Our BCME Diary Of A Real Bride contributor, Maja, is back! We followed Maja’s wedding planning journey right up until the big day itself, last November, through her monthly BCME diary features. But now Maja is back to talk about what happens after you’ve said ‘I do’, and this week, she shares with us her top tips for finding the perfect wedding photographer. 

You can check out Maja’s stunning Dubai wedding at Al Qasr Jumeirah Dubai in our Real Weddings section here. 

Over to you Maja! …

When it came to finding the right wedding photographer, I had what I considered to be a fool proof plan.

Step 1: Google images of weddings held at our venue.

Step 2: Select my top 3 favourites (all different weddings) and identify who took those photos.

Step 3: Contact all three photographers to see who had the best package.

Sounds straight forward, right? My plan fell through when all three images I selected turned out to have been taken by the same photographer, Maria Sundin. Needless to say we booked her that same week. 

Whilst my photography selection process may have been unusually straightforward, there are still a key number of factors to consider (in addition to your budget) when making your selection.

♡ Do you like the style of their photos? This goes without saying, but go through their portfolio and make sure you like their style and how the photographs have been edited. If you do, then I would highly recommend meeting them face to face to determine if they’re the right photographer for you.

♡ Do you get on with them? Few people take the time to actually meet their photographer prior to booking them. I would highly stress that you make this a priority because it is so important that you have good rapport with your photographer. Don’t forget that they will be there during your most intimate moments, from when your dad first lays eyes on you in your dress, to when you are sharing private kisses during your portrait session. A good photographer should make you feel comfortable and like you can act natural in those moments.

♡ Do they listen and understand your vision? Whether you have a Pinterest board filled with must have photo poses, or prefer a more candid approach, make sure your photographer understands what it is you are looking for. We wanted to be ‘in the moment’ at our wedding and not have to spend too much time away from our guests and our photographer delivered our brief perfectly, capturing all the best moments without us even realising she was there. She was discreet, professional and knew exactly where she needed to be to get ‘that shot’ every time.

♡ Be open minded to their ideas. This slightly contradicts my previous point above, but hear me out. If your photographer is a professional, then be open-minded and listen to their ideas. Despite our photographer suggesting we lengthen our photography session, we were adamant that we wanted to spend as little time as possible on photographs. In hindsight, I wish we had spent a little longer on our portraits. This was the only time during the day that we got to spend just the two of us and it was by far the most intimate and romantic part of the day. It was a chance for us to take a breather and focus on only each other.

In short, make sure your photographer is someone who shares your style, fits your budget, and you can have fun with! Tick those three boxes and I can pretty much guarantee you will love your photos as much as we love ours.

xX Maja Xx

Stay tuned for more Real Bride insights from Maja coming soon!