This blog post is a little different than what we normally share because THIS is for you to share with your own audience. You, the pro photographer, might want your potential couples to know why they should still hire a pro for their small COVID wedding! And this article is one you can point them to or you can borrow from it. Here at ShootDotEdit, we want you to succeed in these trying times! Stay calm and carry on.
2020 became the year when intimate weddings started becoming the norm across the world. And of course, this wasn’t because it was a new trend. It was COVID that forced many couples to reconsider their wedding plans (and sizes) and modify them to fit with safety regulations. But just because weddings got smaller, and masks became mandatory, doesn’t mean that wedding photographers became redundant. In fact, a wedding photographer can make even the smallest of weddings seem grand.
As countries started to ease lockdown restrictions, couples got back to planning their weddings. Keeping in mind the safety of their guests, couples are now all about making their big day an intimate affair. Guest and vendor lists have been reduced, backyards and churches are the preferred venues, and social distancing etiquettes are a must. If you find yourself asking whether your small COVID wedding still needs a pro photographer, the short answer is yes.
Why Your Small COVID Wedding Needs a Professional Wedding Photographer
Consider hiring a pro photographer for your wedding as less of an expense and more of an investment. Besides your bridal party, the pro photographer’s got your back on your big day. They know what this day means to you and will leave no stone unturned to get you the best results. You might think that since it’s an intimate wedding, you won’t need a pro photographer and you could just ask a relative to take pictures. But your relative won’t get you those Pinterest pictures you’ve been scrolling through for the past few days.
You will remember and talk about this day for years to come, so do you really want an amateur to be responsible for photographing those picture-perfect moments? In addition to all the things that are on your mind on the wedding day, worrying about whether the wedding photographer is doing their job or not is probably the last thing you’d want. So here’s why even your small COVID wedding deserves to have a pro photographer.
1. A Family Member Cannot Replace a Professional Wedding Photographer at Your Small Wedding
Yes, you may love and trust your cousins, but unless they are professional wedding photographers, you might want to consider speaking to someone for hire, and limit your family and friends to phone cameras. The upside of hiring a pro photographer is not just the professional line of cameras and gear, it’s also the experience and expertise they bring. They’ve spent years photographing weddings, and even though you might think that your intimate wedding doesn’t need a pro photographer, consulting with one may show you just why you need them at your wedding.
2. Pro Photographers Can Help You Pose
Okay, so you might be thinking that you have thousands of pictures with your partner, so why have someone tell you how to pose on your wedding day? While that’s a fair point, try to understand that posing at your wedding is completely different than the couple photos you’ve been taking together. Those perfect couple poses you see on Instagram and Pinterest? Usually, there’s a wedding photographer helping the couple pose. Whether you want to take some classic, formal pictures with your partner or get a little crazy with the bridal party, your small COVID wedding could use a little boost from a pro photographer too.
Related Read: Pro Wedding Photographer Tips: 3 Tricks To Better Bridesmaid Poses
3. Pro Photographers Can Also Be Brilliant Crisis Managers
What if the friend who was willing to photograph your special day suddenly falls sick? What if they don’t show up on time and miss the ceremony? What if their camera malfunctions and they don’t know how to fix it? An amateur may not have a plan B, but a pro photographer usually comes prepared for the worst. They will always have a plan B, especially during the pandemic. If they fall ill, they will send an assistant. They will always have another set of equipment. They know how to work with the weather and even poor lighting. And finally, they will make things work because they care about you too.
Related Read: How To Shoot In Small And Dark Wedding Venues
4. You’ll Be At Ease With a Pro Photographer
A pro photographer commits to making your memories look beautiful in photographs. Their experience allows them to empathize with you, and therefore, hiring a pro photographer for your wedding means that you have one less thing to worry about. With a pro photographer at your service, you won’t have to worry about whether they took photos of the ceremony or of your first kiss.
