What are the benefits of a photographer actually working at the venue before?

“They know what it looks like and the areas that will make a good picture and what lighting equipment to bring”. A visit to the venue before hand or even on the day of the ceremony will give the photographer a working knowledge of the venue. This would not take a decent photographer any longer than 30minutes to fully view and understand the venue. And as for lighting there are so many factors that a photographer would and should take an assortment of equipment to cover as many lighting scenarios as possible.

“They have worked with the venue and understand how the venue operates”. A phone call to the venue planners/bookers will give the photographer all the information and rules the venue operates on. This should take no more than 10minutes for a photographer to understand the do’s and don’ts. And the photographer will know that the bookers of the venue 9 times out of 10 will not be the staff on hand on the day of the ceremony anyway.  And a good photographer will want to communicate with the venue and ensure that the day runs smoothly anyway as it is to all parties benefit anyway.

So is it really important that your photographer has worked there before? Or is it a bonus if they haven’t? Let me explain that. As a photographer a new venue that I haven’t shot before literally sends me into a frenzied excitement, just like a kid in a sweet shop. All the new possibilities for shots and backdrops really get ones creative juices flowing. Surely that has to be a bonus and counterbalances the fact the photographer hasn’t shot there before.  And to be honest, we all see things differently, I for one get excited by a garage door with peeling paint, as I think it makes an amazing backdrop to a couple. So I try and get things like that into the shots, the couple will want certain shoots of them and the venue. So they bring an element of knowledge regarding the venue and any photographer that doesn’t work with the couple on what they want isn’t really worth it are they? After all it is the couple’s day and we are paid to shoot what they want. Aren’t we?

Alot of venues will operate a preferred suppliers list. And they will heavily sell the idea that it is better to use suppliers off the list and will state some of the reasons mentioned above for this. Again there are some benefits, namely you won’t have to do as much research into suppliers if you operate from the list. But if you did source your own suppliers it can ensure that your wedding is truly unique.  And to be honest some venues take a percentage off of the supplier’s commission to be on the list, this is an old fashioned approach but believe me it still exists. So it is in the venues interest to push their suppliers. But is it in your best interests? You are the only one that can make that decision. When Rae and I got married, we knew from the start who was going to shoot our wedding before we even had a venue. We actually turned a venue down as they were so pushy on the fact that they we should use a photographer from their suppliers list. They actually said “Well you can use your own photographer, if you meet all 14 photographers on our list and if you don’t like their work. We will then meet your photographer and if we like his work and get on with him we might allow him to shoot your wedding”. This is of course their prerogative but as I was paying for our wedding not them, We had who we wanted. Obviously, they lost our booking and we went somewhere where we could have our wedding exactly the way we wanted it, with our own suppliers.  I can safely say that this venue has now changed their approach, as I shooting a wedding there this year and I’m not on their list. But don’t get me wrong alot of venues have a recommended suppliers list and suppliers can only get on the list if they have worked there before and the venue can vouch for the quality and professionalism of the supplier. That is helpful to couples. But you should ask the right questions i.e. do the suppliers pay to be on the list? Can I use my own suppliers? I would be wary of any venue that is really pushy that you use their preferred or recommended. After all you are paying for the services not them.

So to sum it up. There are some benefits if the photographer has worked at that venue before, but I think it is more important that your photographer is the right person for you not your venue. After all they will be with you for the majority of your most important day. And a good photographer will do their homework anyway and be like a boy scout and “be prepared”.

If people only booked photographers that have worked at their venue before, there would never be any new photographers in the industry and wedding photography wouldn’t have evolved from what was around in the 80’s.

Below are some images of venues that I have worked at and all the images were taken the first time I worked there. And I will happily recommend each of these venues as they were all a pleasure to work with. I am not on their preferred or recommended suppliers list and I do not receive any payments in any way to actually recommend them to you. “It is your day and you should have it your way”.

Luton Hoo Manor Hotel. Don’t be fooled by the name. It is on the outskirts of Luton but it is like taking a step back in time. Grandness oozes out of this grand hotel. No wonder four weddings and funeral used this in the movie

Downs hall a beautiful old country house transformed into a hotel on the Herts and Essex border.

