Couples most often start wedding planning with choosing a date and reserving a place for the ceremony and celebration. But how one of the next tasks is often to find the right wedding photographer. Since in recent years the range of offers in this field becomes more and more wide, then the choice also becomes more difficult. If you haven't booked your wedding photographer yet, these tips will be right on time.

A feeling will arise in the first three seconds

Wedding photographer and videographer Anda Upmale /  Riverside films x photography points to get to your true wedding photo or video master, several important steps must be taken.

1. First, she recommends finding information about the photographer's choice and offer. It can be done both in līgāvām.lv section wedding photographers , and on the website of the Latvian Wedding Photographers Association (LKFA), which offers a calendar of free photographers, as well as social networks, and guided by the recommendations of family members and friends.
   
   
   

   "In my opinion, already in the first three seconds, looking at the photographer's homepage, its design, name and surname or name, you will have an inkling whether the photographer is the right one or not. You have to see if your chosen wedding concept matches with what the photographer has already shown publicly. Are you satisfied with the colors of the wedding photos - they are clear and bright or darker and muted. It is important that you choose a photographer whose processing style completely to your taste.

   You also need to understand whether the photos have a timeless feeling, or are they not tied to someone specific probably. It is necessary to see, of course, also the full wedding gallery, if one has been published or ask the photographer view it. It's important to see that the story speaks as a whole, not just individual photos,” advises Anda Upmale.

   

Know how to interest with your message

Once several favorites have been selected, you need to understand your wedding concept and approximate budget. Anda recommends contacting several photographers that fit the concept and find out availability and approximate costs.

Next comes the sending of the first message to the chosen service provider, and in this case it is important to interest them an artist with his message, which will make the letter be answered at least twice as fast.

Anda's tips to consider when sending a first message to a potential photographer:

• Send personally to an e-mail that is publicly available on the website or in the form of a questionnaire. It is preferable not to send messages to the photographer privately on the phone or on social networks, as such may be overlooked among private ones.
• Introduce yourself!
• Specify the date of the celebration, as well as the place and the approximate length of the wedding day in hours.
• Describe the feelings you expect from your wedding day.
• Ask questions about fees and cooperation/contract conditions.

“Once you have received a reply and studied the offers of photographers, you can invite your favorites to a meeting to get to know each other in person.

Of course, again the first impression will be important and whether you have pleasant communication and feel comfortable with this person in attendance, as the photographer will be present for up to 15 hours on your special day.

You have to answer the question yourself, whether you feel confident that this person will give you a sense of security and a wedding day, you will be able to forget about the presence of the photographer and not have to worry about it," says Anda.

The contract must be concluded necessarily

The last, but one of the most important points – the contract and its conditions. Anda is sure to protect both yourself, as well as the photographer and anyone else involved in the wedding process, it is important to sign contracts that will provide security and a sense of assurance. Moreover, it should be done even if the photographer is an acquaintance or a distant relative.

1. "The contract should agree on both the number of hours and additional expenses, such as transportation expenses, if the photographer moves with his car.
2. Questions should be reserved when the order is considered delivered, what is the down payment, what happens in cases where the photographer cannot come due to some circumstances.
3. The conditions of publication and payment, as well as deadlines, should also be reviewed.

The most reasonable, in my opinion, is to pay by bank transfer, because a professional photographer does his work legally - it is also proof of payment and will give a sense of security," explains Anda.

Prefer professional or amateur?

Although the budgets of weddings and photographers are different and there will be the right one for every wedding budget, Anda is convinced that a photographer is one of those wedding positions that you shouldn't skimp on because there are other ways to save. “Average the wedding photographer's fee in Latvia is 400-1500 euros, depending on the experience and skills of the photographer. There will always be choices options – prefer a professional with a higher fee or look for a new enthusiast who will ask for a lower fee.

There is no right answer which of these to choose, as each celebration must be evaluated individually. The important thing is that the couple feels that the particular photographer will not let them down and will be there, capturing all the important moments," says Anda.

Find your wedding photographer here.

PHOTO: ANDA UPMALE // RIVERSIDE FILMS × PHOTOGRAPHY

Author of the article: LIENE PÄLĆA