Melbourne is a busy city. So can be Melbourne weddings. What does it take to be a Top Melbourne Wedding Photographer? Wedding Photography is not an easy type of photography. You only got one shot at it. You can’t repeat a wedding.

Wedding Photography combines a lot of major types of photography. You actually need to be a perfect allrounder – seeing the moment and predicting the future. It’s a challenge for the photographer to make wedding photography as relaxed as possible.

The couple should enjoy the big day and not be stressed. Relaxed couple equals better photos. To make your day run smooth we have lots of tips on our website – especially check out the article the “Top 50 Wedding Photographer Tips for Melbourne Weddings” – we took all of our experience to write up the most important tips for your wedding.

How do you find a top Melbourne Wedding photographer?

There are hundreds of top Melbourne Wedding Photographers. Lots of big photography studios and plenty of top boutique wedding photographers (like us) who only take a certain number of wedding per year. The selection of your photographer is a near-impossible task. But in the end, it is fairly simple when you look at a few important points.

Melbourne Top Wedding Photographer - Luxury Weddings

Wedding Photography skills

Wedding photography is one of the most difficult types of photography. It’s a fast-paced environment and you only have one shot at it. The photographer needs to be the perfect allrounder. Macro and product photography, landscape photography, Portraits and family photography, photojournalism, understanding difficult light situations, night time photography, … you name it. It’s pretty much all types of photography rolled in one. A lot of photographers startup with wedding photography – which is clearly the wrong thing (as it is so challenging). This leaves some clients disappointed.

Make sure your photographer is up to the task – don’t only look at the best of images. Check a few full wedding timelines (have a look in our portfolio). Make sure he has the experience. And mostly make sure that your photographer shoots the wedding himself and does not send you another photographer.

A view for wedding details

Does your photographer have the view for the images? A wedding consists out of lots of little details which are easily missed. A top Melbourne Wedding Photographer will see the smallest detail you want to have covered in your wedding story. Make sure you look at some wedding samples of your selected photographer to be able to judge if the attention to detail is what you expect (Of course, you can help your photographer by pointing out some things before the wedding.).

Wedding details - bouquet photographed by top photographer in Melbourne, Australia

Predicting the future – Waiting for the right photo

To be a top wedding photographer in Melbourne you have to be able to predict the future. Serious! Not kidding! Prediction of the future is one of the most important tasks of a top wedding photographer. You say this impossible? Let me explain this.

After photographing so many weddings you somehow can predict what will happen next, anticipate reactions during the ceremony, speeches or first dance. This knowledge helps to get the right shot – to position yourself that you can capture the next big moment. You are in the right spot before the moment happens and can snap away. It’s not really predicting the future but more anticipating what will happen next and get the right shot.

The more experienced photographers in Melbourne are always asking for a timeline and an overview of some special events during your wedding. This helps them predict the future. (sorry … nothing mystical about it!).

Patience and Calmness – Wait for the right moment

Sometimes even a top wedding photographer in Melbourne doesn’t get it right the first time. Some images require patience that all the elements in the image come together. Imagine a wedding couple on a beautiful beach. The waves are breaking in the background. You have to wait for the perfect wave combined with the perfect pose of the couple. This might not happen straight away. Patience. Your wedding photographer knows when it’s time to wait for the right moment.

Every detail in the image needs to work together- foreground, middle and background. Stay calm and patient – as a top wedding photographer, you will get the shot!

Melbourne beach weddings in summer 2020 and 2021 - creative wedding photography in Melbourne - couple on the beach with waves

Photography with Creativity – Challenge yourself with something new

Photographing wedding day in day out! You know it all – even as a top wedding photographer. No! You always learn something new. There is always the image you wanted to create and never had the chance to. There is this special creative lens you always wanted to try out on a real wedding – manual focus and hard to use – too difficult for a wedding! Challenge yourself to do something new at a wedding. It might not work out but there is a high chance that the photographer creates something special.

It’s easy to give the photographer a shot list. And it’s helpful for inexperienced photographers to get such a list – but be aware that you will limit the creativity of Melbourne top wedding photographers when you work of a shot list.

Local knowledge for Wedding Photography

Melbourne is a big city. There are so many wedding venues that even a top wedding photographer can’t know them all. You have city venues, beach venues and even farms and rural setting are not that far from Melbourne. Beautiful parks for weddings, on top of skyscrapers, on a boat on the Yarra River, in the modern venues of the Docklands or the vintage feel of period style venues. Melbourne has it all. Something for every wedding.

We often get asked if we shot at a certain wedding venue. And most top wedding photographers have shot at a big variety of wedding venues. Is it important that your photographer knows the venue? Top wedding photographers will research any location and maybe even visit the location before the wedding. When the photographer has been there before this is out of the question – he knows the venue and how to get around there. It’s always helpful to know a few things about a location.

On the other hand, we personally love the challenge of a new venue and location. You see something new. You get excited. Your photographer might see the location with different eyes and create something new and different. A wedding is always unique. Local knowledge is helpful but absolutely not necessary to create fantastic wedding images.

top wedding portraits in Melbourne - beautiful bride in field

The wedding photographer plans the wedding with you

Use your wedding photographer to plan your big day. An experienced wedding photographer has lots of knowledge about planning a wedding day. What works – what doesn’t work. This might not be available in the big studios but smaller boutique top wedding photographers will always offer you to help with the planning. When you planned the day with your wedding photographer beforehand there will be more time to relax. The day will feel light and easy.

Another option is to hire a professional wedding planner. We sometimes work with wedding planners and see the benefit.  It will help yourself saving time. But even when your budget doesn’t cover a wedding planner it’s in the photographers best interest to plan the day with you. A more relaxed timeline will help you to get wonderful wedding photos.

Connection with the Wedding Couple

A top Melbourne Wedding Photographer will always offer you to meet up before the wedding. Before you meet with the photographer look at the style of the images on the website. Make sure it’s the style you prefer. It’s usually not possible to change the style of your photographer.

The wedding photographer is there all day with you on your wedding day – so make sure you have a connection with the photographer. Ideally when possible try to schedule a meeting before you book the photographer. The photographer should understand what you are after in your shots – keeping it natural, high end or photojournalistic. The photographer learns about your story, your values and your wedding vision.

The meeting is not there to get lured in with fancy wedding albums and cool images – look for a connection with your wedding photographer. Can you imagine spending the day with your photographer? There are so many different personalities in the wedding photography world. Look out for the top wedding photographer you prefer. You select – let your feeling guide you a bit.

top creative wedding photographers in Melbouren - know the light - capturing moments

How many wedding photography gigs does your photographer take on?

We personally like to limit the number of weddings in the wedding season to be able to focus on each couple and treat each wedding as a very special occasion. It helps to not burn out. Imagine you have every day a wedding – not possible.

Especially back to back weddings can be very exhausting (try to shoot a wedding 3 days in a row – an early start and late finish and backing up photos in the middle of the night. You might be able to do this one weekend but not a few in a row. It’s sometimes hard to tell a potential client you have no availability as you reached your maximum number you are personally able to shoot. When you are a wedding photographer and read this – we highly suggest to limit your numbers and concentrate on your clients.

Trust your feeling when selecting your photographer. Ask questions and meet your photographer! Your wedding day will run smoothly with the right photographer. Feel free to contact us to set up a meeting or shoot us any question you have.