Some of the pics are so gorgeous, I wish it was me on them hah!

Word of mouth is another powerful medium. Ask friends who recently married. Who did they use? Were they any good?

whoever you go to see, don't be encouraged by andy "hard sell" tactics. If they will be of any worth, their pictures will do the talking, not them. Should that situation arise, vote with your feet.

You may also want to have groom prep as well. The bridal/groom prep IMO is essential, as this is the only part of the day that your both wont ever see unfold.

I wouldn't worry about price just yet. Book some consultations, pick the one who's style you love, and, as suggested, you must gel with your photographer as well. If you don't get along, or you think that its just a job to them, again, vote with your feet.

Whatever you do though, don't go in with an "OK, they'll do" attitude. as that's a sure fire sign that they won't do :-)

Were paying £1700 for two photographers, who will be there for the whole day. One at my H2B parents house and one at my parents.

Also we got a free Pre-wedding photos done.

Also remember that some photographers will ask for dinner if they are there all day.

We found ours at a wedding fayre and I was talking to a friend of mine about who to choose and she said if we can afford him to go for it as he is an amazing photographer.


when you meet them you will know if he/she is the right person for you as you will just feel relaxed with them and that is an important feeling as you are going to be spending the whole day with them.

I agree with Clive, im sure you will both want to see pictures of both parties getting ready.

all my friends recommended a certain man who seemed great on the website his pictures were truely fantastic and he was £1990 for the day with an album, (i dont want an album) and has been in the biz 25 yrs, but when we met him at a local wedding fayre i instantly disliked him and got the creeps. He was pervy and rude, wouldnt listen, i asked him if we could make an appointment to talk over shots etc, he actually said "you dont need one, i'm the photographer i know what pictures i will take" My mum loved him(probably because he spent 10 mins hitting on her) but i would rather not have a photographer at all than endure him all day. We walked round the fayre looking at stalls when we met my actual photographer, his pictures were top class, relaxed and natural, his personality matched ours he was easy to talk to and seem genuinely interested in our other wedding plans,and he was half the cost as he's only been going 2 years. So based on our experience i'd say make sure you get on with him/her. I personally couldn't imagine spending my wedding day being photographed by someone who made my skin crawl lol xxx