Hints & Tips, FAQs and Links

How to Choose a Photographer

With so many photographers to choose from, selecting the right one for you can seem very confusing to say the least. In our experience, there are several very important considerations to take into account when selecting your photographers.

Below are 9 useful ways to help you choose the right photographer for you.

Do you like the style and feel of the photographer's work?
Do their pictures make you feel like you were part of the celebration?
Great pictures don't just happen - they are created. Look at the facial expressions on peoples faces. Do you feel the photographer has created a happy atmosphere?
Do you like the range of albums or wedding books offered?
Does the photographer you are considering make you feel at ease?
Are the photographers you are considering fun and empathetic?
Are they flexible in their approach to you and above all would you feel comfortable with them photograph you on your wedding day?
Narrow your choice down to a final 2 photographers to consider
Ask to see two complete wedding shoots - after all photographers will always show you your best work at the intial consultation - but can they demonstrate that they can tell your complete story to the same high standard?

We should like to point out that we will always supply you a DVD of two complete wedding shoots taken within the previous 12 months so that you can clearly see the depth and excellence of our work.

Useful Planning Tips

How to get the Most from your Wedding Photographers
Usually, a church ceremony will take just under an hour before you are making your way back down the aisle as Husband and Wife. Civil Ceremonies on the whole tend to take about half that time.

Think about how long it will take you to get to the reception, and whether you will formally receive your guests before sitting down to eat.
Experience has taught us that you should allow a minimum of 1½-2hrs for photography before receiving your guests and the start of your Wedding Breakfast

This will allow us time to create and take spectacular photographs of the two of you including the all-important family and large group shots. This leads neatly to emphasizing the benefit of having two photographers instead of one shooting your wedding. Whilst all the formal and set piece photographs are being taken by me, Steve is therefore free to work discreetly in the background capturing all those fleeting moments of emotion, romance and fun. Moments that contribute so much to the story of your day, but which are so easily and so often missed.

The only complaint Guests have at Weddings
Many people have been to a wedding where the photographer seems to take absolutely forever. Guest's become bored, restless, thirsty and of course hungry. So what’s the answer?

How to get the best photography

Keep the number of photographs taken at the Church or Place of Ceremony to an absoloute minimum. This saves valuable time.
We strongly recommend that you photograph the large group shot first. This is best done at the reception straight away. Your guests can then be left free to socialise and get food and drink leaving you and your family free to have photographs taken
Shooting the majority of the spectacular pictures at the Reception venue means that the guests can relax; refresh themselves; get drinks and nibbles and generally enjoy themselves whilst we are with you. Again, having two photographers working with you means that we can work far more quickly than usual to create your fabulous photographs!

The Best Man & Groomsmen
Always our best new friends at any wedding, the Best Man and his Groomsmen are great because they are best placed to do all our bidding for us. Knowing both sides of the family and the majority of the guests, they are usually magnificent at rounding up reluctant and wayward guests in quick time. This in turn is terrific for us because it helps us to create all the photographs we need (and you have asked for) in as short a time as possible. The Groom can also help by making sure that on the day that his Best Man & Groomsmen know what they will be asked to do. They will also need to be aware that they will be required to discreetly apply a bit of authority to get things moving as necessary.

Enjoy your Day!
It almost goes without saying that we will do all we can to help you enjoy your wedding day. Better still, when you come back from honeymoon, our presentation will enable you to re-live it all over again when you see your photographs! In the meantime, if you have any questions or ideas, please feel free to contact us. We’ll do our utmost to help.

Any Questions?

We sincerely hope that our website has explained everything you need and would like to know. However we have listed our most frequently asked questions below. Since we cannot cover everything you might want to ask - we are never further from our clients than a phone call. Thefrefore, please call if you need further help.

What areas do you cover?
Based in Henley on Thames, we are ideally situated to cover all of southern England, and the Midlands but in particular: Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Berkshire, Hampshire, Surrey and the Greater London area. However if you are getting married further afield, we are more than happy to travel to your place of ceremony to photograph your wedding. For wedding ceremonies taking place beyond 50miles from Henley-on-Thames, modest travel expenses will be added to the cost of the photography -the amount will always being agreed with clients beforehand.

Do you photograph weddings abroad
Yes we do. Please call us for further details.

Is Henley Wedding Photography insured?
Yes - we have comprehensive public liability and professional indemnity insurance.

What happens in the event of bad weather?
There are a variety of ways round this. Experience, professionalism and the best technology means that we can still give you great results. We always carry professional studio lighting with us so that we can shoot professional studio quality photographs indoors at your wedding reception venue.

What professional photographic organisations do you belong to ?
We are both Associates of the British Institute of Professional Photography (ABIPP), and Associates of the Society of Wedding & Portrait Photographers (ASWPP).

How many pictures do you take?
We do not set any lower or upper limit on the number of photographs taken. More details can be found in What’s Covered.

Do you supply CD's/DVD's containing all the photographs you take?
Yes we do. It is our professional opinion that these days with so many forms of multi-media recording and duplicating devices being available, that the days of photographers being able to prevent their work being used elsewhere without prior permission or payment have long gone.
We will provide you with one disc of all the images taken to screen quality resolution with our compliments. We are happy to provide you with a disc of all images to print resolution quality but we do make a charge to compensate for the loss of any reprint orders we would have made otherwise.

Please do remember that copyright of all the photographs taken at your wedding remains the property of Henley Wedding Photography.

Do you shoot any formal photographs?
Yes - of Course! However, through our skill and creativity, our formal pictures are carefully made to look relaxed and unhurried. In addition, the added advantage of shooting with two photographers rather than just one ensures that we can take all the formal photographs a client requires (we suggest you prepare a list in advance for us) whilst at the same time taking photographs that capture the fun and spontaneity of the day.

Does Your Fee Cover Attending the Wedding Rehearsal?
We wouldn’t normally cover your wedding rehearsal, however if you feel that you would like us to attend, we would be happy to do so. There would be a modest additional fee to provide this extra service for you.

Why do we need to pay a Booking Fee?
This ensures that you definitely get the day you want and guarantees the price.

How and when do we see our photographs?
All of the images are available on-line approx 7 days after the wedding for purchase by your friends and family. We also provide you with a Proof Album which contains all the same pictures as your website. In addition, we will also provide you with a manual booking form for those friends and family who prefer not to use on-line methods of purchasing. During production of the album we will send you PDF files showing you how your photographs look in your chosen design. You can also request small changes without extra charge if you are not entirely happy with what you see.

We’re interested - How Can We Contact You?
Call or e-mail us and we will arrange a time convenient to you for a no-obligation home consultation.

Please contact Duncan MacBrayne on 0791 771 7567 or email sales@henleyweddings.com