Wedding Advice & FAQ - Andrew Coulter Photography
It not easy to write about yourself but here goes.. I love to photograph weddings, I love to have fun, have a laugh, and be around other people having fun. I've got a very simple approach to my photography... Have fun, cover everything, don't miss a thing,(and don't take over the day!) and make sure that you love your photographs!
I cover you whole wedding day from getting ready up until the evening reception is under way.
Your wedding photographs will look really natural, and for the best part of the day I'll photograph you having fun and enjoying yourself. I'd suggest that you get some shots with your friends and family, and maybe take 20 mins or so out to get some shots of you together, but it really doesn't need to take up the whole day.
You can have any of your photos in colour or black & white, and usually I will provide you with a mixture of both. Everything is digitally enhanced to look it's best, but I don't go overboard, as I want you to look real. If you want more airbrushing etc, of course I can do it, as it's easy to smooth skin, remove blemishes, etc! The only thing i'm not keen on is editing photos to look unnatural, such as having everything on a slant or doing a black & white photo with a bit of colour in it, as i'd love to give you photos that will stand the test of time.
Choose a photographer you can have fun with. You really need to get on well with them, as you'll be sending a large amount of the biggest day of your life with them. The vast majority of really great wedding photographs don't happen by accident. They are crafted by the person behind the camera.
Have a look at what photographs you actually get at the end of the day. It's really important to have a look at some complete weddings rather than just a sample portfolio. There aren't any passwords on the clients section of my website, and you're more than welcome to .
Photographers will always show you their finest photographs at the enquiry stage. Remember it's easy to take 3 or 4 excellent photos at each wedding, but to consistently take over 200 excellent photographs on one wedding day is another thing alltogether.
I'd suggest that we do an engagement shoot, which is usually done in the Tavistock area soon after your initial booking. It's a great way for you to get to know me, and start to build what I hope will be a great working relationship. It's a really informal shoot, and invariably takes about an hour by the time we get chatting. We'll have a lot of fun, and get some really great pictures, and i'm sure you'll love them all.
When you're having a look for your wedding venue, avoid any that insist you use their 'approved' suppliers. This way you can the day as you want it, and make it unique.
It's really hard to plan out the timescale for your wedding day, as there is always something which will change at the last minute. I'd advise allowing around 2 hours of time for milling, photography, drinks etc between ceremony and starting your wedding breakfast. So many people are really rushed on their day, and even my Wife and I made this mistake!
Silly as it may sound, but i'd suggest that you bring along some comfortable shoes (or welly boots) as well as your Jimmy Choo's. This way we can go and shoot in locations you otherwise may not wish to go, and it's a comfortable alternative for later on when no-one's looking!
What guests hate about most wedding photographers... I'm sure you've been to a wedding where the photographer takes absolutely ages. They shoot loads of groups, before taking the Bride and Groom off for 10 minutes (and came back over an hour later?) I bet you were bored! On your wedding day I want you to actually have a wedding day, not a photography day. Yes we can do some group shots if you wish, although to arrange groups does take time. As a general rule, 5 groups will take about 20-30 minutes, depending upon how many are in each group. It really helps if you have some efficient ushers.
If you have loads of group photographs, then you unfortunately have less time for other photographs of you and your guests enjoying yourselves.
Try to have something to eat in the middle of the day, as lots of people have nothing between some toast in the morning and their wedding breakfast at maybe 4pm. You'll feel a lot better if you eat something, and the champagne won't have as much of an effect!
I live in Cornwall, on the border to Devon, and just 10 minutes from the A30. Most of the weddings I shoot are somewhere between London & Cornwall, and I am more than happy to travel further if you require. Over the past year I have photographed in Devon, Cornwall, Somerset, Dorset, London, Suffolk, Shropshire & The Isle Of Man.
If you're reading this, and you feel you could add to these few snippets of advice, please do let me know!