Choosing a wedding photographer can at first seem a daunting and overwhelming task with endless options and price brackets. When apportioning a budget to wedding photography it’s a good idea to invest your money with someone who in turn invests their earnings back in to the business, uses the best equipment available and continually strives to develop their skills and knowledge. A good wedding photographer will have insurance, be genuinely interested in learning who is who on the day and offer an excellent customer experience.
If you like the images you see in my portfolio and blog, the next step is to get in touch with me via my contact page. Initially I just ask for some basic details so that I can advise you of my availability/packages and I will always respond to you within 24 hours. If you like what you see then the next step is for us to either meet up or chat over Skype/phone. I usually conduct meetings in quite location in Richmond although if distance is a problem I’m happy to arrange a meeting at a mutually convenient location. During our meeting you can tell me all about the plans for your special day and what is important to you. I will show you examples of my work whilst talking you through my approach.
If you decide that I am the right photographer for you I ask for a £300 deposit and a signed contract to secure me for the day. I never expect an immediate decision on the day that we meet so you can take all the time you need.
It’s Confirmed!
So you’ve decided that you’d like me to capture your special day – excellent! It’s a great idea to also book in for an engagement shoot with me if you can as this will get you used to being in front of the camera. Usually I find couples can be slightly self-conscious to begin with but by the end of the session they are totally relaxed and feel much more comfortable about being photographed.
Throughout the time from booking to your wedding day, I am always available either by email or phone should there be anything you wish to discuss.
Around 3 weeks before your wedding I will contact you to arrange a time to go through everything so that I know the exact timings of the day, who your most important guests are and any additional requests you might have. I like to have as much information as I can to help your day run as smoothly as possible. I will also send you a reminder to settle the final balance 14 days prior to your wedding so that the financial aspect is out of the way leaving us to concentrate on the wedding itself.
Your Wedding
On the day I will arrive, have a brief chat to say hello and then quietly get on with my work, photographing the finer details and capturing your preparations in an unobtrusive manner. By the time you are at the ceremony I will already have photographed your groom and guests arriving to the venue. From there I will capture the day as it unfolds. I am very flexible with timings should the unexpected happen and have contingency plans should the weather take a turn for the worst!
Depending on the time of day and lighting conditions we can then go straight off for 15-20 minutes to capture beautiful shots of just the two of you. This is a nice time to take in the fact that you are now married and a chance for a quick breather from the crowds in the surroundings of your venue. I don’t like to keep you away from your guests for too long and these shots will form an important part of your album.
Throughout the day I will always be close by capturing the events naturally as they unfold. During your meal I will take a short break to hydrate and have a quick bite to eat. For over 5 hours of coverage I ask that you provide me with a very simple meal to keep me going! I stay until half an hour after your first dance to capture the party starting before departing. I will then head home or back to my hotel to back up the images and rest.
After your wedding
The processing of your wedding photographs can take between 2 and 4 weeks depending on the time of year and how busy my schedule is. Once finished I will send you an invitation to view your whole album via an online password protected gallery. Shortly after this you will receive a USB drive or DVD containing your wedding images in both full resolution and web versions.
If you have already purchased a wedding album you can start selecting your favourite images. Selecting the images for your final album can be a difficult process so I am here to guide you. I will always be keeping a digital back-up of your images on my hard drives should you ever lose them. On the day of your wedding I also use 2 cameras with dual memory card slots that instantly back-up your precious moments as we go along.
Time to say farewell
Having had the pleasure of capturing your special day it’s time to say our goodbyes. Capturing your special day is a great honour and something I never take for granted. I am always very grateful to couples I work with and love to receive feedback.
Thanks,
Murray