Choosing The Best Wedding Photographer For Your Big Day

Finding the best wedding photographer – What to look for

Choosing a wedding photographer in Ireland for your big day is no easy task and there’s a plenty to pick from. You’ll want to do your research when looking for a photographer, take a look at Google Reviews, ask your friends and family for recommendations and start looking at some portfolios.

There’s a lot of different styles of photography – and we’ll get to that – but ultimately it doesn’t matter a whole lot if you’re not a photography buff or you don’t know what style you’re looking for, the most important question to ask is, do you like their work?

If you’ve made a short list of potential photographers, take a good look at their portfolios. Look for weddings that are around the same time of year as yours, different venues they’ve photographed, perhaps they’ve already shot where you’re getting married and try to picture yourself in those images and think about how that might feel. We’re all different and some of us adore the camera while others are a little shy, and if that’s the case you’ll want a photographer who’s style is more relaxed.

You’ll know what’s going to suit you and your big day best.

Do I need a wedding photographer?

When it comes to having mementos from your wedding, it’s not worth compromising. It’s one day that you’ll want to relive again and remember every way that you can, especially as the years roll on. Wedding photographs compliment wedding videos fantastically and we love teaming up with great photographers on the big day.

How much does a wedding photographer cost?

The cost of a wedding photographer will vary on their experience level, location and how much coverage you’re looking for on the day as well as deliverables like photo albums and prints. A broad strokes cost estimate could be anywhere between €2,000 and €5,000 dependant on what you might choose from their offerings.

Is it worth it? Absolutely. Pick the right photographer for you and you won’t regret it.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at what to consider when hunting for your wedding photographer in Ireland.

Wedding photography styles

As with wedding videographers – and everything else for that matter, style is key and every photographer has one. The one that’s going to suit you and your day is up to you to decide. You’ve got your friends recommendations, been trawling through the internet, screen grabbed some samples from OneFabDay, and you’ve made your short list of potentials.

So, what’re we looking at?

• Traditional – Classic wedding photography that you’ll recognise from… anywhere. Even your parents wedding album! Almost every wedding photographer has some of this traditional style mixed in on the day for formal shots and family portraits. Simple compositions, nothing crazy or off the wall but still looking great a couple of decades down the road.

• Natural / Documentary – A photographer that stays out of the limelight and leaves it for you and your guests to enjoy. For those that don’t like too much posing and aren’t too fussed about an epic magazine cover couples shoot, this is the one for you. A natural photographer will let your day play out… well, naturally. They’ll help you look your best during your couples shoot without being overbearing and for those of us who are a little camera shy, you’ll be in safe hands.

• Contemporary / Modern – your photographer is working with you to get everything you want captured on the big day. You may have seen and love their work, adore their wedding portfolio and that’s how you want your day captured. Ireland has no shortage of some amazing contemporary wedding photographers making some absolutely stunning images and if you love the camera, hands down this is the way to go.

• Blended Styles – Many wedding photographers are their own blend of the styles above resulting in a style of their own. If you’ve come across one that really speaks to you, you know what to do.

The bottom line, what do the photographs actually look like – The colours, the vibe: full of drama or light and airy, the use of natural light or flash, wide shots, intimate close ups. Pay close attention to what you’re drawn to when looking through a potential photographers portfolio and tease out what might suit you, what you’d like to look back on in an album and the photo you’d like to see hanging on the wall.

Ultimately, you’ll know what feels right for you and your plans for the big day, lean into it.

Who Luminaire Weddings absolutely loves working with

With almost a decade of wedding experience under our belt, we’ve worked with the best wedding photographers and made some great connections along the way. There’s a whole lot to choose from out there but here’s some of our favourite photographers that we’ve worked with (and would gladly work with again) who bring some extra personality to your wedding day with no extra fuss.

Here’s our shortlist, in no particular order:

Art Wedding Photography (Seb) / artweddingphotography.eu

Rita Slattery / ritaslattery.com

Livia Figueiredo / liviafigueiredo.com

Niall Scully / niallscullyphotography.com

Rob O’Neill / roboneillphotography.com

Ivana Pataricic / ivanapatarcic.com

IG Studio (Greg) / igstudio.ie

Jonathan Ryder / jonathanryderphotography.com

Aidan Beatty / aidanbeattyphotography.com

Pawel Bebenca / pawelbebenca.com

Mrs Red Head (Olga) / mrsredhead.com

Nick O’Keefe / nickokeeffephotography.ie

Wrapping up

Hopefully some of our tips on what to look for when looking for the best wedding photographer for your wedding has been helpful and that some of our own top picks in the game suit what you have in mind for you. Remember that the best judge is always going to be you and how you feel about a photographers images is a real marker on who to choose, go with your gut.

As always, we’re here to help with anything wedding related so if you have a burning question or need any advice, feel free to drop us a line anytime.