You’re getting married and you want to find a wedding photographer who will be there with you as you commit to your partner in life. It’s a big deal! Not only do you want the day to be magical, but you want the memories of it to bring a smile to your face every time you look at them.

Finding a wedding photographer is crucial for capturing every moment of your special day, so take your time to choose the right one.

Book Nastia Photography and you’re done! (jk there’s probably a few more things to consider)

As a wedding photographer I have a couple of tips for you before you even start thinking about budget, before you ask for recommendations, before you start talking to photographers (which I strongly suggest you do!).

Step 1: The Approach

The first thing to think about is how you want to feel when you’re photographed on the day and how the wedding photographer’s approach might influence that one way or another.

Some people are extremely comfortable in front of the camera, they are used to and enjoy posing and want their wedding day to reflect that. If that sounds like you, you might want your photographer to take extra time and create some flat lays of details during prep, hang the wedding dress or suit somewhere else entirely, manipulate the scene a bit to create that “magazine-perfect” image, etc. You might want to be posed during couples portraits or group shots and you don’t mind spending the extra minutes to get that specific angle and recreate your pinterest moodboard. This approach places photography central to your entire wedding day so your photographer will be taking charge throughout, influencing the flow of the day. Editorial, traditional, fine art photographers are ones you’ll want to look for if you like the sound of this approach. The latter can also fall into the next category, but generally speaking fine art photographers are driven by the final imagery rather than only documenting what unfolds before them.
Then there are others who might be a bit shy in front of the camera or they just want the day to be captured as is, without really thinking about the photos and without interfering with the flow of the day. If that sounds like you I would recommend looking into a documentary photographer, someone who has a more candid, relaxed, unposed approach. They will be an observer, a fly on the wall, allowing you to immerse yourself entirely into the emotions of your wedding day, while knowing your memories will be beautifully preserved. The buzzwords here are documentary, photojournalistic, candid, lifestyle photography.

Sometimes you will want a mix of both. Many of my couples, for instance, book me for the unobtrusive natural approach, but still want a degree of guidance and bossiness for formal group photographs. I still consider myself a documentary photographer even if I direct people during group shots. I do not manipulate the scene in any way and take plenty of photos of each group to catch the natural moment rather than pose everyone.

Step 2: Visual Photography Style

Obviously you’re booking a photographer because you want to look back at your wedding photos decades from now and love them just as much as when you first received your gallery! So now I want you to think about the look of your wedding photos.

There’s a million different visual photography styles: you’ve got the golden warm “sepia” style, you’ve got the light and airy, the dramatic dark and moody, the true-to-colour bold style, muted colors or vintage film-esque look…

And it’s not just about editing, most photographers shoot specifically for their own editing style so it’s not as simple as asking a photographer whose photos are dark and moody to edit your wedding to match your light romantic aesthetic.

Moreover certain editing styles might not work with the wedding that you have in mind. For example, a light and airy photographer might not be the best choice for a winter twilight wedding, whilst a dark and moody or true-to-colour edit might truly bring out the atmosphere.

So can you possibly whittle it down? I’d start with Pinterest, of course.

Don’t overthink it and save a whole bunch of wedding photos that you like the look of.

From there you’ll see which style naturally emerges. Those photos will likely have a descriptor or tag for the editing style of your choice so that when you are actually searching for your wedding photographer, you can already be specific.

Or you can put in the type of venue you have and that will make it a lot easier to find the style that works for your wedding day best.

Step 3: All About The Money

We’re already on step 3 and still not talking to any photographers! Because there’s of course a very important aspect that you need to think of beforehand.

It’s budget. Now I realize that it’s a big topic and it’s a loaded topic and I will go into more detail in future blog posts. For example on why wedding photography costs what it costs and how to think about budgets for your wedding day.

For the purpose of this blog I’ll stick to the basics. The average price for a professional full day photography package in the UK will be upwards of £1,500 with all the right gear, insurances, experience etc. Now some wedding photographers charge less, some wedding photographers charge a whole lot more. There’s no right or wrong here although there absolutely is a point where it is unsustainable to charge so little and that might mean sacrificing on equipment or time editing. There’s also no right or wrong budget, only you can know what aspects matter most and how much money you are able to spend on your vision.
But I will say also that a wedding is a luxury and despite us being bombarded by fairytale wedding images left and right, all you really need to get married is a person who’s willing to get married to you. And everything else is just a bonus.

