The Liberty Pearl Photo & Film Collective
Natural & Relaxed Wedding Photography & Film Collective documenting your love, joy & happiness in Devon and Cornwall
5 reasons to hire a professional wedding photographer over a friend
Posted on April 26, 2017
Did you know that the number one regret of couples after their wedding is not investing enough in capturing their day? Some couples wish they invested in a videographer as well as a photographer while others wish they spent more on getting the best photos on their wedding day. Unfortunately, these regrets come after the wedding – once it’s too late.
While taking up the services a talented friend may save you money, it’s likely to cost you precious memories. Even if they are good at what they do, they’ll probably miss out on capturing candid moments and may not be able to work the crowd – both of which are essential for good wedding photography.
Why invest in a professional?
- They understand the fundamentals of wedding photography
A wedding photographer comes with years of experience. They understand the technical side of taking good photos as well as the creative and emotional side. An amateur photographer, however, doesn’t always have the right experience or professionalism. Shooting landscapes and capturing stunning moments from their holidays doesn’t make them a good candidate for your wedding. A wedding photographer needs to understand how to work in different types of light and how to exploit angles and poses. They also need to know all those must-have shots you’ll want to have in your album.
- They own the proper kit
If you don’t know that much about photography, it’s difficult to tell whether a photographer’s set up is good or not. Often, we’ll think that someone with a DSLR is more than capable of taking excellent photographs. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case. A professional photographer carries around thousands of pounds worth of kit. Their camera is likely to cost thousands more than any amateur. They’ll also have other accessories to help them catch those essential shots and deal with low light conditions. Most importantly, they know how to properly use their kit – which is a lot harder than you might think.
- They guarantee full coverage
Wedding photography is about more than good photos. A wedding photographer needs to know how to work a crowd, interact with guests and capture moments at exactly the right time. A friend may struggle to organise groups for photographs or miss sentimental moments as they’re off enjoying the celebrations themselves. As a friend, they deserve to be enjoying the party – which in turn will sacrifice the quality of and number of good photographs.
- You only get one chance
Your wedding day only happens once, so it’s well worth making the investment. You will never be able to capture the special moments of the day again. Once the wedding is over, all you really have left – in terms of memories – is your photographs. 
- A professional puts time into post-production too
The post-production (editing) process is as important as the photography. It usually takes more time too. It allows a professional photographer to offer something very special and creates that unique look and style each professional is known for. By editing photos on your behalf, I’ll make sure you’re left with an album of photos you adore – rather than leaving you to choose from the best of a mediocre bunch.
Professional wedding photographers are often more affordable than you might think. I offer mid-week and seasonal discounts and I’m more than happy to discuss a wedding photography package to suit you.
If you would like to find out more about our wedding photography packages and check our availability please visit our contact page and fill out our enquiry form.
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HAPPY WEDDING PLANNING XXX
A whirlwind wedding: Why you should consider one and my top planning tips
Posted on January 26, 2017
I planned my own wedding in 9 weeks so you could say I am an expert at whirl wind wedding planning!
Planning a wedding is fun – but drag out the process for years and it can take a little excitement out of the big day. You can find yourself overanalysing every element of the wedding and see fashions and trends changing – just as you’ve finally decided on the theme of your day. A whirlwind wedding, on the other hand, promises a real adventure. The wedding planning experience is full on from start to end. But you’ve got so much to be getting on with that there’s not really any time to stress. Believe me – I planned my own wedding in 2016 in just nine weeks!
The perks included:
A budget-friendly day
The only money we had available was that in our bank accounts, so we had to stick to budget. This meant we didn’t go overboard and were sensible with our spending. It was also nice not to spend years of savings on one day.
An up-to-date wedding theme
Although suppliers were limited – due to the fact that lots were booked out already – we were still able to plan a stylish wedding. Of course, we had to have an open mind about theme and style but we still ended up with the wedding we wanted.
No waiting around
I didn’t want a long engagement and thought it was pointless. I was too excited about being a wife and a bride! I also didn’t want wedding planning to take over my life for months or years – so a whirlwind wedding was perfect
All about love
When planning a wedding you can get so caught up in the little things – but they really don’t matter. By minimising time spent planning our wedding, we realised what was important about the day and were able to prioritise better.
Eight tips for planning a whirlwind wedding
Of course, I’m not telling you that every single part of the process was easy. As with all weddings, there were good and bad parts about the planning – but it only lasted nine weeks. With this in mind, I wanted to share my top tips to help you plan your wedding in just a matter of weeks too. If I can do it while juggling a busy business, so can you!
- Keep things simple
Don’t be too over-ambitious with your wedding ideas. Instead, keep things simple, as you won’t have much time to make things for your wedding or to plan extravagant décor. A simple wedding will always look stylish and sophisticated.
- Be organised
This one’s crucial. Good organisation is key when you’ve got a tight deadline. We had spreadsheets for everything but they really helped us keep track of everything we needed and dates they needed to be done by.
- Decide on your priorities
A good wedding planner friend gave me some great advice. She asked, “What are the three most important things you want on your wedding day?” Mine were guests and their enjoyment, lots of flowers, and a beautiful location, near a beach or in lovely gardens. This helped us focus our day and all the planning.
- Improve your decision-making skills
It’s so easy to go back and forth with ideas when planning a wedding but why stress yourself out about the perfect day? When planning a whirlwind wedding you have to make decisions quickly. For example, I purchased my wedding dress from the first shop I visited.
- Ask for discounts
If a supplier isn’t booked nine weeks before your wedding date, it’s unlikely they’ll receive many offers. This gives you bargaining power and many will offer you a discount in order to fill their last minute availability.
- Ask for help
If you’ve got lots to do in a short time, help from family and friends is a must. So many helped us leading up to the wedding and on the day, which was amazing. Everyone loved being part of putting it all together and it just made the experience even more special.
- Go digital
Speed up the invite process by going digital. We sent invites to our wedding website via Facebook and email and only a handful of invites were printed off for older family members. The wedding website was great and the replies were instant.
- Pick your bridesmaids wisely
Last, but not least, pick you bridesmaids carefully – after all, they’ll be providing reassurance throughout your journey. They will need to be calm, supportive and helpful and definitely not cause unnecessary stress!
Good luck! Remember, if you’re looking for a photographer for your big day, don’t hesitate to get in touch to enquire about last-minute availability. Contact me and we can have a catch up about your wedding plans over coffee!