Picking the Right Photographer for Your Wedding

Weddings can be one of biggest days of your life, so it is important to make sure you have a good fit when it is time to pick the person who is going to be photographing it. Although you have enough going on in wedding prep, taking the time to find the right photographer will pay off in both the images you receive and the overall experience.

Figure out what you want. There are lots of photographers with lots of different styles and specialties, determining what you want before you start looking can save you a lot of time. Look at lots of wedding photos, and decide what type pictures are important to you. If you want more candid’s or portraits, doing a first look or the type of editing you want. Finding examples of images you like and saving those can help you out later when working with your photographer. Also, determining what your budget is beforehand is a good idea as well. That can save you from wasting your time with an unaffordable package.

Do your research. Read reviews of photographers and reach out to your friends and see who they used. More importantly, ask if they liked who did their photos and ask if they would recommend them and why. Look at the photographer’s website and see if their styles match what you are looking for. Read the biographies and see if this is someone you think you can get along with, you might be spending a lot of time with this person. Request to look at full wedding albums and critique these as if they are your own, what do like about them? What do you want done differently and talk to your photographer about these ideas.

Take time to get to know your photographer. Make sure this is someone you will enjoy spending time with. Your photographer is going to be involved in some of the most personal and emotional moments of your big day, make sure it’s someone you want there. Feeling comfortable with this person is important so you can brainstorm ideas and advocate for yourself and what you want. Be sure to confirm prices, and determine when you will get your images. Wedding photos can often take much longer with the editing and file sizes needed.

A helpful hint is to give the photographer a timeline of the day of the wedding. During the day of the wedding, remember the photographer is the expert. If you’ve done your research, be confident in your decision and enjoy your day!