Why should you hire a professional wedding photographer?
You've spent a lot of time, energy and hard earned cash planning your wedding day, maybe you've even been dreaming about it since you were little. When your day finally arrives it will be full of fleeting moments — the laughter, the tears, the tiny gestures that make your story uniquely yours. As a relaxed, romantic, and candid wedding photographer, I’m there to capture these memories in a way that feels effortless and true to you. Hiring a professional means more than just photos; it’s about peace of mind, storytelling, and preserving the joy of your day for generations. The last thing you want from your photographer is to hear that they've upset your Grandma or lost your files. Here's why scrimping on your photography is something you can't afford...
Skill. Professionalism. Importance.
There are so many reasons why you should choose a skilled professional wedding photographer to capture your wedding day. I'm going to keep it simple and tell you about the reasons I chose to book a professional for my own wedding - and it's all about mitigating risk.
1. Skill
Here's the secret - weddings are not easy. They are high pressured, high risk and fast paced; there are no reshoots. Having the skills, expertise and knowledge (and downright tenacity) to be in the right place at the right time, behave with finesse and tact even under stress, be able to read a room or situation, and have the technical competence to still do an outstanding job when there's a hurricane outside and no natural light in a dark (but beautiful) barn crammed with 80 guests?! That takes time, education and experience. I know how to work in total darkness and blinding bright sunshine, I know how to deal with difficult vendors or family members and most importantly I know how to frame you and your wedding day to make you feel good and evoke emotions and memory recall.
2. Professionalism
It sounds like a boring reason - but it doesn't go without saying. Professional wedding photographers need to tick certain boxes that newcomers or inexperienced low budget photographers may skip on. I am fully insured and so is my equipment (your venue will check this so booking someone who isn't insured may mean they are not allowed to shoot your wedding day!) I have invested a great deal in top notch equipment (and an array of back-up equipment) so that should something happen to one of my cameras or lenses - it doesn't phase me! Technology fails all the time and as a professional who knows their stuff, I have my equipment serviced regularly, and always bring back ups so that no matter what what happens I can capture your wedding day without the need to cause you any stress.
3. Importance
This one is simple - your wedding, your people, you - are important. There are no second takes - your wedding photographer needs to get it right the first time. Treating you and your guest and your other vendors with kindness and respect all comes from skill, experience, and understanding that you and your wedding is important. Nobody likes to think about it - but our loved ones can't stay with us forever, our biggest regret is often not having enough pictures with them and I understand this better than anyone. Your wedding doesn't necessarily need to be the best day of your life, but it will be a bloody good one. It's a rare occasion where all of your favourite people will be together at the same time, looking and feeling their absolute best and filled with love for you - and that's worth capturing well, don't you think?
The takeaway - investing in the right wedding photographer is worth every penny.
"AJay is the most talented, the most professional, hard working, inventive, unique, sweetest, kindest person to share your special day with."
Sara & Paul - West Midlands Safari Park
"I hope I can portray how amazing AJay is in this review...Our weddings need to be captured perfectly in one day with no rehearsals so when looking for a photographer, my daughter came across AJay's profile and said 'Mom I've found a photographer she has blue hair!' I said 'that's it we are having her!' From the first contact until the actual day, AJay was prompt in replies, warm, knowledgeable and showed nothing was to much trouble.
On the day she arrived early to avoid traffic - and began snapping away in the first 10 mins, she honestly didn't stop all day. She knows exactly what shots to get and is so courteous with everyone to get them. I cannot stress to anyone who reads this how much they should choose AJay as their photographer!"
But phone cameras are so good nowadays, right?
They can be, and i'll always work around your Auntie Donna and Uncle Bob getting a photo of you (i'll even hold it straight for them) but they won't see your wedding day the way I do.
Your guests photos have value (I certainly love looking at the ones my guests took) but they're more likely to get a nice 'stand and smile' photo of you to send to their friends. They won't see the way your Dad looks at you when he sees you for the first time, they won't see your partners face scrunch up trying to suppress the tears, and they won't see the little kiss on the cheek from your Mom or the hug from your sister that's a bit too tight.
There will be parts of the day they are wrapped up in and too busy enjoying (and rightly so). Having a professional photographer means have somebody dedicated to documenting the important stuff, so that your guests can be present.
I respect you and your guests, I respect their excitement and give them space to enjoy the day with you.
My candid and no pressure approach means nobody gets bossed about. I balance being friendly and professional, ensuring the shots you want are captured while making sure everybody feels special and cared for.
Why Choose me to be your wedding photographer
Now that you're sold on the value of a wedding photographer, it's time to find out if I am the right photographer for you. Explore my pages to find out about my style, my packages, my core values and how I got into wedding photography in the first place.