You might want to consider which of these bonus things are more important to you, without devaluing someone’s work or asking for “reasonable” prices that aren’t “an arm and a leg”. This doesn’t at all mean that you can’t have a set budget even if it’s way less than average. If that’s the case you might want to specify that budget when searching for a photographer, because at the end of the day we don’t pay bills in arms and legs but with hard-earned money like everyone else:)

Here are a few more ethical ideas for lowering your wedding photography budget:

Consider getting less coverage on the day. If the ceremony is most important to you, ask your favourite photographer if they offer shorter coverage.
Get some disposable cameras for your guests and see how differently people perceive the same day!

Get a photo booth for the evening for some fun snaps with your friends and family.

Or maybe you might not have a photographer at all if you’re not too fussed about it. I’ll share a big secret: I’m a wedding photographer who didn’t have a photographer or even a traditional wedding when I got married. We were young, we didn’t have the money to spend and it just wasn’t in the cards for us. Maybe for our 10th anniversary we can renew our vows and finally have some gorgeous photos to commemorate the occasion. For now I’ll always have this photo to remember the day we got married!
At the end of the day it’s just a matter of what’s the most important thing for you and paying your suppliers a fair wage.

Step 4: Make a list and get in touch!

Once you’ve figured out the approach, style and price range, you can start compiling a list of photographers you might want to contact. Use all the means available: Google, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, go to wedding fayres, venue open days, ask your friends, colleagues, neighbours… You already have the initial criteria to filter out photographers that aren’t going to be a match, so hopefully this makes the process of finding THE ONE a little easier. Make a list of your top 10 choices, unless of course you have your heart set on someone. But even then I’d write down at least a few more back-up options. Who knows, maybe your number one doesn’t have availability for your date and your initial second choice will turn out to be the best experience ever!

Before you make first contact, though, have a look at the photographers’ branding in terms of the language they use and messages they convey. From socials to website to contact form, I consider these to be yet another filter for potential clients. It’s a good way to gauge a photographer’s personality and ethics before even meeting them. For me it’s important to take steps in creating a comfortable environment for my clients and actively change the more icky aspects of the wedding industry and society like sexism, ageism, ableism, racism, homophobia, transphobia etc. So using gendered language in my contact forms would be unthinkable and would absolutely put off clients with similar values.

Now it’s time to reach out to all the photographers on your list. By this point I’m sure you’ve done your research and are ready to fill out all the contact forms so you can provide your information. Don’t be shy, we want to know as much as possible about your day and get just as excited about the details! Hopefully you’ll get a response saying the photographer of your dreams is available! Even if we’re not available, chances are we will send some recommendations of similar photographers your way. That’s what I love about the industry – community always trumps competition, and I always have a network of talented professionals to rely on and who also refer clients to me.

If you thought this was the last step though… There’s just a few more!

Step 5: A Friendly Chat

This is a step I really encourage everyone to take. It’s always a great sign when a photographer gets back to you offering a no-obligation consultation before you book. Of course, I personally cry for days if we don’t vibe and you’ve chosen someone else, but I get it!

Your wedding photographer will be with you during a monumentous day, during intimate and emotional moments, moments you will be sharing with your closest people. So naturally you’d want someone who not only is good at their job and creates gorgeous photographs, but you also want someone you can be comfortable with so you can relax and enjoy yourself.

This is why having a chance to talk in a video call or in person is crucial in figuring out if you and your potential photographer are vibing or not. I’m not everyone’s cup of tea and I’d much rather you find someone who’s perfect for YOU and your day. I think that photography is a collaborative process and some of the best work happens when there’s a genuine connection between me and my clients.

A consultation is also a great opportunity to ask a lot of questions and really get an understanding of how your wedding day will unfold and what level of support and expertise your photographer will be able to provide. Stay tuned for a dedicated blog posts on questions to ask your potential wedding photographer! At the very least, make sure to ask about how they’d handle any tricky moments of your wedding. And trust your gut. If you come out of the consultation feeling all warm and fuzzy, secure excited about your wedding, then you’re probably making the right choice!

Time to Book!

Once you’ve spoken to all the shortlisted photographers you’ll know in your heart who it is. Congratulations! Once you accept their quote, sign the contract and pay your deposit, you will have officially booked your wedding photographer. And they are going to be amazing.

Here’s some more blogs for you to read on all things weddings and photography and if you want more bite-sized content make sure to follow me on Instagram and TikTok.