While the actual wedding season starts in November, the wedding season starts in July – August for us, candid wedding photographers, where the booking actually begins. This is one of the most important times because this is where you know whether the wedding and your team are a perfect fit for each other. You may ask how – the crux of it lies in the communication between you, the client, and your candid wedding photographer. Here are the top five things that you need to communicate with your wedding photographer before you book them and their team
Budget– We can’t stress this enough. A lot of couples feel that they will be able to negotiate and bring down the price. Please remember that this is a service and not a china-made product. The less you are willing to pay, the lesser services you will get (number, not quality). Also, negotiation is okay when it is 10-15%, not 50%. So to be fair, please be honest about your budget instead of keeping any candid wedding photographer hanging!
Style Of Photography– This doesn’t mean the candid wedding photographer’s style. It means the style that you want the wedding to be shot in. Every couple has a vision from their wedding photographs. Convey that to your candid wedding photographer. Some may want classic posed shots, while some may want absolutely candid ones. Talk to the photographer about this and see if that fits with their style of shooting.
Number Of Guests– Many couples feel that it isn’t necessary to give the final guest list to your candid wedding photographer. While we may have nothing to do with your food plate count, we need to know how big the wedding is to be able to cover it. For example, a 200 guests wedding may take 3-4 hours with one assistant, while a 700 guests wedding may require two assistants and more time. To calculate that, it is essential to know the number of guests.
Location– “How does it matter where I am getting married, you just need to shoot the wedding” – this is one of the questions that we have got very frequently. While we not trying to poke our noses in your business, you need to understand that wedding photography changes depending on light and location. If you are having an outdoor wedding, in the evening, the light is drastically different from a morning outdoor event. We need to be prepared in terms of lights, equipment and also people to accommodate those changes.
Style Of The Wedding– Most Indian weddings have a traditional style wedding followed by a reception and preluded, by a Mehendi and sangeet – but it isn’t always the case. So if you have a differently styled wedding or maybe an inter-cultural wedding with different rituals and functions, let your candid wedding photographer know. Chances are that they may not know the details of each event, so this is a good opportunity for them to know more and understand your wedding better, beforehand!
