How do I choose a Northern Ireland elopement photographer?

Eloping is a beautiful way to celebrate your love and commitment to each other. This type of wedding is more intimate and personal, and it’s essential to capture all of the memories of the special day. That’s where a talented elopement photographer comes in. Choosing the right photographer for your elopement can be a challenge, so in this blog post, we will discuss what to look for and how to select the perfect photographer for your big day.

What is an Elopement Photographer?

An elopement photographer is a professional photographer who specialises in capturing the memories of your intimate celebration of your love for each other. These photographers understand that elopements are different from traditional weddings, and they know how to capture the essence of the special moment.

Just picking any normal wedding photographer is not going to be the best choice for your elopement. While a wedding photographer might be very good at their job there is a whole other set of skills needed to photograph an elopement.

Often Northern Irish elopements take place on the North Coast, it is a large area and while it is filled with epic places to have your elopement ceremony, and with amazing backdrops for elopement photography to get the most from being there you really need a photographer that knows the area well, so local expertise is an absolute must. Lighting differs a lot from one location to the next and having a photographer who knows the area well will mean they can guide you to choosing all the best places to visit.

A more traditional style of wedding photographer may struggle to photograph an elopement as the skillset is very different. A traditional wedding photographer will not be used to having so much time with their couple for portraits, they also may not be used to working outdoors for extended periods of time in all weather conditions.

How do I choose a Northern Ireland Elopement Photographer

Why hire An Elopement Photographer?

When you choose to elope, you are choosing to focus on your love for each other and the experience of being together. The wedding day is all about you, and you want to make sure that every moment is captured and remembered.

A Northern Ireland elopement photographer will help you to remember the details of your special day, and they will help you to relive the memories for years to come. The right photographer will capture the beauty, romance, and love of your elopement, and they will help you to create memories that you will treasure for a lifetime. Of course, we can’t not mention the photo opportunities! Off course as elopement photographers we are biased, but we do truly believe that when a couple chooses an elopement versus a wedding this offers one of the most unique opportunities for amazing photographs.

Choosing an elopement versus a small wedding gives couples the chance to make every aspect of their day as personal to them as possible, without any of the usual outside influence and distractions from their family and friends and this is especially true when it comes to the photography side of things. 

Why Hire An Elopement Photographer

What to look for in an Elopement Photographer

When selecting an elopement photographer, it’s essential to consider a few key factors. Here are some things to keep in mind when choosing the right photographer for your elopement:

Choose What Style Of Elopement Photographer You Want

Before you start your search for a Northern Ireland elopement photographer, it’s important to decide on what style of photographer you want. What type of photography do you like? Do you prefer a classic, documentary style or a more whimsical, more artful approach? Knowing what you like will help you narrow down your search and find a photographer who will capture your day in a way that’s meaningful to you.

Often elopement photographers in Northern Ireland are either documentary style or only provide the big wow style portraits. For us we like to combine both elements. While we love to capture the real emotion of your elopement we will also make use of the amazing scenery we will visit to produce epic portraits as well. Deciding what style of photography you want is the very first decision you should make, before choosing what photographer you want to photograph your elopement.

Dunluce Castle Elopement Photographer

Research Elopement Photographers

Once you have decided on a style you like best, it’s then time to start your research. You can start by searching for elopement photographers online or by asking friends and family for recommendations. You can also check out wedding photography blogs, websites, and social media profiles to see the work of potential photographers.

Couples often make the mistake of choosing a Northern Irish elopement photographer based only on what they see on social media and in particular on Instagram. While Instagram is a great place to help find an elopement photographer it definitely should not be the only place you should look. Often the photos you see in a tiny format on Instagram don’t look anywhere near as good when you see the full hi-resolution version. Instagram can hide an awful lot of issues, so if you find a photographer you like on Instagram be sure to check out their website as well. If possible check out their website using a desktop or laptop rather than your phone so you can get a better idea of what their work looks like at normal sizes.

Once you have narrowed down your search a little make a list of the photographers that interest you and start reaching out to them.

Look for Experience and Quality

When choosing an N.I elopement photographer, you want to look for someone who has experience capturing this type of event. Look for a photographer who you can see has previous experience working in the areas you want to visit during your elopement. Do they have a portfolio that showcases their skills and creativity? You want to make sure the quality of their work is high, as this will ensure that your memories are captured beautifully.