Cooling Castle barn. This is very local to me and is very popular destination with residents of Medway, has so many lovely quirky areas for excellent shots.

Coltsford Mill a contemporary in surrey with wonderful grounds and alot of water and funky buildings

St John the Baptist Parish Church Penshurst. This church is so special, I dare you to take one look at this church after you have walked through the amazing traditional English village of Penshurst, Kent and dare not to full in love with it.

Maidens Hall Barn. Set in North Essex this barn has so many hidden gems for photographs

Ware Priory is a Grade 1 listed building with picturesque gardens set in the stunning Hertfordshire town of Ware.

Lympne Castle a wonderful castle on a hill top on the Kentish coast, it also has a church next door so if you still wanted a church wedding it is almost as if the wedding is in one location

Please see the Prices page for all about my straight forward approach to packages available and if you have any questions then please visit the FAQ page.  If you are interested in booking Aaron please see the contact page for ways to Contact him

If you would like to see more examples of Aaron’s work please look at his Galleries page or if you would like to read more of his Blogs go to that page

If you like this post please like my Facebook page as sneak peeks are often put up on there before being blogged

Aaron is a young dynamic photographer that specialises in weddings. Aaron is based in Kent, but covers all of the UK and is happy to travel to destination weddings.

The post Venues, venues venues! Should you only book a photographer that has shot a wedding at your venue? appeared first on Aaron Tommasi Photography.

A couple of weeks ago I had the lovely Heather and Dan visit me for their pre-wedding shoot. It was snowing quite heavily when they arrived. But in true British grit, we wrapped up and got on with the job in hand. The shoot was in Rochester and I feel that it captures the couples personality quite well. I cannot wait for their big day.

If you would like to view more images of this shoot please click on this link and it will take you to Aaron’s Flickr page for this shoot.

Please see the Prices page for all about my straight forward approach to packages available and if you have any questions then please visit the FAQ page.  If you are interested in booking Aaron please see the contact page for ways to Contact him

If you would like to see more examples of Aaron’s work please look at his Galleries page or if you would like to read more of his Blogs go to that page

If you like this post please like my Facebook page as sneak peeks are often put up on there before being blogged

Aaron is a young dynamic photographer that specialises in weddings. Aaron is based in Kent, but covers all of the UK and is happy to travel to destination weddings.

The post Heather and Dan’s Pre-wedding shoot appeared first on Aaron Tommasi Photography.

I cannot remember the amount of blog posts and magazine articles that I have read on this subject, so many so called experts.  Very few of them are actual photographers.  They all start with the budget.

Of course the budget for your wedding is important, I strongly recommend that everyone should budget for their wedding as the costs can so easily start to sky rocket. But you must be flexible in your budgeting and I’m not talking about the overall budget (you should keep that the same) I referring to budget headings. By this I mean when you set a budget you will set aside a certain amount for venue, catering, cake, car, flowers, hair, photographer etc.   Be flexible in the approach such as say you might want a cheaper cake so that you can afford better flowers. Does that make sense?

Now the so called experts will tell you that you want a full time professional wedding photographer and they should belong to governing bodies and have the relevant qualifications, they must have insurance and carry back up camera’s. I agree anyone charging you a fee to shoot your wedding should have all the required insurance. And they must have more than one camera even if they never use the second one. Because even though we spend small fortunes on equipment they still fail sometimes. I disagree that they must be full time professionals and belong to governing bodies and have the relevant qualifications. I know part time wedding photographers that are excellent and should not be judged just because they don’t do wedding photography full time, they may just be starting out in weddings  and are awaiting a certain amount of weddings before giving up their day job (I call that sensible) as long as their body of work is good and you like them why discount them? And as for the photographer being a member of a governing body and having the relevant qualification, well I’ll let you into a little secret. There are no recognised wedding photography courses at the present time. You can’t go to Uni and study wedding photography. You can do workshops. I have been very fortunate in the fact that when I started I attended workshops by the best in the business, but I didn’t get letters after my name. You can become a member of a governing body. Well I say governing body but it is basically a club you pay a yearly membership for and pay them to critic your work and they might give you some letters to go after your name. I’m not having a go at these organizations or people that use them as an advertisement ploy. I used to be one myself. Before I left and stopped worrying about my peers and started to focus on what my clients wanted.  That is not saying that I would tell you to ignore anyone that is a member and has the initials far from it, just don’t write someone off that does not have the initials.

