If you’re in the planning stages of your wedding, one of the most important decisions your faced with is choosing your ideal wedding photographer. Unlike some of the other wedding services you’ll book for your big day, you’ll be displaying the wedding photographer’s work in your home for many years to come, so we thought we’d try and help you with the options you’re faced.

This week we caught up with professional wedding photographer Stacey England and posed a few questions that most brides and grooms consider when they’re planning their wedding. Based in Essex, Stacey is a professional photographer with a wealth of experience working throughout the UK.

With so many guests bringing digital cameras to the wedding, and some of them taking up to 100 snaps, what are the best reasons for a couple to hire a professional wedding photographer ?
One word professional !
A professional photographer is experienced & Qualified.
There is a big difference between Uncle Bob and his digital camera and a professional who takes photographs everyday as a living, with the latest technology & years of experience in posing and editing your wedding photographs, and guarentees they will come out and can offer you a top quality album to display your photographs in so that you’ll have your biggest day of your life treasured forever.

What advice would you offer couples when they are trying to choose between one photographer and another for their wedding ?
I can only imagine how couples get confused and lost with which photographer to pick to shoot the most important day in their lives.
Things to consider when looking at photographers are:
1 – Is that photographer qualified? and to what standard!
2 – What professional organisation backs that photographer for example MPA The Master of Photographers Association.
3- Does the photographer have insurance?
4- Does the photographer have a backup photographer?
5 – What is the quality of albums/photographic paper and finish of the display albums?
6- Do you like the photographer? It is very important that you get on with your photographer! If you do not get on then you will not be happy or enjoy your day, and you will not get the photographs you wanted.
7- Male / female? Who would you feel more comfortable with on your day?  I find that alot of women feel more at ease with a female.
8- Is the person you meet, actually the person who is going to be photographing your wedding?  Some companies are known to get you to meet a sales person. This is very important.And is the photographer you want available?
9-Prices – The old saying! You only get what you pay for! applies I’m afraid! Cheap is not always best when you come to such an important part of your day!  And expensive is not always meaning you are getting more for your money!  I believe you need to budget around £950 to get a good photographer who does not charge the earth.
10- Recommendations! Does this photographer have reviews/recommendations?

There are several different styles of wedding photography, do you have a favourite style ?
I personally specialise in a very natural, relaxed, reportage & Fun Style!  A good photographer should be able to lend themselves to the style that their couple are after, they should be able to listen to the couple’s requirements and fulfill these.
I have alot of couples who say to me Stacey we have never done this before can you help us! My answer yes of course i know what most couples have in the way of groups shoots and poses i can suggest these and show examples and together work to what style the couple wants.
After all its your day no one elses!

There are some beautiful wedding venues in Essex. Do you have a particular favourite wedding venue that you especially like taking photographs at ?
I think you need to look at as many venues as possible.
It really depends on venue you are after and what budget you have!
I do not want to favour any venues but a few to consider are: Mulberry House Ongar, Lords Golf & Country Club Rayleigh, Great Sir Hughes Barn Great Baddow & Hylands House chelmsford to just name a few.

How did you get into wedding photography, and what advice can you offer an aspiring photographer ?
Photography is a very competitive field and with wedding photograhy it is not something you can afford get wrong as its someones special day, to become a wedding photographer takes years of photography experience, its good to start on other fields of photography to gain experince with your equipment and technical knowledge. But firstly it is important to have the eye for framing photographs, then go to university or college for a qualifications, and  then get recognised but a professional body by submitting examples of your work.

Finally, have you ever had a bad experience when photographing a wedding ?
No! I remain professional & organised at all times!
You must bear in the mind the season you are choosing when selecting your wedding date in regards to the weather, and you can have beautiful days in spring and autumn and you can’t guarentee sunshine on a summers day.  No one can control the weather so bear this in  mind when selecting your venue and discuss this with your photographer.

Stacey England LMPA
Master Photographer
www.seweddingphotography.co.uk

Thanks to Stacey for her time, if you’d like more info, please visit our Essex Wedding Photographers page or visit her personal website S E Wedding Photography.