Smile for the Camera

Probably the HARDEST CHOICE that we've had to make so far in the wedding planning has been the photographer. And having seen the way I flapped and faffed over just about every decision so far, I feel like this should put it in perspective.

Photography was basically the second most important thing on our list after the venue, so it felt like the pressure was very much on to Get It Right. This lead to some intensive research and listing of pros-and-cons and generally trying to make a decision.

Eventually, we narrowed it down to three photographers. The next step was - as every website, magazine, forum and blog to do with weddings ever informed us - to meet with each one to taking a closer look at their work, and get to know them a little to see if you could work with them, and discuss pricing options.

What these places all neglected to tell you was that once you have met someone face-to-face for something like this, you become somewhat emotionally invested. There is now a personal element involved, to add to the difficulty of making the decision. You're not just turning down a website, or a building, or a dress, which obviously none of those things have feelings so why would they care anyway? You're turning down a person, who has sat in your living room and done their very best to sell themselves to you at their greatest, they've drunk a cup of tea with you, and all in all been very lovely. And then you have to turn around and ultimately reject them LIKE A HEARTLESS BITCH.

 

We were in some ways very fortunate that our top three photographers were all very good at what they did, and were all very personable and generally a fantastic roster. Unfortunately this made the choice much more difficult. I could have had any one of them as my photographer and my wedding photographs would still be awesome. I told them that I would be happy to recommend any of them to people I know, and it's true, so find below:


1)  JEMS Photography 
These guys were one of the first we came across, having discovered them through a contest in a wedding magazine (which we didn't win, natch). We met John, the primary photographer, at a couple of wedding fairs as well and he was always cheerful, professional and very easy to talk to. He's known particularly in our area for this amazing night shots and use of light.

Images copyright JEMS Photography. For more examples, check out his website, or facebook page.


2)  Andrew Ward Photography 
 I loved how bright and exciting the colours were in Andrew's work. He manages to make everything seem very bold and cheerful, and that was what drew me to him in the first place. He was very friendly and confident, and brought so much to show us when he came to visit, and was really great at putting us at ease. His detail shots were what particularly caught my eye, and how dynamic everything seemed.

Images copyright Andrew Ward. To see more visit his website, or his facebook page.


3) Jon Thorne Photography
Jon was a really friendly man, and came across as very gentle and respectful, whilst knowing exactly what to do. Unlike the previous two, Jon didn't offer an engagement shoot, but this was something that actually appealed to my Jon (this could get confusing...), who hates having his photograph taken at the best of times. His photographs have some amazing textures in them, and he had experience with the types of venues we were working with, so he clearly knew what he was doing. We also really loved his dramatic skies!

Images copyright Jon Thorne. For more, check out his website or facebook page.



I cannot express how difficult it was to choose between these three photographers, and it was even harder working up the guts to email the ones we didn't choose. No-one likes giving bad news, and this further confirmed that I would SUCK as a judge on the X-Factor.

We went with Jon Thorne, by the way, and I'm super excited about working with him. Of course, given that our engagement is lengthy enough to produce 1.7 sperm whales, obviously it's been a while since we last spoke to him. And we're not due to meet with him again until a month before the wedding. Which in some ways actually means that it currently feels a little anticlimactic after the intense stress of actually choosing a photographer. OH WELL.


Did you struggle to choose any of your vendors? How did you cope with telling people you'd gone with someone else?