Experienced Northern Ireland Elopement photographer

Ask About Their Approach

It’s important to find a photographer who has a style and approach that aligns with your vision for your elopement. Ask about their shooting style and what they feel is the most important aspect of capturing an elopement. You also want to find out if they particular areas that they like to visit for N.I elopement photography. For us, our favourite places to go after the ceremony are Ballintoy Harbour and Dunseverick Castle.

Check Out Their Availability

Elopements are often planned quickly and with sometimes very little notice, so sometimes it can be more difficult to find a photographer who is available on your chosen date. Try not to set your heart on one particular elopement photographer until you have checked availability with them first. With elopements generally being more flexible than with a normal wedding day, if possible provide them with a range of dates rather than just one.

While contacting them to check availability you should also also ask about their turnaround time for delivering the final edited images and how they will provide them to you. Some photographers still provide images using U.S.B memory sticks for example which isn’t going to be ideal if you are travelling into Northern Ireland form another country for your elopement as so many couples do. We provide our edited images to all of our clients using an online gallery so that they can access and download their images as soon as they are available.

Look At Their Package Options

When choosing an elopement photographer, you want to make sure you have a good idea of what you’ll get for your investment. Ask if they offer any package options, including how many hours of coverage you’ll receive and what types of products and services are included.

We offer a bespoke pricing structure for elopement photography. Cost is based on how long we will be with you for and what locations we are going to visit. We upgrade every client to the luxury online gallery option which means that each gallery has an online print shop attached so that you can easily purchase print and wall art for delivery direct to you after you have received your images.

Elopement Photography Cost in Northern Ireland

Pricing is another important factor to consider when choosing an elopement photographer. It’s important to find a photographer who fits within your budget, but you also don’t want to sacrifice quality for price. Every photographer will have their own way of pricing your elopement. It is easier for couples who live here to know what represents value for money than it is for couples who are travelling in from other countries.

It might surprise you to know that some elopement photographers have one set of pricing for couples who live here and another more expensive set of pricing for couples who don’t. Some may feel that it easy to take advantage of a couple who don’t know the local area. We have a very clear pricing structure for all the services we offer and we treat every couple the same.

All Inclusive Elopement Packages Vs. Photographers Who Offer Elopement Photography

Some elopement photographers offer all inclusive packages for elopements in Northern Ireland. Some like us offer elopement photography. While of course it can be convenient for the couple to choose an inclusive elopement package offered by their photographer, we have decided not too.

Elopement Photographer in Northern Ireland

All inclusive elopement packages normally include things like a make-up artist and hair stylist for the bride, a celebrant to perform the ceremony, a florist and some include things like transport on the day of the elopement as well. For North Coast elopements the most popular place to have the ceremony is the field at Dunluce Castle and all inclusive packages often include the cost of paying the famer for use of it as well. As well as being convenient for the couple there are advantages for the photographer. The photographer is able to charge extra fees for arranging all of these services, however in some cases the additional fees charged by photographers for making these arrangements is extortionate. They also get to work with other vendors they prefer.

We have a few reasons for deciding not to offer an inclusive package. Firstly we feel that it kills the enjoyment and excitement couples get from planning their own elopement and making it personal to them. It also means that the couples have very little choice in the vendors that are used on the day and the vendors included in all inclusive packages may not always be the best choice for every couple. While there are large financial benefits to offering an all inclusive package, we prefer to be photographers over being wedding planners. We would much rather be capturing moments than making arrangements with wedding vendors. Just like we do when a couple books us to photograph their wedding however, we are always happy to help with vendor recommendations. If you need the name of a great vendor or the contact details for the farmer who owns the field at Dunluce Castle for a North Coast Elopement, we are always happy to help.

Have A Chat With Your Elopement Photographer Before Booking Them

Finally, we feel it’s important to have proper chat with any photographers you are seriously considering to photograph your elopement. This will give you the opportunity to ask any questions you may have and to get a better feel for the photographer’s personality and approach, this can be difficult to do if you are just having a conversation by email or messaging on social media. You also want to make sure you’re comfortable with the photographer and that you trust them to capture your day in a way that’s meaningful to you.

If you are living outside of Northern Ireland you can easily make arrangements for a zoom call or even a call on WhatsApp with elopement photographers you are interested in booking. For us, we won’t accept a booking for an elopment unless we have had a chat with the couple first.

LEARN MORE ABOUT NORTHERN IRELAND ELOPEMENTS
Tommy + Laurene