Advice from Make Your Own Wedding!
All the advice you'll need in planning your wedding, starting with how to choose essential wedding suppliers
How to Choose Your Wedding Planner
What does a Wedding Planner do?
You’ve dreamed of the perfect fairytale wedding since you were six, and now the time has come to plan your wedding you have so many ideas you don’t know where to start. Sound familiar?
A wedding planner could be the perfect solution for you. They’ll take a lot of the stress out of your big day, but a good wedding planner or co-ordinator will make sure you’re still in control of the fun parts of your wedding.
Shop around – a good wedding planner these days will have a great website full of information. Most importantly, check the feedback page on the website – what have other brides and grooms said about their services?
A good wedding planner’s website will be professionally written, but friendly in tone so you get an idea of your wedding planner’s personality.
Is a Wedding Planner expensive? Is it worth it?
The answer is different for everyone. Think carefully about what you want to organise, and what jobs you might have to do that you’re dreading.
Are you a good organiser? Do you tend to leave things until the last minute? Do you cope well with stress? Perhaps your family is keen to help out and get involved.
Your wedding planner will work to your budget and advise you on how to allocate your wedding budget. An experienced wedding planner will have contacts in the industry and be able to get discounts for you on all kinds of things from flowers to car hire.
Your wedding planner will have a file of wedding suppliers in your area and will be able to tell you which wedding suppliers are the most popular, experienced and reliable.
A wedding planner will have tricks up his or her sleeve to achieve your dream wedding look. A good planner will have a portfolio of photographs of previous weddings in different styles, venues and colours.
It’s always a bonus if you can find a wedding planner who has co-ordinated weddings at your own venue before – if your wedding planner knows the staff and how the reception rooms will work on the day, things will run incredibly smoothly.
How to choose a Wedding Photographer
Wedding photographs are really important and you should get the best photographs your budget will allow – whether that’s choosing a top wedding photographer to take your pics, or giving Uncle Frank clear instructions on the shots you need and which way up to hold the camera.
If you’re hiring a photographer for your wedding, our tips will help you make the right decision.
Is your photographer qualified? There are various associations and qualifications a wedding photographer can have. A good indication is letters after their name: LBIPP, ABIPP or FBIPP are qualifications from the British Institute of Professional Photography.
Reportage photography or formal wedding photos?
Every photographer will have their own style and specialities. Browse the ‘real life weddings’ sections in wedding magazines and cut out photographs you like. Show your wedding photographer the style of photos you’ve chosen, then see if he or she can flick through their portfolio and show you a wedding which was shot in a similar style.
Take your time looking through your wedding photographer’s portfolio, both online and when you meet. Does your photographer’s portfolio show people smiling directly at the camera, or laughing and chatting with each other, unaware of the photographer snapping away in the background?
Are the group shots well organised? Is everyone smiling at the camera? Are people at the back wandering off or looking bored?
Are there photos of children grinning cheekily at the wedding photographer, or are they hiding behind their parents?
How many meetings would your photographer usually have with a bride and groom before the wedding, and when would they be?
Is your photographer taking notes in your initial meeting, about the photographs you like, the style of your wedding, the venue, timings, etc.?
How long will you have to decide, after meeting with your photographer for the first time?
Is your photographer booked up for the next year or so, or is there a lot of space in their diary?
How many different packages does your photographer offer, and which is right for you? Can your photographer provide references, and is there feedback on their website? Can you find any wedding forum reviews?
Was your wedding photographer easy to talk to?
A photographer should be charming, a great listener, and show they understand what you want from your wedding pictures. They’ll be there on your wedding day, so it’s important you feel at ease with them.
Make sure the photographer you speak to is the photographer who’ll be at your wedding. (In some larger businesses, you may meet with the main photographer only to find a colleague turns up at your wedding instead.)
Make sure you have a written contract you’re happy with before you hand over any money. Understand your wedding photographer’s terms and conditions fully, and don’t hesitate to query anything you don’t understand or feel comfortable with.
Think about a pre-wedding photo shoot. This is a great way to get to know your photographer bit better and you will feel more relaxed with them on the wedding day.
