Your wedding photographer is one of the most important vendors on your wedding day. In fact, during your wedding day you are likely to spend more time with your wedding photographer than you will with any other person, other than perhaps your partner. They will be responsible for immortalising your vision, and creating one of your most precious keepsakes for generations to come. It’s crucial to find a professional photographer who understands your vision for your wedding day and can document it with style. But you’ll also want someone you trust and feel comfortable with since he or she will be by your side the entire wedding day.
As such, the decision on who to hire is not to be taken lightly! As a seasoned wedding photographer, I have put together some considerations and tips that will help you find your perfect photography match and ensure you love your wedding pictures as much as your wedding day.
From dresses to décor, style preferences vary from couple to couple. One of the most important stylistic decisions all couples have to make is choosing your wedding photographer. In fact, you should choose your wedding photography style even before you reach out to potential photographers. If you go the other route—book first, learn about the style later—you may end up with photos that don’t match your vision.
CHOOSE YOUR VENUE FIRST
The style of your venue, the amount of natural light available, whether it’s an indoors or outdoors setting, and the time of day you envision having your ceremony are good indicators of the overall style of your wedding day. The location of your venue, whether it is local, adventure or destination, will also help with finding the ideal wedding photographer to capture every aspect of your wedding day.
You might have not booked your venue yet when you start speaking to potential wedding photographers, and that’s perfectly fine. However, I would suggest having an idea or short list of wedding venues and the date or dates (if flexible) in mind when speaking to your photographer to make the booking process a lot smoother for everyone.
DEFINE YOUR STYLE
Do your homework and spend some time getting a sense of the style of photography you like. Maybe it’s bright with saturated colours, or maybe you prefer a more vintage look with more washed-out tones, maybe you like dark and moody images with lots of shadows and contrast, or a dreamy, nostalgic feel. To help you define what you’re drawn to you can do simple exercises like screen shot or save images and posts that you like on instagram, or create a Pinterest board with pins for inspiration. After a week or two go back and look at them while asking your self these questions: Are there any common themes or trends? Do they align with the tastes of your partner? Can this be achieved at the venue I chose?
In other words, you might dream of bright and airy images, with soft colours and light contrast; but you have booked an afternoon ceremony in a gorgeous Gothic-style church and an evening reception in a stunning manor, with majestic staircases and exposed dark wood beams. As breathtaking as the church and venue are, it is unlikely you will have many opportunities for bright and airy images after you arrive at your ceremony.
DISCUSS YOUR BUDGET WITH YOUR PARTNER
While it doesn’t have to be set in stone, it is important that you discuss with your significant other what you want out of your wedding photography and how much you want or can set aside for it. This step is nearly as significant as defining your style.
Having gone through this experience myself when planning my own wedding, we first determined the style of photography we wanted, and then discussed what we wanted for our destination wedding. As an example, we decided we wanted full day coverage on our wedding day, including getting ready images, a first look and family portraits before the ceremony. We also wanted an engagement session to get to know our photographer better, and a post wedding session to capture beautiful images around the city, where we could be more ourselves without the nerves we both knew we would experience on our big day. All things considered we knew we had to set a substantial budget that allowed for the best overall experience, so we set an ideal investment figure, and we allowed for a stretch amount that we would be comfortable with for the right person. Budget, as you can see, was a factor to consider but not top of the list when selecting our wedding photographer.
Once you’ve found a handful of photographers whose aesthetic aligns with yours, browse through their website (please! don’t rely just on social media), read their about page, look at their galleries and then email each person and inquire about their availability on your wedding date and their photography rates. If the ones you’re interested in are available on your date and their fees are within your budget, then you can schedule initial meetings.
Some wedding photographers will not share an investment guide with you initially on a cold email, and that is perfectly acceptable! They, like me, love to put a face to the name and talk about your needs before they can share a proposed collection of services. They want to make sure they are a good match for your personality and vision before you even make a monetary investment.
