When you first meet with your wedding photographer it is important that you ask certain questions so everyone knows where they stand. These are the 10 most important questions that you should get answers to.
This is essential. Without a contract and a written agreement, you have no comeback if you don’t receive the service or products you were expecting. If you were considering hiring a wedding photographer and find that they will not give you a written & signed contract then walk away and find someone else.
We at Bexhill Film Company provide contracts, for each of our services, these can be viewed at request before you put down a deposit.
Check that your chosen photographer has Public Liability & Professional Indemnity insurance. You need to be sure that they can cover the costs if something goes terribly wrong. Also, some wedding venues will actually insist on this if they have expensive paintings or artifacts.
We are fully insured and have public liability, these documents can be seen at request.
Can the photographer offer an adequate replacement if he or she falls ill or breaks a leg before the wedding day? You can simply ask the question and you will know how confident you feel when you get an answer. If they cannot give you a clear and concise answer in response to a very serious question, then you might want to rethink. An unsure reply, full of um..s and err..s might mean that they have not really given thought to how they would manage the situation - in which case, what else might they have not given thought to?!
This is the great thing about booking with Bexhill Film Company, we have a team of photographers, so we have a backup, if that fails our contracts will insure if we don't then find a suitable replacement, we will refund you in full.
An assistant can help the photographer by freeing them up of equipment and helping with various little jobs - fetching water, holding second cameras etc. Whilst a second shooter can offer an alternative point of view (literally) it is certainly not essential. Some photographers will bring a second shooter, some will charge for this and some will happily work alone with just an assistant carrying bags. If you would specifically like a second photographer to be present, make sure you find out how much this might cost.
This option is always available with Bexhill Film Company, if this is something you would like please do ask prior to booking.
For us, an engagement shoot is an essential part of the ‘preparation’ process, and gives the photographer and the couple a great opportunity to work together in a relaxed manner with no pressure. As a couple this can give you quite a boost of confidence in your attitude towards having your photographs taken.
We always bring a camera along to our consultations and if your comfortable with a few pictures we will be more than happy to take them.
Again, this is something that needs discussion well before your wedding day. The last thing you want is for your cake cutting and first dance timing to have overrun by half an hour and for your photographer to tell you that they have finished for the day ... or that if you want them to stay it will cost you an extra couple of £100. On the other hand, some photographers will not limit the number of hours they stay at all, so this will not be an issue. Whatever the options & possibilities, make sure you understand exactly what is and what is not included well in advance.
we always have a flexible approach to our full day packages and we know all days are different, we will be there for prep until after the first dance to insure we get a few pics of your guests dancing.
Some studios have several photographers who they hire out for weddings. Make sure that the photographer you are meeting and getting to know is the same one who will shoot your wedding. If you have taken the time to go and visit the studio, there’s little point having a complete stranger turn up on your wedding day. with Bexhill Film Company we do have several photographers and videographers, but we always make sure your initial meeting will be with Luke Jones who runs Bexhill Film Company and if he is not doing the job himself he will be accompanied by the allocated photographer.
This can be quite a touchy subject. Occasionally, as photographers, we get a guest or family member who is an avid picture taker and who will, seemingly, do their best to get in the way and have a go at being a pro for the day. It’s important to remember that you have paid a lot of money to have a competent professional do the job correctly. Whilst we certainly don’t mind guests standing beside us for any group shots we are setting up, it’s only respectful that the guest photographer stands aside when politely asked (or even better, beforehand) so the professional can get on with their job, unhindered. You would hate for us to miss a shot because Uncle John stepped in front of us at a key moment... and he didn’t get the shot either!
All photographers will manage their workflow differently, and it could be argued that there is no right or wrong way - everybody will do what they think is right. What is important is that your expectations are set, that you are given a realistic idea of how long you will have to wait before you see your proofs after the wedding day and that this promise is met.
we say approximately within 4/8 weeks this scale depends on the time of year and how many weddings we have booked in around that time, as wedding season June-Sept is the busiest time of year. We would estimate around 6/8 weeks.
This is one of the main differences between a professional and an amateur. Any photographer worth their salt will always have backup equipment in case their main tools break.
We carry two cameras with us (and are able to shoot with just one). The same goes for flashguns, batteries, memory cards etc and have regular intervals where we will copy all the pictures onto our laptop to insure everything is safe!
