How to choose the best wedding photographer - 3 Top Tips and a few pitfalls to avoid too!

3 Top tips on How to choose a wedding photographer

Choosing your wedding photographer:

When choosing your wedding photographer, it is a good idea not to have to rush, so that you can go through your options and choose wisely. As with anything you buy, the cheapest is seldom the best, and you really only get what you pay for! Wedding photography is probably the only thing that you pay for that actually lasts long after your wedding day is over.  Photographs, especially printed photographs in album or wall-art, become more precious with the passing of time and last for generations to come. Good quality prints should last long after the last notes of your music have faded into the night, the bouquet and flowers have all wilted, the cake has been eaten, the presents all opened, and the dresses/suits all folded away in a box!  So read on to find your 3 TOP TIPS to choose the best wedding photographer for you!

1 Top Tip:

Make sure you like the photographer’s style of work! It may sound obvious, but take your time to view lots of different photographers’ work and try and get an idea of what you really like. For example, some photographs are very bright and colourful, some are black and white, some may have a desaturated, aged faded colour photo look, and others may be in a sepia or crema tone, like black and white photos, but more brown and cream tone. As well as the amount of colour, or black and white, style can also mean does the photographer take lots of close up photographs of people or details, or are they all big picture/ the whole room type views, does the photographer cut off the tops of heads, like in headshots, or give mostly half body length portraits, or a mix, are the photographs very posed and formal looking, or are they more natural. For more examples of style, please email us to get the full article to info@josephinegray.co.uk

2 Top Tip: WHat’s the difference between a Full-Time professional wedding photographer, and one that has just started out?

What experience does the photographer have? Are they a full-time professional photographer, with a working business, fully insured and using professional equipment? or do they just photograph one or two weddings at weekends as a bit of extra income as well as hold down a full-time job? Can you see photographs from all parts of a real wedding day on the website, so you can see they have actually photographed some real weddings, or can you only see photographs of just a wedding couple, no guests or bridesmaids/groomsmen anywhere in sight? In which case this photographer may not have much real wedding experience and may only be showing models posing as brides and grooms. For those on a tight budget, you may need to look at a photographer with less experience or who is just starting out, which is fine, as long as they have been honest with you about their experience and what to expect, after all, we all have to start somewhere. But please do check exactly what is included in the price quoted, how many images, how many hours cover, any consultation/ pre-wedding meet? so there are no horrid surprises, and take up references and read reviews to be sure that the person is capable and will deliver finished images in a timely manner.

3 Top Tip: What about Uncle Bob - he has a camera?

And what about the friend who has a camera, or Uncle Bob who has a camera and has offered to grab a few snaps for you as a favour? Well - you wouldn’t have a home decorator cut you hair just because he has a big pair of (wallpaper) scissors!!! Or an electrician pull out your teeth just because he has a pair of pliers! (ouch!!). If you have no budget then this may be your only option, but there is a reason that full-time photographers charge the prices they charge.

This is because they are fully insured, are trained to use professional cameras and equipment, they prepare you images using professional software and editing tools so that they can give you really great photographs, where the colour balance and lighting is fairly evenly balanced across all of the photographs, and they are equipped to deliver your photographs either as a gallery to choose and download and save, or on a USB or printed in to a beautifully designed and laid-out physical wedding album . A professional wedding photographer should also have the experience to know when to be ready to capture those really special moments at a wedding that only ever happen once, for example, the look you may share with your partner as you finally meet at the end of the aisle, the fleeting glance which says a million thank yous to the person who has brought you down the aisle, and so on throughout the day. Uncle Bob may be great at photographing fields and landscapes that stay still for ever, but will he manage to capture the quick squeeze of the hand, the children running across the grass, that look you give each other that is so silent, yet speaks volumes. A professional photographer may not have ever met you before, but if they are anything like me, they will absorb your character and what makes you you, as quickly as possible, so that they can capture all those fun bits and special bits and everything in between.

BONUS Top Tip number 4: How much should you budget for wedding photography?

The answer here is - as much as you can afford! Just like everything else in life, you get what you pay for. You wouldn’t ask a gardener to cut your hair just because he has a pair of scissors, or an electrician to pull out your tooth just because he has a pair of pliers! The same goes with wedding photography! Just because someone has a camera or even, you see they take nice landscape photographs or pictures of gardens, or birds, this does not mean that they will know how to best photograph your wonderful one off wedding day! Be safe and choose a professional wedding photographer to photograph you on your wedding day. If you are on a tight budget, perhaps consider looking for less hours cover, rather than longer hours from a cheaper rate photographer that does not give you the complete confidence and reassurance in some way, that everything will be fine.

So there are your 4 Top Tips for choosing your wedding photographer. We hope you find them really helpful. If they spark any questions, please get in touch and ask us - with no obligation, we are here to help! And now, as always, I’d like to be 100% honest here and say, obviously, we would always prefer you to book us for your photography! But in truth, we really want you to have the best you can afford and have a fabulous wedding day - whoever you choose!

And whilst we are on the subject of booking a photographer! Here are a few words on why book me?

What is different about booking with Josephine Gray Photography?

And what is the difference with booking me?  Well, although photographing weddings since 2015, in December 2018, I got professionally qualified as a Licentiate Master Photographer (it’s like a one Michelin star for photography) and have won 3 further awards this summer for my wedding photography.  This means my photography, together with how I run my business, have been judged to be a consistently excellent professional and creative standard. 

I shoot with two Nikon professional cameras that are regularly checked and serviced, with dual photo cards, and with back up kit, and on your wedding day, I will upload your photos to be saved in 3 places before I can go to sleep, (to reduce any risk of loss or damaged photo cards). And on your wedding day,  I  can be creative with subtle lighting or work in natural light, on the brightest or dullest or wettest of days and in all types of venues, and am fully insured for indemnity and public liability.  

