Does your photographer need to have photographed a wedding at your venue before?
It is a common misconception that you need to hire a wedding photographer that has worked at your venue previously. You're new to planning a wedding so you ask Google what you need to know and there are lists of questions and advice that appear. We get it. But a lot of this advice has been written by non-photographers. Let's debunk this myth...
We adapt to each situation
Experienced wedding photographers don't need to have worked at your specific venue to be able to create natural, beautiful photos. We are there to capture your day as the event unfolds, to tell the story of your day. This is different for every couple and each wedding. It is our job as professionals to adapt to each situation as it presents itself. Some of the photos you see in our portfolio are from venues we hadn't previously worked at - you wouldn't know, right?
It's all about the light
To create natural, beautiful photos we manipulate the available light. How we use the light to photograph your wedding depends on many factors such as the weather, the season and the time of day. For example, the lighting situation for a wedding in June will be completely different to that in October. Or even, the difference between a 12.00pm ceremony and a 3.00pm ceremony at the same time of year will have a major effect on the light, and therefore the locations used and final outcome. Some people suggest meeting your photographer at the venue for a 'walk-through' a couple of months before. We are more than happy to do this at local venues if it will make you feel more at ease but it is not necessary as the lighting conditions are likely to be different on your wedding day.
Flexibility is key
We will arrive early to scout out the venue, familiarise ourselves with it and do some test shots in the various rooms and locations you'll be using for your wedding. This means we will be ready and prepared for when the action starts. We do this whether we're new to the venue or not because as stated above, the conditions are different for every wedding. For example, we recently photographed a wedding at Wivenhoe House. We have worked there multiple times before and know the lay of the land. However, on this particular day, there were construction fences surrounding the lake where we wanted to do some portraits meaning we had to adapt. There are lots of things that can crop up on a wedding day, completely unforseen, but with our experience we can keep calm and still capture those beautiful, natural wedding photos you expect.
Do you trust us?
We believe you should choose your photographer based on the connection you have with them. Being comfortable with your photographer is a much more important deciding factor than whether they've worked at your venue before. You should like them, trust them and respect them - that way the whole photography experience will be a pleasure.
Written by Eleth Mageehan, (c) 2021, all rights reserved.