My opinion is, you must love the photographers pictures. This sounds like a strange thing to say I know, but when I do wedding fayres you would be surprised about the amount of people that ask if I’m available on a certain date and what my prices are, without even looking at a single image. Or as I’m quite often told by guests at weddings “I wish you did my wedding photography”, I ask them why and they tell me their images were not that good.  I then tell them “but you haven’t seen these images though, they might be rubbish”. This always stops them in their tracks. I understand the reason for them saying this though. I have quite an outgoing, friendly personality and for some unknown reason I make people feel at ease.  So they enjoy the experience of having their picture taken and the interaction I have with them.  And automatically assume I’m good (which I hope I am, but that is for others to judge).  This leads me on to another point, your photographer’s images must be good but so should their personality. What I mean by this is, you are spending so much time with this particular person on your biggest day. You need to get on with them, you must feel comfortable.  This is one of the main reasons I offer a free pre-wedding shoot with my full days coverage. It is important that the couple are comfortably in my presence. So those are two things that I recommend to you. You have to like their images and them also. Your pictures are one of the few things that you have to remember your day with and you don’t want to have amazing images but also remember that you didn’t get on with the person that took the images do you?

That makes it sound easy doesn’t it, great personality and amazing pictures. So what if you have found a photographer whose work you love and that you get on with. But they are more expensive than your budget allows? Well I told you earlier not to change your overall budget, but can you reduce the cost of something else so that you can afford the photographer (remember your photographs tell the story of the your day) like the cake or the flowers? If you can’t do that why not ask the photographer if they can reduce their price? If you don’t ask the question you will have no chance of them reducing their price. You have nothing to lose at this stage and everything to gain.  All us photographers have ego’s tell us that you love our work but you can only afford this amount. Again they will only say yes or no. And if you are doing something different from the norm for your wedding, sell that idea to them. We all love photographing something different and if we can market it, that’s got to be worth a trade off in the price.  Trust me It is a selling point and something you should utilise.  Or ask the photographer if  you can forgo a album after the wedding but possibly come back for one in a couple of years? There are lots of things you can do. But if you have found the right photographer be honest with them, they will appreciate it and most often than not in my experience they will be flexible as they are all normally their own bosses.

Another question that often arises is when should you book the photographer. I recommend that you book your photographer as soon as you have booked the venue. This is due to the fact that photographers are booked up along time in advance just like venues. And remember that a photographer can only shoot one wedding a day. So when that date is gone, it’s gone. Photographers are unlike florists, caked makers or even hair stylists where they can do several weddings a day. A florist can have a team and do several weddings. As they deliver the bouquets to you and set the venue up also. Then they can go to next clients etc (I’m sure you get the picture). A photographer is yours for the day. They will be there for every stage of the day. So it is important that you have chosen correctly. Remember the photographs are one of the few things you will have after the wedding day. No pressure there then!

This leads me onto a wedding I shot in 2011 where the bride Rachel knew what she wanted and wasn’t afraid to ask. I loved this wedding it had a glamorous vintage style going on. I’d also like to congratulate this couple Brenden & Rachel as they are expecting their second baby.

Please see the Prices page for all about my straight forward approach to packages available and if you have any questions then please visit the FAQ page.  If you are interested in booking Aaron please see the contact page for ways to Contact him

If you would like to see more examples of Aaron’s work please look at his Galleries page or if you would like to read more of his Blogs go to that page

If you like this post please like my Facebook page as sneak peeks are often put up on there before being blogged

Aaron is a young dynamic photographer that specialises in weddings. Aaron is based in Kent, but covers all of the UK and is happy to travel to destination weddings.

