A big thank you to John Marxis, a London wedding photographer for  sharing with us his top tips for finding and commissioning a wedding photographer for your big day.

Your wedding day is here, one of life’s greatest passages, a moment in time that changes everything. A day where you affirm your commitment to the one you love and cherish above all else – the romantic side of getting married. You hit the planning stages and begin to hear the prices of professional wedding photographers and suddenly, your heart begins to pound and your throat steadily becomes dry, you might even become hysterical. Breathe; it’s not as bad as you think. With so many different photographers out there, wedding photography is now more affordable than ever before. So, what should you look for when choosing your wedding photographer? As a couple, you don’t want to overlook the four points we at JohnMarxis believe are important to your decision making process – Professionalism, Personality, Photographic Style and most importantly, Quality of Work.

Professionalism

Yes it’s true, there are many photographers out there, but not all are professional. Too often, when I speak with friends who are married, they tell me horrid tales of how their photographer let them down by providing sub standard work. Others tell me how their photographer didn’t capture the realism of the wedding i.e. the emotions, the ups and downs, the stress, the shouting, the tears, the laughter, the joy, and most crucially, the love between the couple. As a couple, look for someone who is professional, a mind that ‘thinks behind the camera’, someone who instinctively knows what to do and captures the defining moments as they occur, someone who approaches your wedding with great love, respect and humility. It’s true, professional wedding photographers do tend to cost more and that’s because they do more for you. They focus entirely on your wedding, not only on the day itself but during the preceding weeks and those that follow, all in order to give you a gift that captures your wedding the way you want it remembered for years to come.

Personality and Photographic Style

You might be thinking what has personality got to do with finding a professional wedding photographer? It has everything to do with it. This is very often the one thing couples overlook and you can’t afford to ignore this point; if you have no rapport with your wedding photographer, then it’ll be a disaster. I’ve seen photographers who switch off during the ceremony, some even appear distracted and sluggish, as though they would rather be somewhere else. This is the wrong person to capture the joy and excitement of your day. Aim for a photographer who is energetic humble, alert, understanding, respectful and ready to make your wedding the best yet by capturing decisive moments. Have an informal discussion with them prior to your wedding day to get an idea of their personality and what they stand for. Having a conversation with them will also give you an idea of their approach to weddings, and whether you are on the same page, which is essential as this will determine whether the finished product will be to your taste and style.

Nowadays, there are many different styles of wedding photography out there but the one thing you need to know is this, photographic style is a reflection of the personality of the wedding photographer, and should also reflect that of you and your partners’. If you accidentally pick a photographer with a personality that doesn’t blend with you and your partner’s, more often than not, the photographic style is likely to be wrong for you. Here’s the breakdown of the wrong personality; they don’t allow you to enjoy your day, they keep calling and handling you to take more and more posed images, making your shots lose their authenticity and true emotions of your day – this is not what you want. The right personality captures interesting, heartfelt moments, moments you didn’t even know occurred. This unobtrusive style gives the photographer the opportunity to document your wedding in its truest form, catching unexpected moments, showing the joys of the human spirit and the charming chaos of the best man’s speech.

Quality of Work

Anyone can take pictures and call themselves a photographer, but not all photographers deliver the same quality of work. This is something you need to keep in mind when choosing your wedding photographer. Professional wedding photographers deliver outstanding quality of work. Let me ask you a question, how do you want to remember your wedding? You need to ask yourself this question because how you want your wedding remembered will play a significant role in the wedding photographer you choose. I’ve met brides who are ashamed to show their wedding photographs to friends because of the poor quality of work they received.

You can see it like this, after all is done, when all the food has been consumed and the decorations brought down, after the guests have departed and the reception venue cleared, the only thing that remains with you, are you memories and the photographs which should capture them beautifully. Above all else, your wedding photographs will be the only keepsake for your future generations. It is here that the saying “you get what you pay for” is paramount, so don’t scrimp on this aspect of your special day. However, this doesn’t mean you should go above your means as a good professional wedding photographer will be able to provide you with a good quality album based on your budget. Though your budget will restrict you somewhat, the quality above all else will remain a constant factor in the wedding photographer’s work.

Good Luck!

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You can see more of John’s fab work on his website or follow him on Twitter.