Wedding Photographers: Why We’re Worth It!

Planning your wedding is a huge task with a million things to think about…and to pay for. As the costs start to mount up, it’s natural for most couples to look at how they can trim a little bit off the edges for the sake of the budget. But when it comes to capturing your magical day, a good wedding photographer is worth their weight in gold. 

Your wedding is going to be one of the most special days of your life: a day for looking your best, celebrating and spending time with the people that you love most in the world. We’ve come a long way from the days of our parents’ weddings when all the photographer did was shoot a ton of group shots in a graveyard. No, thanks. Nowadays, it’s about creating a storybook of your day and capturing the beauty, the romance, and of course the fun. It’s about leaving you with a wedding album that you’ll adore and cherish for the rest of your lives, not one that you’ll bung in the back of the cupboard never to see the light of day again. So, this is a humble Hertfordshire wedding photographer’s desperate plea: don’t try to scrimp on your photography by falling into any of the following traps.

All The Gear and No Idea

A good camera does not equal a good photographer. You might be tempted to hire that guy with the drone and the fancy camera that’s half the price of everybody else, but let me ask you something. Van Gogh might have used the best paintbrushes in the business, but without natural talent and flair could his paintings still have resembled something that a toddler could have created? Most definitely. Photography is no different. I think of a wedding photographer as a creative artist and the camera is just one of the tools of the trade. 

The process of creating your wedding story begins with the camera and involves capturing a huge selection of images. And we’re not just talking about a point-and-click situation. You need someone who understands how to work with different lighting conditions, how to compose a shot and how to get the most out of their camera. All of this can make the difference between a photo that you scroll past and a shot that is absolutely stunning. The next component, where the wizardry of great photography happens, is the editing stage. Top-notch editing takes time, patience, and a good understanding of the available tools. Time, experience, and knowledge (which Mr Fancy Camera may not have) are essential to make your photos pop.

Never Mix Business With Pleasure

Another thought that might have crossed your mind is asking that friend or family member with a camera to take the photos for you. I mean how difficult can it be? As it turns out, very. A professional wedding photographer understands the dynamics of a wedding. This means being able to anticipate when and where the best shots can be taken, when to use artificial light, how to organise and manage group shots, and how to quickly seek out the best places for beautiful couple portraits in that little sliver of time between your guests being seated and you making your grand entrance. They’ll understand how to capture the funny, quirky moments that happen at every wedding, especially as the evening unfolds and people start to let their hair down. They will come prepared for every eventuality – spare cameras, memory cards, batteries, and enough bells and whistles to cope with any situation. Batman’s utility belt has nothing on the kit of an expert wedding photographer. Trust me.

Asking someone who would ordinarily be a guest, to cope with all of the above is unfair and a recipe for a bland wedding album that you’ll regret in years to come. So tell your Auntie Sue to set down her camera, enjoy the champagne and rest easy. I’ll take it from here.

It’s Only One Day

But it’s just one day, right? In the grand scheme of things, are you really going to look at your wedding album that much? Yes. Yes, you are. When your wedding day has been and gone there’s a real sense of anticipation and excitement about seeing your photographs. You’ll be buzzing to relive the day, enjoy the beautiful memories and cry with laughter at some absolute corkers that you didn’t even know were taken. Your photos, whether you store them online, have them printed, or immortalise them in an album, will stay with you for a lifetime. The thought of a couple regretting their wedding photos and not wanting to look at them makes me so sad that I can’t even explain it. It might be just one day, but quality photos will stand the test of time and transport you right back to that moment every time you look at them. You know how everyone says, “soak it all in because the day goes so fast,”? With good photos you get to relive it again and again.

I could go on and on, but you get the picture (no pun intended). I know it seems like a lot of your hard-earned money, but when you get that email saying, “Your photos are ready,” and you open your gallery for the first time, and again and again, you’ll know: it was worth every penny.