I've been asked a lot of questions over the years — and I mean a lot. No such thing as a daft one in my book. So here are the ten I get asked most, along with my honest answers.
One thing worth saying before you dive in: how a photographer answers these matters just as much as whether they can. You're looking for honesty, not a sales pitch.
And even if the person you're talking to can't tick every box, they might still be exactly right for you.
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- Are you going to make us do awkward poses?
- Do we really need to do group photos?
- What if we hate having our photo taken?
- What will our photos actually look like?
- How much do you charge?
- How long have you been shooting weddings?
- We're not getting married in Nottingham — is that a problem?
- What kit do you use, and how do you keep our photos safe?
- Do we need to sign a contract?
- Would you recommend a second photographer?
- What else do you bring to a wedding?
- We've seen cheaper, so why should we choose you?
1. "Are you going to make us do awkward poses?"
It's just not my style. I'm there to document your day as it happens. The real moments, the daft ones, the ones you didn't even know were happening. You won't find me lining people up and shouting directions. If you're not sure what kind of photography you're after yet, that's absolutely fine, most couples aren't. But if the idea of natural, relaxed, joyful photos sounds right, we're probably a good fit.
2. "Do we really need to do group photos?"
Honestly? A few well-chosen ones are worth it. But I keep them short, relaxed and as painless as possible. I'll help wrangle your relatives, find a decent spot, and capture whatever chaos follows. No barking orders. In and out, job done.
And if you want to make them fun, brilliant, I'm ready for it. I just won't force it. If your family are the type to pull faces and mess about, I'll be there for every second of it. If they're not, that's fine too. I follow your lead.
3. "What if we hate having our photo taken?"
Most of my couples say exactly that before the wedding. By the end of the day I've become part of it, just comfortable. Natural. That's the goal. I'm not going to over-pose you or make it weird.
Your portraits will be relaxed and focused on who you actually are together. I usually set aside 10–15 minutes during the day. Enough to get some beautiful images and give you both a rare moment to breathe.
4. "What will our photos actually look like?"
Warm, real, and timeless. I handcraft every image, no cookie-cutter presets, no heavy filters that'll look dated in five years. The edit is soft, yet striking, and it lets the moment do the talking rather than the processing.
5. "how much do you charge?"
Let's talk money...it's important to get down to brass tacks. Full day coverage starts from £1,650 and includes me documenting your day from an hour and a half before the ceremony to the third dance!!
For a full breakdown of what's included, get instant access to my wedding photography brochure.
6. "How long have you been shooting weddings?"
I shot my first wedding back in 2008 at Prestwold Hall, so that's 17 years and hundreds of weddings later. I'm still doing what I love. That kind of experience means I've seen pretty much everything a wedding day can throw at me, and I know how to handle it.
7. "We're not getting married in Nottingham — is that a problem?"
I'm based in Nottingham, but I'll travel anywhere, and I always travel down the night before, so there's zero risk of me getting stuck in traffic on your wedding day.
One of the best bits of this job is the places it takes me. If your venue is more than an hour and a half away, I charge a small fee for travel and accommodation, but it never goes over £300. So wherever you're getting married, it's probably not as much of a barrier as you'd think.
8. "What kit do you use and how do you keep our photos safe?"
Honestly, kit matters less than most people think. A great photographer with a decent camera will always outshoot a bad one with the best gear in the world.
That said, I use two high-end Sony cameras with 35mm and 85mm lenses, and I always have at least one spare with me. All my cameras have dual memory card slots, which means every image is being written to two cards simultaneously as I shoot. So even if a card fails on the day, nothing is lost.
When I get home from a wedding I back everything up to four separate locations, one of which is off-site. I make every effort to keep your photos safe.
9. "Do we need to sign a contract??"
Yes, and honestly you should run a mile from any photographer who doesn't use one. A contract protects you just as much as it protects me.
Mine is straightforward plain English. No confusing legal jargon, just a clear agreement that covers everything you need to know.
It depends, and anyone who gives you a straight yes or no without knowing anything about your day isn't being straight with you.
A second photographer means more of your day gets covered, more angles, more moments happening simultaneously. For bigger weddings it can make a real difference. For smaller, more intimate days it's often not necessary.
There's a small additional cost involved. I've written a full post on it if you want to think it through: Do you need two wedding photographers?
11. "What else do you bring to a wedding?"
This is one of my favourite things to offer. Through FLASHBSTRDS we hire out film cameras that guests can pick up and shoot with throughout the day.
The results are brilliant, candid, chaotic, completely unpredictable and absolutely full of personality. It adds a whole different layer to your wedding gallery that no photographer could plan for.
We also offer open air photobooths through FLASHBSTRDS. Stunning backdrops, zero cheesy props, and genuinely one of the best additions to a wedding reception. Starting from £595. Take a look.
12. "We've seen cheaper, so why should we choose you?"
Honestly? I get asked this less and less, which I think means couples are getting better at understanding the value of what they're investing in.
But it's a fair question. It's not one day's work. There's the initial consultation, the planning calls, travel, the wedding day itself, then the editing, culling and delivering hundreds of images. Add to that equipment, insurance, software and running a business and the numbers start to make a lot more sense.
What you're paying for isn't just someone turning up with a camera. It's 17 years of experience, knowing exactly where to be and when, and making sure you have something genuinely beautiful to look back on.