Unlike other aspects of your wedding, a wedding photographer isn’t something you can hear, smell or taste beforehand which makes picking the perfect photographer all the more daunting. It’s for this reason that careful research and selectiveness when it comes to skills and artistic style are hugely important when picking a wedding photographer. To make things easier, we thought we’d share our top tips…we hope this helps.
Decide on a style – before you start researching wedding photographers, it’s certainly worth thinking about the style you’re going for. This will help narrow down the search hugely and make things so much easier for you. So, what styles do we have? Well there’s documentary that offers a more candid and spontaneous insight. Instead of a series of posed photographs, you’ll receive more raw photos of guests digging into their food, laughing at the bar and dancing the night away on the dance floor with champagne in hand. These photos capture the moments as they happen, exactly as they happened too and they’ll tell a real time story. Then we have portraiture for those who prefer a classic portrait. This is much more traditional and ideal for those wanting posed shots against various backdrops. There is however, a little room for creativity within this style and the photographer will generally pick some fab spots during the ceremony or afterward for a few more relaxed shots, captured off guard to compliment the more formal shots. If you want something really different then we suggest you take a peek at some edgy and bold photography. Think of photos outside of the box, tilted angles and less than conventional framing; so instead of straight on shots of you saying “I do”, they may be tilted and offer a different angle entirely with a particular object such as a candle or flower taking centre stage.
Paul Grace Photography
Do your homework – it always pays to start your search by looking at previous interviews from recent happy couples as well as browsing local listings. Carefully review their websites and of course their previous work, as this will not only give you a greater insight into their style but their level of expertise too. You might also be able to pick up a few hints about their personality through the layout and choice of photos on their website. Is there feedback from clients on their Facebook page? What are their responses like? All of this is very telling and worth noting down.
Set up interviews – it’s hugely important to meet in person as a decision as important as this cannot be made on looks alone. If you like their website and their previous work then ask if they’re available on your wedding date and if so, meet for an interview. Be prepared to chat about the venue, its location, the greatest aspects of the venue and what you envision for your photos. Can they achieve the look? Are they happy to travel to your location etc. All of this is incredibly important.
Now of course, these are just a few hints and tips. We could quite literally chatter all day about what to consider but at the end of it all, it’s about how you feel. Do you get on with the photographer? Do you like their work and of course, are they available to attend your venue on your date? For our own recommendations of photographers, simply take a peek at our list of suppliers where you’ll find photographers who’ve not only worked at our venue before but have created some fabulous memories for happy couples too.
Today we’re looking at the wonderful wedding day of Hattie and Rhys, who said their “I do’s” on September 16th of this year right here at That Amazing Place. Hattie and Rhys has been together for eight years when they married after meeting randomly on a weekend where they were both enjoying company with friends. After hitting it off in a pub garden, and thanks to a rather persistent friend, Rhys and Hattie kept in touch and the rest as they say is history. So here’s a peek into their wonderful day…
The Venue
Photo Credit: Expression Photography
With family coming from afar, it was hugely important that Hattie and Rhys found somewhere that felt like a home from home. Hattie explained, “Being able to arrive on the Friday and relax and stay for the duration of the weekend was a great addition to what we were after. After our first visit to view That Amazing Place, we got in the car, both looked at each other and smiled; we knew it was the place for us.” The beautiful surroundings, impeccable décor and of course the staff, were huge advantages to Hattie and Rhys and convinced them quite easily that our Essex wedding venue was the one for them. They were also incredibly thankful for Paul, one of the venues owners, and event manager Angie, for making their family and friends on the day feel incredibly welcomed. Hattie describes them as being incredibly attentive throughout the whole weekend.
Theme and Entertainment
Photo Credit: Expression Photography
Hattie explained their aim was for their wedding day was simplicity; a relaxed social event and That Amazing Place became the perfect backdrop for it. This desire was reflected in the theme with simple white flowers housed in exquisite glass throughout. The colour theme was also reflected throughout the entire bridal party with adult bridesmaids wearing platinum and younger bridesmaids wearing navy. Hattie went on to explain, “The Groom and groomsmen also wore navy with navy ties and white polka dots. Rhys’s tie was navy with purple polka dots to match my shoes and bouquet.” In terms of entertainment, they enjoyed a live band called “The Money” from Nottingham. They’d seen them “perform quite a few years ago at a family’s wedding and loved the variety of their sets, so were keen to have them play at our wedding. They also did the DJ’ing in between sets and finished off our night with a requested garage half-hour!”
Catering
Photo Credit: Expression Photography
Photo Credit: Expression Photography
For their catering, Hattie and Rhys opted for one of our preferred suppliers, the fabulous Premier Crew Catering. Hattie said, “Sarah was fantastic throughout the process…we wanted a simple, relaxed and social day so we went for Afternoon Tea as our Wedding Breakfast; this was followed by a hog roast and BBQ in the early evening for all of our day and evening guests. The food was fantastic and Afternoon Tea looked beautiful on entering the room.”
Photo Credit: Expression Photography
From all of us here at That Amazing Place, we’d just like to thank Hattie and Rhys for choosing our venue and once again, say a huge congratulations! We hope to see you again soon, perhaps celebrating your anniversary in the same place you chose to say, “I do”.
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