The post A Few Wedding Photography Secrets appeared first on Aaron Tommasi Photography.

Photography is a passion of Daryl’s and was really important for their big day. They knew what they wanted and now have a lovely Queensberry Album to savior for ever.

I first met this couple at a wedding fayre at Hanbury Manors wedding Fayre a couple of years ago. Talking of Wedding fayres/shows, If you would like to see some examples of my work and meet me in person as well as seeing some other cool exhibitors you can see me this Saturday and Sunday (16th & 17th Feb 2013)  at the London Wedding show at Excel.  If you are a bride and intend on bringing someone else to the show and you book by Thursday you will get free admission.

Please see the Prices page for all about my straight forward approach to packages available and if you have any questions then please visit the FAQ page.  If you are interested in booking Aaron please see the contact page for ways to Contact him

If you would like to see more examples of Aaron’s work please look at his Galleries page or if you would like to read more of his Blogs go to that page

If you like this post please like my Facebook page as sneak peeks are often put up on there before being blogged

Aaron is a young dynamic photographer that specialises in weddings. Aaron is based in Kent, but covers all of the UK and is happy to travel to destination weddings.

The post Wedding at Hanbury Manor Garden Court appeared first on Aaron Tommasi Photography.

Last year was pretty crazy for me, full of fun and laughter but also with some all mighty lows. We unfortunately had to say goodbye to our wonderful dog Diego who is still so sorely missed (see a shot below).

Had some amazing weddings last year. Still have a couple that I want to blog so keep a eye open for them. We also relocated last year to my home town of Rochester in Kent (I still cover all of the UK and am happy to travel aboard if needed). The relocation happened over X-mas, We will never do that again! Still unpacking my office as I type but slowly getting there.

I got to shoot Doreen Lawrence running with the Olympic torch, which was a awesome day (see below for some of the shot of that, yes that is me using the torch as a baseball bat, sorry Seb).

The family and I went to Thailand (will blog some of the images this year)

I have some very exciting weddings coming up this year! I am still taking booking for this year though, so get your enquirers in.

I am exhibiting at the Essex Wedding Show 2013 at the City Pavillion, Romford, Essex, RM5 2BH organised by the Essex Wedding event Co this weekend 19th & 20th Jan 2013, so why not come down and see  some amazing exhibitors,  especially me.  If you have been reading my blog or checking out my website and are bit undecided whether I’m the right Photographer for your big day, pop in and i’ll happily show you that I am, you can also check out some Queensberry & Folio Sample albums. Click on this link to claim your free Brides -Get me my ticket.

If you can’t make this show you can also catch me at the London Wedding Show at Excel in February

This is my favorite wedding image of the year. The bride Tamara calls it the run away bride shot.

 Olympic Torch

R.I.P Diego the best dog you could ever ask for X

Please see the Prices page for all about my straight forward approach to packages available and if you have any questions then please visit the FAQ page.  If you are interested in booking Aaron please see the contact page for ways to Contact him

If you would like to see more examples of Aaron’s work please look at his Galleries page or if you would like to read more of his Blogs go to that page

If you like this post please like my Facebook page as sneak peeks are often put up on there before being blogged

Aaron is a young dynamic photographer that specialises in weddings. Aaron is based in Kent, but covers all of the UK and is happy to travel to destination weddings.

The post End of 2012 and start of a New Year and The Essex Wedding Show 2013 appeared first on Aaron Tommasi Photography.

I take great pleasure in bringing you Dion and Kerri’s wedding. They were married at the lovely Ware Priory in Hertfordshire this September.

These guys actually booked me in 2010 for their wedding in September this year. That was down to Kerri being so organised.  Which I can only applaud. Planning and booking in advance does mean you get what you want not what is left over. I am often booked two years in advance. People often ask me “When should we book you”, and I always reply  you should look to book your photographer as soon as you have booked the venue and that applies even if you don’t book me (Which would make you mad). We photographers do get booked up so far in advance and if other photographers are like me then they will limit the amount of weddings they shoot a year to ensure that their work is fresh. So there is a lesson there guys, book your photographer as soon as you have a date to avoid disappointment and if you really don’t want to be disappointed and just want to be blown away with by your wedding photographs then you should only book me (Sorry I have to self boast. if it helps it makes me cringe too).

