Wedding Photographer

sparky40

Hey all,

My other half and I are considering getting married later this year and are struggling to find a MSE photographer. We will be having a small service with maybe 15/20 family and friends, a few pictures somewhere and then a meal for said 15/20 ppl.

Everyone I am looking at online seems to be coming in at £895 and this seems way over our budget. They all seem to offer packages that include loads of things that we dont want or need.

Has anyone any recommendations of a good photographer who would be perpared to 'step out' of the normal package deal. We are based in Belfast.

Cheers!!

Contemplates

Sparky congrats on your big decision. I can understand why you are so skeptical about spending so much for something you don't quite want!

Depending on how much money you are wanting to save, have you thought about asking any friends or family if they are or know any keen amateurs? Everyone has to start somewhere, and having seen plenty of wedding shots, there are a lot of very good amateurs about. Of course saying that there are an equal number who are just beginning, and I can understand that you want to make sure you have some great memories after the day.

Being an amateur myself, I know I really relish the opportunity to further my skills, and will jump at any opportunity, so as long as you ask around, you are bound to get some good feedback from interested photographers. It'll give them some good practice, and they will also be keen to build on their portfolio so they too can charge £900 for a couple of days work!:rotfl:

If you are considerin this option however, I would advise you to take a look at sone wedding photos and try to pick a few types and styles of shots you like, and show these to your chosen photographer, amateur or not. I would also ask to see some examples of any amateurs previous work, which they will happily show off, just so you have a rough idea of what sort of quality to expect.

Hope this helps?

joefizz

It depends on what you are looking for and when you are getting married.
If you are aiming to get married on a Saturday then no-one is going to cut you a deal with the possibility of turning down a higher paid job later.

Similarly theres the old 'sure its only an hour photography' type argument but that ignores the pre and post meetings, the shooting time, processing times, insurance etc etc. I personally dont book more than one job per day and I do this full time with insurances, clearances, paying tax blah blah blah.

There are plenty of students and part timers out there who might suit your budget but its the whole caveat emptor thing (and the recent UTV programme). I had one of the unlucky couples contact me desperate for a photographer to do their wedding this week - only to offer the money they were going to pay them and they cleared off with it!

Like others I do a bespoke, varied, digital only package but I wouldnt be classified as a MSE photographer - try phoning around a few people as depending on the date they might do a digital only rate.
If it really only is a few pictures somewhere for a small party then do consider a lot of disposable cameras and hand them out.

tara747

sparky - congratulations , and I do hope that you find a good photographer. I am of the opinion that you get what you pay for with photographers, on the whole. It just depends what is important to you.

For me, the photos would be one of the most important things about a wedding - you have them forever, so I would be prepared to spend a little more to get a REALLY good photographer. I agree that it will be difficult to get a discount if your wedding is on a Saturday.

It's all about priorities, and whether you are willing to cut back on something else to have good quality photos.

Are you willing to take a risk on someone less experienced for your wedding day for the sake of saving £300-400? Or do you have a friend who is good at taking photographs? How would you feel if they turned out badly? If you are still willing to take the risk, then good luck, and I hope it works out fine (which it may well do!).

The disposable camera idea is a good one too, and would be fun. Have a lovely day.

ETA: not sure whether we can make recommendations, but this woman (Suzanne Toal) did my friend's wedding and the photos are stunningly beautiful. I would definitely book her if I was getting married, no question. No idea how much she charges though, sorry.

http://www.zanni.ie/

Milko

This is a mate of mine who has just started out recently & is pretty affordable
http://adamshawphoto.co.uk/
Give him a shout

debt_cruncher

PM sent

DC

Lirin

PM sent

JMurph

http://www.dylanmcburney.com

He is excellent!

Jimbob86

guys what about these guys ten twenty one photgraphy ( can't post link coz i am a newbie, google them!)
I got a price for a engagement sytle shoot and they seemed very resonable, there photos are lovely
Congratulations by the way!

Ive_A_Horse_Outside

Im with Tara747 on this. You really do get what you pay for and you will want great quality pictures to look at for the rest of your lives together.

Im getting married next June and we have picked a photographer who we have seen at other friends, family weddings and we know his pics are great - not stiff statuesque poses and we will treasure the pictures forever.

liz-paul

I'm with most other posters, a good photographer will cost several hundred to several thousand and there is a reason for it; they have trained and worked for many years to get the skills they have, spent a lot on quality equipment & they will also spend quite a bit of time on doing your photos before and after the day.
But..... If the photos aren't that important to you (which they aren't to everyone) then loads of people have half decent SLRs nowadays and if you aksed all of your guests to take pics and send you copies you will most likely get some decent shots. Or possibly you could contact a local college and get a student to do it. But neither of these options are fail safe. It depends on your priorities....