When should I book my wedding photographer?

At a wedding fayre recently I was asked when was the best time to book their photographer.  They figured they weren't in a hurry, because they weren't getting married until next year.

I replied "As soon as you find the right one! I've already taken bookings!"

With so many things to arrange for a wedding, it can be a very confusing and "spendy" time, and let's face it, most people don't have much experience at organising weddings, so it can be very daunting as to what to do first and when to spend the money, so I am hoping people read this and pass on some experience that I've gained from shooting hundreds of weddings!

We photographers can only be at one wedding at a time (gone are the days of "a few pics outside the church then on to the next one"!) whereas services like cakemakers, dresses, florists, even classic cars, can serve several weddings in one day, so can perhaps be left a bit closer to your wedding.  It doesn't hurt to ask these things, but bear it in mind when prioritising your spending.

For ANY service that is a personal, one-to-one service, where they can't be in two places at once, you need to start the research, find "the one" and get them booked! This applies to people wanting to book photographers, videographers, hairdressers, makeup artists, DJs and maybe other entertainers like magicians, caricature artists and such like.

I am usually booked one to two years in advance - pretty much straight after couples set a date and have their venue booked.  I am not special - most experienced wedding photographers with a good reputation will be the same. Of course, some couples, for many reasons, have to arrange things at much shorter notice - some couples do get lucky and the date is still free - but often I have to say I'm already booked, especially for the "usual" wedding days (weekends in the summer) though weekday weddings are becoming more popular, which makes more dates available.  However, as soon as you have dates set, you should start your browsing and look to retain the services of that right person for you.  

Check photographers' websites, get recommendations from friends, read Google reviews for photographers near you.  Whichever way you start your shortlist, you should really get in touch and start asking questions, with one of the first being "are you available on x/x/x?"!

I am very often disappointed that I can't help when people enquire about dates only a few months away, because by that point their options of available photographers will be drastically reduced.  They genuinely didn't know about these timescales, but by that time it is too late, so I suggest we spread the word!

Only a small deposit is needed to secure the date for you, with the balance not needed to be paid until just before your wedding, so get looking and get them booked. 😊

https://www.dbrooksphoto.co.uk/wedding_photography_hull.htm

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