How to Vet a Wedding Photographer

Photography is the vendor decision I'd spend the most time getting right, because it's the one whose output you're still looking at long after everything else from the day - the cake, the flowers, even the dress itself in some ways - is a memory rather than a physical thing in front of you.

Look at full galleries, not just portfolio highlights. Every photographer's curated portfolio looks good; that's the point of a portfolio. Ask to see two or three complete wedding galleries, start to finish, ideally from weddings similar in size and setting to yours. This tells you about consistency across an entire day, not just their best twelve shots of the year.

Ask specifically what happens if they're ill on the day. A professional photographer should have a clear backup plan - a second shooter, a network of colleagues they can call in - not a vague "that's never happened to me." It does happen, and you want to know the plan exists before you need it.

Check style match, not just quality. Documentary/reportage, traditional posed, and fine-art/editorial are genuinely different styles with different skill sets, and a technically excellent photographer in one style won't necessarily deliver what you want if you're picturing another. Be specific with yourself about what you actually want before you start comparing portfolios, or you'll end up comparing apples to oranges.

Red flags worth taking seriously:

• No written contract, or a contract that's vague on delivery timeline and number of final images.
• Reluctance to confirm insurance - most decent UK wedding venues now require photographers to carry public liability insurance, and a photographer who can't easily confirm this is a bad sign generally, not just an admin gap.
• Pressure to book immediately with no time to think, especially paired with a "discount if you sign today" - a legitimately booked-up photographer doesn't need that tactic.

On timing: good photographers, especially documentary-style ones with a strong local reputation, get booked up furthest in advance of any vendor category - see vendor booking order for where this fits in your overall sequence.