They are already familiar with the most important moments of a wedding day. Also, they usually know who to photograph in the wedding, so you don’t have to worry about missing out on any guests. You already have the stress of organizing a wedding during the pandemic and worrying about everyone’s safety, hiring a pro photographer for your wedding will simply give you the chance to have more fun.
5. Consider a Professional Wedding Photographer’s Experience
Taking pictures of your small wedding is nothing new for a professional wedding photographer. Their experience makes them a (literal) pro at weddings. A pro photographer will usually have a shot list ready, and this helps them to run things smoothly on the big day. If you’ve already selected a photographer, you could request that you all meet in advance to discuss the shot list as well. If this is the first time your photographer is handling a COVID wedding, you could also discuss the process with them. Both parties could assure each other about safety being a top priority.
6. You Get One Chance
This is your big day and it’s a special day that you share with your partner and loved ones. You might be having a small wedding, but it’s still a day you’ve dreamed of and worked for so long. So, don’t let an amateur photographer keep you from having your Pinterest wedding moment. You need to completely trust the person photographing your wedding and pro photographers usually gain your confidence in no time. They make the effort to get to know your closest friends and family, they spend time getting to know you as a couple, and they go beyond business and try to form a bond with you. Just like it is for you, your wedding day is also a big deal for a professional wedding photographer.
7. Even At a Small Wedding, a Pro Photographer Will Give You Their All
The size of a wedding hardly makes a difference to a pro photographer. During COVID, pro photographers have had to make many changes to adapt to the changing wedding industry. And these changes often add to their bills. For example, sanitizing their equipment and studios is a necessity for them now. As couples start getting married again, pro photographers have to be responsible for their own security and of the guests too. They have to maintain social distance at all times and still get the best photos. Also, a pro photographer’s team has also reduced in size during COVID. While you may think your small COVID wedding is no big deal, a pro photographer will treat your wedding and make it look like a grand affair too.
8. The Best Equipment
While their experience dictates the kind of photographs they take, a pro photographer’s equipment is undoubtedly their constant assistant. The external flash, the multiple lenses and cameras, the tripods – their gear helps pro photographers take the most dreamy photographs. When you hire a pro photographer for your wedding, you won’t have to worry about outdated or faulty equipment.
9. Helping Their Business Grow
Wedding photographers were hit pretty hard during the pandemic. As weddings came to a pause, so did their incomes. When you hire a pro photographer for your small wedding during the pandemic, you are not just giving them business, you are also helping them adapt to the new norms. By photographing weddings during COVID, they’ll learn the new etiquettes and rules one needs to follow to stay safe and help others feel comfortable too. Please, don’t think of this as a charity. You will still be paying someone for their services.
10. You Get the Best of Everything
This one is obvious, but we’ll still reiterate it for you. You might already have an idea about how you want your wedding photos to look, and a pro photographer can help make your vision a reality. You could show them pictures or poses that you like and you could also collaborate with your photographer if they have some ideas that you find unique. You could discuss your vision with them in advance and even request your photographer to give you suggestions for vendors, venues, etc. They are a part of the business, so they usually know some other people they can refer to you as well. Most of them will happily help you to plan other aspects of your small wedding too.
Make a Small Wedding Look Like a Grand Affair With a Pro Photographer
In the end, it is the photographer that makes a wedding look stunning. From the cutlery and linen to the bride and groom’s ensembles, a pro photographer knows how to make even the simplest of things look like a fairytale. Hiring a pro photographer for your small COVID wedding could help you in many ways. You won’t have to worry about missed photo opportunities, you’ll have beautiful photos as a memory of your special day, and you will get to have more fun at your wedding!
Pro Tip: Before hiring a pro photographer for your wedding during the pandemic, just make sure that they follow all the safety regulations and take everyone’s safety seriously.
At ShootDotEdit, we believe that wedding photography helps pro photographs evolve constantly. Even during the pandemic, we provide wedding photographers services that help them focus more on their art. To know more about our services, check out our price plan.
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