If you’re reading this article then there is a fairly good possibility that you are either looking for a Wedding Photographer. If, like most, you’ve fired up Google and done a search for Wedding Photographers then you’ll be staring at approximately 31,000,000 results. If you narrow that down and search for counties then you’ll still be staring at a big number! Wedding Photographers Berkshire for example will return nearly 300,000 listings. So how do you narrow it down and find the ideal photographer for you?

When talking to prospective wedding photographers it really helps to have an idea of what you actually want from your wedding photography. Do you want a majority of candid photographs that tell the story of the day with the odd formal group, or would you prefer a large number of formal groups or a mixture of candid, fun and formal photographs?

When setting your wedding budget, strike a balance between cost and quality and choose an affordable wedding photographer who has a proven track record of capturing the romance and emotion of wedding events.

Once you have an understanding of what you are looking for it will make choosing a wedding photographer much easier.

Talk to your prospective photographers; ask if you can view a gallery or two of complete weddings, not just their favourites.  Even though you are not looking at your wedding there should still be a connection.

Make sure you talk to your prospective wedding photographers and explain what you are looking for. Make sure that your styles match, it’s much better to do this early than receive your wedding photographs after your big day and realise that you don’t like what you’ve paid for.

Bear in mind that you will be spending a large portion of the day with your wedding photographer so make sure that you both get on as it will make all the difference!

Price is a consideration, but the least expensive photographer won’t be a bargain if your wedding photographs are a disappointment.

Amongst all the highly important decisions that you need to make about your wedding are matters related to the wedding photography.  These photographs are the lasting reminder of your special day that you and your friends and family will treasure for years to come.

These days, there are two main types of wedding photographs, there are those that we call ‘Formal’, these are stylised photographs where the people photographed are posed by the photographer.  Then there are those that we call ‘Informal’, these are ‘Photojournalistic’ shots, these are taken throughout the day without the photographer interfering, just snapping away, taking the type of natural shots you just can’t get from a posed photograph.

It seems that everyone has an opinion on which types of wedding photography they like, but we thought it would be good to give you some information on both types of photography and then let you make your own informed choice.

Formal Wedding Photography

This type of photography is popular with parents and is what people are used to seeing in albums up until the late 90s.   Whilst it is sometimes considered out of fashion these days, your family will expect this type of photo to place on their mantelpiece.   This type of photography really has stood the test of time and offers the more classical, permanent reminder of your big day.  Weddings can be formal events, so formal wedding photography suits this atmosphere.

The main benefit is that the photographs will be attractive and come out as predicted.  The downside is that photographer becomes a ‘director’ of photography and most guests don’t enjoy being in this type of picture.

Informal Wedding Photography

This style of photojournalistic wedding photography is very popular and if properly performed, will produce a beautiful visual record of your entire wedding day.  There may not be any posed photographs, but you do get to capture those special moments that a posed photograph can’t reveal.

The main benefit of this type of wedding picture is that you will be able to show the full narrative of your day.  The downside is that the results are somewhat unpredictable and you may regret not having posed for photos for your album.  On the whole, your Mum and your Grandma may not want to put this type of photograph on display in a frame in the living room.

Our best advice is that it is simply a matter of preference. But, if you really cannot choose between the two styles – why not mix some of those traditional posed shots that your family will be happy to frame, alongside some of the photojournalistic ones that capture moments of spontaneous magic?

Regardless of the style of photographs that you want, make sure that you choose a photographer who can give you precisely what you’re looking for.  At Paul Glavin Photography, we can mix traditional formal photography with contemporary photojournalist shots that will offer you the best of both worlds.  Contact Paul Glavin Photography | Berkshire Wedding Photographer today.