Dion was just fascinated with how my albums are made (a geek after my own heart if there ever was one). Well he will have his very own Queensberry Digital mount album to try and work out from now on.

This couple compliment each other so well. And it is always lovely to be part of someones special day. And just to bring my geekish side out even more. They booked a 50′s Route master bus. I had to remind myself that I was there to take pictures when we went for a ride as I was like a kid in a sweetshop.

I am so lucky as I have the best job in the world and get to work with amazing couples like these two.

Aaron is currently taking wedding bookings for 2013 & 2014

To view more examples of Aaron’s work please visit his gallery page by following this link

To view more images of this wedding please follow this link to my flickr page

The post Dion & Kerri Rust’s wedding at Ware Priory, Hertfordshire appeared first on Aaron Tommasi Photography.

I love the images from this wedding so much so that I’ve used a few for the new website. Even though I hadn’t had a chance to blog it as yet.

Who says you can’t have your cake and eat it? Especially when its your wedding day. Joe & Tamara got married in August at Lympe Church, Kent and had their reception at the amazing Lympe Castle. Quite literally a wedding fit for a princess add to that a full on flowing princess dress made by Tamara’s mother. Followed by a low key blessing the following day at their local church, this time Tamara was wearing a 50′s inspired dress once again made by her talented mother. We went into Rochester, Kent to take some cool photo’s. They then followed this with a small buffet in a schools hall (which I wasn’t allowed to take any pictures of as they insisted that Rae and I be their guests and have a drink with them).

The pictures I’m sure you will agree really speak for themselves. Just to add a extra twist Tamara is Scottish and the kilts were out in force on both days creating some amazing contrast in the images.  Two cool people, Two cool dresses and two cool days makes one hell of a wedding. They have chosen to remember their wedding with their images being supplied in a Queensberry album

This wedding was featured on national wedding blog The English wedding blog

Aaron still has available dates for 2013 and is taking

booking for weddings in 2014.

If you would like to view more images of this wedding please click on this link and it will take you to Aaron’s Flickr page for this wedding.

Please see the Prices page for all about my straight forward approach to packages available and if you have any questions then please visit the FAQ page.  If you are interested in booking Aaron please see the contact page for ways to Contact him

If you would like to see more examples of Aaron’s work please look at his Galleries page or if you would like to read more of his Blogs go to that page

If you like this post please like my Facebook page as sneak peeks are often put up on there before being blogged

Aaron is a young dynamic photographer that specialises in weddings. Aaron is based in Kent, but covers all of the UK and is happy to travel to destination weddings.

The post Tamara & Joe Ward Wedding & Blessing Lympe Castle and Rochester appeared first on Aaron Tommasi Photography.

Here is the recent wedding of Jon & Haj. They were married at Hove Registry office and their reception at a local village town hall. This is a lovely couple that had there day their way. Jon is full time musician and Haj is a writer. She actually had an article of her wedding published in Sussex Life. I have attached the link below.

Haj’s Magazine Article

A lovely couple that show how easy it is to put your own stamp on your big day.

If you would like to view more images of this wedding please click on this link and it will take you to Aaron’s Flickr page for this wedding.

Please see the Prices page for all about my straight forward approach to packages available and if you have any questions then please visit the FAQ page.  If you are interested in booking Aaron please see the contact page for ways to Contact him

If you would like to see more examples of Aaron’s work please look at his Galleries page or if you would like to read more of his Blogs go to that page

If you like this post please like my Facebook page as sneak peeks are often put up on there before being blogged

Aaron is a young dynamic photographer that specialises in weddings. Aaron is based in Kent, but covers all of the UK and is happy to travel to destination weddings.

