Stop gambling your wedding photos

I’m going to say the bit no one wants to say because I’m the one who has to deal with the fallout when it goes wrong.

You only get one go at your wedding day. One go at the hug from your mum, one go at the look on your partner’s face, one go at the chaos, the calm, the belly laughs, the ugly crying, everything.

So please stop treating your photographer like a line item you can shave down until it fits. Because when it goes wrong, it goes really wrong.

I’m Chris, a documentary wedding photographer based near Gloucester, covering the Cotswolds and weddings all over the UK. I’ve seen couples get burned by budget bookings that look fine on Instagram but fall apart in real life. Deposits vanish, suppliers disappear, and suddenly you’re scrambling to fix it weeks before the wedding.

This is a bit of a rant, but it’s also solid advice. What to check before you book, what red flags to notice and how to avoid vendor chaos when you’ve got a photographer, videographer, and content creator all turning up on the same day.

1. If they are still using @gmail or @hotmail, RUN!

Yeah, I said it.

If someone is charging wedding money and they still haven’t bothered to set up a proper domain email, it screams one of two things.

Either they are brand new and have not taken this seriously yet.
Or they do not run a business properly.

A proper email costs less than a takeaway. If they will not spend a tiny amount to look legitimate, what else are they skipping?

• Insurance

• Public liability

• Backup gear

• Backup storage
  Contracts

• Tax

• Business registration

• Data protection

  
  All the boring, adult stuff that keeps your day safe and keeps your money protected

I’m not saying a Gmail address automatically means they are dodgy. I’m saying it is a massive red flag that they might be cutting corners everywhere else too. Your wedding is not the place to find that out.

2. Budget is real, but stop comparing pros to bargains

By all means have a budget. Everyone does. I’m not here to shame anyone for what they can spend.

What I am saying is this.

Do not come back to a proper wedding photographer and say you’re too expensive while also telling me you found someone who can do photo and video for £800.

We are not comparable.

You are not comparing offers, you are comparing business models, experience levels, risk, reliability, and often straight up legality.

Look at the work. Assess the skill. Look at consistency across a full day, not a few bangers on Instagram. Then ask yourself the uncomfortable questions.

Are they insured
Are they paying their taxes
Are they running this above board
Do they have proper contracts
Do they have backups
Do they have contingency plans
Do they have the kit to handle bad light, rain, tight spaces, late running days, emotional families, and a venue coordinator who wants everything done in ten minutes

Here’s a real thing I learned recently.

I’ve booked two couples this month who were both let down by the same photographer.

Not because the photos were bad. They never even got to the photo stage.

He went out of business before their weddings, deposits taken, then gone. No photographer. No refund. No second chance.

They got lucky because I happened to be free and I was able to take them on last minute. I also gave them a discount to take a bit of the sting out because I genuinely felt for them.

But that is the point. You should not have to rely on luck to have your wedding covered.

So sure, book budget. Just know what risk comes with it.

3. If you are booking photo, video, and a content creator, connect us

This one is huge.

If you have a photographer, a videographer, and a content creator all turning up on the same day with no plan, it can become chaos fast.

Someone needs to lead. Often it ends up being the photographer because we are the ones driving the timeline, wrangling groups, managing light, and making sure you actually get the photos you booked.

When you book budget video and budget content, what often happens is this.

We end up teaching them on the job.

I have worked with some incredible videographers and some brilliant creators. Absolute pros. Dream team energy.

I have also worked with newbies where it is their first wedding and holy fuck does it show. They get overwhelmed, they get in the way, they miss moments, they stress you out, and then I’m running the whole show while they follow me around like a backpack.

You should not be paying for someone to learn at your wedding.

So here’s the advice.

Introduce everyone before the day
Make sure you agree who leads during key moments
Agree what matters most to you and what is nice to have
Decide how you will handle ceremony positions, aisle shots, confetti, first kiss, first dance
Make sure nobody is fighting for angles while you are stood there trying to have a moment

And yes, I put it in my contract.

If another vendor gets in the way, ruins a moment, or causes drama, that is not on me.

I’ve had a vendor walk out halfway through a ceremony because it was too much. That happened to me in 2025.

Luckily I shoot with a 360 camera too, so I stitched together extra reels for the couple so they did not feel like they missed everything.

Most photographers do not have that safety net. Most photographers also will not go that extra mile.

So please, plan it.

4. This is the bit where I’m a bit of a bitch

Not every couple is the right couple for every photographer.

And I’m fine with that.

I’m a reportage documentary style photographer. I’m here to capture what it felt like, not manufacture a magazine shoot where you spend half the day posing and the rest of the day performing.

That also means I’m not the right fit if what you want is heavy retouching and high fashion perfection.

I will make you look your absolute best, but in a real way. Great light, great angles, great moments, great editing, clean skin work if needed, nothing that turns you into a different person.

If you are expecting me to remodel faces and bodies, reshape everything, or turn your wedding into a styled campaign, you are in the wrong place.

Also, if you think I’m expensive and you want high fashion, honey, I have a surprise for you. That world costs a lot more than you think.

And that’s not me being rude. That’s just reality.

5. Here’s who I’m for

If you are getting married and you want:

No bullshit
Fun and relaxed energy
Candid photos that feel real
A photographer who keeps things moving
Quick group photos without the pain
Someone who will actually look after you on the day
Someone who can handle chaos and still deliver

Then I’d love to be your photographer.

And if I suddenly become booked, it was definitely you and not me. 😄

If you want to chat, send me your date and venue and I’ll tell you straight if I’m free and if I think I’m the right fit.

6. More red flags people ignore

Here’s another one people never think about until it bites them.

If their whole sales pitch is cheap and quick, they are telling you exactly what they compete on. Price.

Not experience. Not calm under pressure. Not consistency. Not knowing how to handle a timeline that’s running late, a ceremony room that’s basically a cave, and a coordinator barking times while your mum is crying and your best man has vanished with the rings.

Just price.

And look, I get it. Cheap feels safe because it feels like you’re being sensible. But weddings do not reward sensible. Weddings reward prepared.

If the main thing they push is “I’m cheap” or “I’ll get it to you fast”, ask yourself why they need to lead with that instead of the actual work.

If they were genuinely solid, they’d show you full galleries. They’d talk about how they handle low light. They’d explain how they keep group photos quick. They’d tell you how they work with videographers and content creators without turning your day into a circus. They’d talk about the experience they create on the day, not just the price tag.

Also, quick delivery means nothing if the photos are average. I’d rather you wait a few weeks for something you’re obsessed with than get a gallery in seven days that you never look at again.

So yeah. When you’re shopping around, listen to what they sell you.

Because if all they’ve got is cheap and quick, that’s the whole offer. And that is a risky place to put one of the only things from your wedding that lasts forever.

FAQ

How far in advance should we book a wedding photographer in the UK

Most couples book 12 to 18 months ahead, especially for summer Saturdays. If you’re planning 2026 or 2027, earlier is safer.

What should I check before booking a wedding photographer

Ask about insurance, backups, contracts, turnaround times, and how they handle low light, bad weather, and timeline changes. Also look at full galleries, not just Instagram highlights.

Is it safe to book a budget wedding photographer

It can be, but you’re taking more risk. You want clear contracts, a proper business setup, insurance and evidence they can deliver consistently across a full wedding day.

Can you have a photographer, videographer and content creator

Yes, but you need a plan. Introduce everyone before the day and agree who leads during key moments like the ceremony, confetti and first dance so nobody blocks or ruins moments.