How to choose a wedding photographer

Ask to see one whole wedding

Any photographer can assemble a portfolio from the best ten frames of fifty weddings. A full gallery shows you the ordinary parts of a day handled well: a dim church, a crowded room, harsh midday sun, speeches, the moments nobody staged.

That is what your gallery will actually look like, so that is what you should be judging.

Look for consistency, not just highlights

Colour, skin tones and mood should hold together from morning to midnight. A gallery that swings between warm and cold, or between heavy edits and untouched frames, usually means a rushed edit.

Meet them, even on a call

You are hiring someone who will be near you during the most emotional hours of your life. If you feel watched rather than accompanied on a twenty minute call, you will feel it all day.

We are a married couple, so we tend to know where to stand and when to disappear. Whoever you choose, that instinct matters more than equipment.

Practical checks before you sign

• Confirm the person you met is the person photographing your day.
• Ask what happens if they fall ill, and whether there is a backup plan in writing.
• Check that files are backed up on the day, not just at home afterwards.
• Confirm delivery time in writing, and what a preview set looks like.
• Read the contract on usage, so you know how your photographs may be shared.

Trust the shortlist, then stop looking

Once two or three photographers feel right, more research rarely improves the decision. Pick the one whose full galleries you would happily live with and whose company you enjoyed, and let the rest of your planning have the attention.