The post Jon & Haj Wedding in Hove and Haj’s article regarding her wedding was published in Sussex Life appeared first on Aaron Tommasi Photography.

Last October I took a trip to Portugal. Below are some of the images that I captured.

All these images are available to purchase for £60 as limited editions 18″x12″ board backed ready for framing. Only 2 of these will every be printed one for Aaron himself and the other sold to the general public. The image will only be sold and printed once for general sale. Digital negatives are backed up separately, but images will not be reproduced. Each print will be signed on the back by Aaron and numbered 1 of 2.

Now taking wedding bookings for 2013 and some dates still available for 2012 &2013. email: info@aarontommasi.com or call 0845 052  6801

If you would like to view more images of this trip please click on this link and it will take you to Aaron’s Flickr page for this wedding.

Please see the Prices page for all about my straight forward approach to packages available and if you have any questions then please visit the FAQ page.  If you are interested in booking Aaron please see the contact page for ways to Contact him

If you would like to see more examples of Aaron’s work please look at his Galleries page or if you would like to read more of his Blogs go to that page

If you like this post please like my Facebook page as sneak peeks are often put up on there before being blogged

Aaron is a young dynamic photographer that specialises in weddings. Aaron is based in Kent, but covers all of the UK and is happy to travel to destination weddings.

The post Images from Portugal appeared first on Aaron Tommasi Photography.

As some of you may or may not be aware I offer a complementary Pre-wedding/Engagement shoot. What is that I hear some of you ask.

A Pre-wedding/Engagement shoot is simply a portrait session that lasts for 2 hours that we do a few months before your wedding day. We go to a couple of locations and basically have some fun and take some pics.

But what is the point and why should you have one? I use it to get to know the couple a bit better and work out what makes them relax in front of the camera.

What is in it for the couple? I think that the couple get so much from it. How many people hate having there picture taken? Nearly everyone I know. Most people hate having their picture taken as they think they are totally not photogenic. The thought of having their picture taken makes them cringe and normally the cringe is seen in the pictures. And OMG they know that they will have to have the picture taken on their wedding day. Now stick a point and shoot camera in their face and they are in hell. Well I will be the devil himself when I stick a Pro camera and a giant lens in their face. Scared yet? Well you should be? It can be really daunting and on your wedding day you will have enough to be worrying about and do not need the added worry that your pictures will be rubbish because your not photogenic. That is where the Pre-wedding/Engagement shoot is so important. All the nerves of being in front of the camera will all be used up on this shoot. It is quite amusing to look through the images when I’m editing them. You see the stiffness/awkwardness leaving the images about 45minutes into the shoot and the couples starting to relax and enjoying themselves. Better to be uncomfortably on this shoot than your wedding day isn’t it. You will get used to my style of photography. And when you see the images you will be reassured that you have made the correct decision about me as your wedding photographer and I promise this shoot will eliminate any worry about your wedding photography, you will know that you will get amazing images from your once in a lifetime day. That is why I think the Pre-wedding/Engagement shoot is so important. Hence why I do not charge for it.

And you get to have some amazing pictures too.

Here is some images from Tamara & Joe’s recent shoot (check out the shoes). Their wedding is in August and it if these images are anything to go by their wedding images will be amazing.

Now taking wedding bookings for 2013 and some dates still available for 2012. email: info@aarontommasi.com or call 0845 052  6801

If you would like to view more images of this shoot please click on this link and it will take you to Aaron’s Flickr page for this wedding.

Please see the Prices page for all about my straight forward approach to packages available and if you have any questions then please visit the FAQ page.  If you are interested in booking Aaron please see the contact page for ways to Contact him

If you would like to see more examples of Aaron’s work please look at his Galleries page or if you would like to read more of his Blogs go to that page

If you like this post please like my Facebook page as sneak peeks are often put up on there before being blogged

Aaron is a young dynamic photographer that specialises in weddings. Aaron is based in Kent, but covers all of the UK and is happy to travel to destination weddings.

The post What is a Pre-Wedding shoot / Engagement shoot appeared first on Aaron Tommasi Photography.