And what about me as a person? Because after all, your photographer is with you all through your special day. Well, I have photographed over 100 unique weddings - with many 5* reviews for amazing photos and also for being a calming and helpful person, who can help calm any wedding day nerves, and who gets on easily with people of all ages, and blends in with the day. 

This all means that by booking me you can reduce any photography worries and be assured of a calm and lovely photography experience for you, your families and your guests. 

I hope this and your top tips all helps you explore all options and make the best decision for you xxx

And if you’d like to chat anything through, I’d love to hear more about your plans and which aspects of the day really matter to you. 

Please get in touch - our phone number is

07824 414 444

Documentary wedding photography Aylesbury | Buckinghamshire Wedding photographer

The person you are marrying will be the new, most special person in your life, but your parent was the first, and you will always be their child.

This was the moment when the vicar asked, “who brings Lindsey here today?” at the start of this church ceremony in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire.

Such an old tradition, but so symbolic of the ending of good things and the start of things even better.

Whatever emotions you go through on your wedding day, whenever true feelings bubble to the surface - nerves, happiness, sadness, pride, and of course love,  as your wedding photographer, I will be there, quietly looking on, noticing, capturing, documenting for you.

So you can enjoy your day - without any worries about what you might not see or remember with all the excitement of the day.

Thank you for having me there to photograph your amazing wedding day - it was an honour and a pleasure. .

www.josephinegray.co.uk

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Berkshire Wedding Photographer - A Fabulous summer wedding at a pretty countryside hotel - St Anne's Manor, Bracknell

If you are looking for a pretty and luxurious wedding venue close to London, this could be it.

It was a fabulous, warm, midsummer’s day for this amazing wedding at St Anne’s Manor

Lisa and Dan were married at St Michael and St Mary Magdalene's Church, Easthampstead and held their reception at St Anne’s Manor, Bracknell.

Here is a selection of wedding photography from Lisa and Dan’s amazing wedding day.

Berkshire Wedding Photographer - wedding Hilton St Anne's Manor Hotel, Bracknell.

It was such a wonderful amazing day. Lisa had wanted some bridal preparations photographs so I arrived at St Anne’s Manor earlier in the day. I love the bridal preparations - a fabulous mix of excitement and anticipation, make-up, hair spray, dresses, friends and close family. And then off to the Church to meet the groom and capture guests arriving.

Lisa soon arrived at church. She looked absolutely stunning in her beautiful wedding dress that fitted like a dream. She was accompanied by her bridesmaids and her brother brought her down the aisle to meet her groom. Lisa managed to remain cool and with a natural beauty shining from her all day, despite the temperatures rising to well over 30 degrees C.

After the church ceremony, and a very welcome glass of water provided by the church, we captured photographs as guests came out from the church into the bright sunshine, before the bride and groom followed, greeted by a fabulous shower of confetti, cheers and well-wishes from all their guests.

Then off in the cars to St Anne’s Manor for the reception.

The photograph of Dan and Lisa inside their wedding car is one of my favourites - in black and white, you can just see the love and delight shared by this amazing wedding couple.

The reception at St Anne’s Manor Hotel was perfect. There was plenty of shade in the grounds from an ancient old Cedar tree, which meant guests were able to sit comfortably outside, despite the heat. We had time for a few quick fun family group photographs in the grounds, and candid shots of the guests laughing and chatting and enjoying themselves. As the day grew even warmer, and the temperature rose to above 33 degrees centigrade, luckily it was time to go in to the refreshingly cool air-conditioned reception and events area for a delicious Wedding Breakfast and speeches.

Evening guests arrived for a buffet and Cake cutting, followed by the bride and groom’s first dance and family dancing continued in to the evening making for a brilliant, and fun party atmosphere.

Thank you for having me there to capture your special wedding day.

All words and photographs by Josephine Gray.

©Josephine Gray Photography 2019

Copyright Josephine Gray.

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Beautiful Summer wedding in Waddesdon, Aylesbury | Buckinghamshire wedding photographer

Beautiful bride and groom here - they have stuck together through thick and thin and their love and respect and happiness just shone out for all to share.

What an honour and a pleasure to be part of their special wedding day.

Laura and Ashley's Wedding at Botleigh Grange Hotel, Southampton, Hampshire

Wowww what a fabulous day - here is just a quick sneak peak of Laura and Ashley's portrait session - a welcome few quiet moments together to reflect on the day so far after their Wedding Ceremony at Botleigh Grange Hotel.

It was a fabulous venue - we even got to climb up on to the castle roof to take a group shot!

More to follow, a quick sneak peak here of Laura and Ashley captured together beside the lake

Laura and Ashley beside the lake in the grounds of Botleigh Grange Hotel, Southampton, Hampshire

Happy Father's Day for all those proud dads!

Happy Father's Day

for all those proud dads!

Just before the Wedding ceremony begins, a bride can often find that she spends a few quiet moments alone with her dad.  

Everyone else has gone ahead and the bride and her dad wait for their turn to start down the aisle towards the groom and married life.

Hair and make-up perfect, the carefully chosen wedding dress rustling softly, the veil attached and holding firm, so far, and butterflies flitting around like jumping beans inside your tummy.  And there beside you, reliably polished and smart, re-assuringly calm and steady, and immensely proud, is your dad offering you his arm to step out with you down the aisle towards this new adventure.

Happy Anniversary!

Happy Wedding Anniversary!

This lovely bride and groom married at Hertford Castle, Hertford, surrounded by all of their closest friends and family, 

Wishing the happy couple all the best of everything for today and every day.

Thank you for having us capture your special day.

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