How far out do you book a wedding photographer or videographer?

Planning a wedding can be quite stressful, especially when it comes to finding the right suppliers. Knowing when to book your wedding photographer or videographer is something most couples wonder about. Now, as Jay Soriano says, photography should always be about capturing the best of people and offering the best service to couples and as much as we, photographers want to capture as many weddings as possible each year, we cannot simply be shooting two weddings at once so that’s where advance booking comes in. So how far in advance should you get in touch with suppliers?

As a wedding and elopement photographer and videographer, I have had bookings coming through up to 2 years in advance. However, this can be different for various photographers and it certainly depends on the region that you are in. Let’s take Australia for example and say that you’re looking for a Sydney photo and video package. In a survey about weddings in Australia in 2018, 19 percent of respondents who married that year said they married during the month of March and this was the most popular month for weddings in the country that year, which was followed by April at 12 percent. This differs as compared to the UK since the most popular dates in the UK appear to be in the period between June to August. As a result, most couples will be looking for a weekend date during this period. So if you’re planning your wedding in the busy season, then ideally, you should start looking for wedding photographers and videographers as early as you possibly can.

When it comes to the time of booking, in the wedding industry, there is a time referred to as “booking season” which is when wedding suppliers and wedding photographers receive a huge surge in enquiries. This time of year begins just after Christmas every year but can also vary.

As for weddings, a popular photographer may receive well over 200 enquiries per year but they can only physically do 30-40 weddings depending on how large of a team they are, therefore they would have to reject the rest of the enquiries. Now imagine, the best photographers in the country can even be booked out three years in advance as their work is outstanding. Therefore, it makes sense to start planning early and find the right (and best) suppliers before they’re booked out! This way, you can trust the professionals to do their bit which will make the planning aspect of your big day much more smooth.

But, when is the right time to book your wedding photographer or videographer?

I always say to my clients, book as soon as you have your wedding venue and a date confirmed. There's nothing more heart wrenching than missing out on the photographer or videographer you wanted to capture your special day. Especially if you're all about high-quality photo's and having a particular style.

In my opinion, the ideal time would be a year at the minimum, but bare in mind some photographers are in very high demand and so booking even earlier than that may be better especially if you're keen on having a specific photographer.

Get in early and book the wedding photographer/videographer you want.

Most wedding videographers/photographers are often run by one or two people who are only capable of shooting one wedding per day. The best wedding photographers book way in advance where they may schedule up to two or even three years ahead! So it's very important to contact your wedding vendors straight away just to avoid any disappointment.

Not to forget, there also can be financial benefits when booking a wedding photographer/videographer early too. Some may allow payment plans over a series of months, others may increase their wedding package prices annually – so that's why I say book your wedding photographer early, lock in that price, and avoid the disappointment!

So if you've seen your ideal wedding photographer or videographer contact them straight away because you have nothing to lose nor are you expected to book them there and then. The idea is that you work out who is actually available on your date.

Booking early means less stress!

Booking your wedding photographer or videographer at the earlier stages will make you feel a lot more confident and relaxed. It will actually give your mind a bit of freedom to concentrate on finding the perfect wedding dress, shoes, florals and the other important bits you need.

So I would say, save yourself the stress, save yourself from the heartache and book your wedding photographer as soon as you find the perfect one for you!