I’ll write more about it on a different post, but for now, please trust me when I say that not sharing their price immediately is not a reason to stop considering someone as your wedding photographer.
GET TO KNOW THE PHOTOGRAPHER
The quality of their work, expertise and personality are all influential factors when choosing your wedding photographer. Beyond a certain level of investment, most photographers will have a similar quality of work and expertise, so it becomes crucial that you are comfortable with them, their approach and personality. Remember that you will spend a lot of time with this person not only on the most important day of your life, but during the weeks and months leading up to it, and in the weeks after your wedding when reviewing your gallery and your album. Don’t underestimate the value of communication and trust!
Most photographers will email you a link to their portfolio of images before your first meeting. Be sure the collection includes recent weddings they shot from start to finish. This is a more accurate way to gauge said photographer’s work. Also, ask if the photographer has shot at your venue and if so, request to see those photos.
During the meeting, ask your potential wedding photographer questions about their approach leading up to and on your wedding day. Will they be the ones photographing your day? Will they have an assistant or second shooter? What touch points will you have between the time you book and your wedding day? and, anything else that comes to mind.
Don’t rely on your memory! Take notes during the session about the important details you discussed and add a personal note on how this wedding photographer made you feel during the call. Did they listen to you? Do they understand your vision? Did they make you feel calm and comfortable talking to them? Would you have a coffee with them if they were not your vendor? In the end, these little notes will help making the final decision.
UNDERSTAND THE INVESTMENT
There are many approaches to presenting an investment proposal for wedding photography, which is why it is essential that your needs and wants are clear in your mind when comparing options.
Some photographers’ fees include everything including albums, prints, and high-resolution images; others have a flat or hourly rate, then charge you à la carte for any pictures or albums you want. Many photographers offer a price list that details several different packages they offer at different price points. Make sure that you understand what’s included in your collection or proposal and how well it aligns to what you want.
LOCAL OR DESTINATION PHOTOGRAPHER?
For adventure and destination weddings, it is likely that your photographer will include travel expenses as part of the investment proposal. If you are not prepared to cover travel expenses, you can always research local wedding photographers at your destination, or rely on your wedding planner to make suggestions of local vendors that fit your style. In this case, communication and trust will be even more important! Make sure that you feel heard and understood, that they speak your language fluently and that despite of the difference in time-zones, you get enough time with your photographer to discuss all the important details and planning for your wedding day.
GO WITH YOUR GUT
Once you’ve evaluated each photographer’s work and fees, and narrowed down the options, it’s time to make your decision. Remember those little personal notes I said would be important? Well, here’s where they will come in handy to make the final decision.
I truly and honestly believe in the power of chemistry, and the bonds we build with the people around us, even from that half hour video call or coffee date. Generally, if it feels right it’s because its the right choice.
BONUS: SCHEDULE A TEST RUN
It might be that one is included in the investment proposal your photographer made you, but if not, scheduling an engagement photoshoot is always a good idea. It’s a great opportunity to get to know your photographer and begin to feel comfortable having your photos taken, especially if you or your partner are camera-shy.
If you are on the fence, an engagement photoshoot is also a good way to understand how your photographer works and thinks, how they are likely to approach posing and direction during your wedding day and you get a first hand view of the quality of their work for a relatively small investment up-front.
While reading this you might be thinking, how on earth am I going to find enough time to make a decision! In reality, this is a much less daunting process than you think, and it is so much fun looking at all the styles and approaches to photography and finding what you and your partner love and hate. You can make it a lovely wine and nibbles date to browse through profiles together, just cast them on your TV and scroll to your hearts content.
I recommend booking your wedding photographer about nine months to a year before the wedding. Keep in mind that the longer you take to book your wedding photography after your first enquiry the higher the likelihood of your photographer getting booked for your date, especially in high wedding season (May-September).
If you’re engaged and reading this, congratulations! I wish your day is as magical as you envision it! and I hope that this little guide has helped you in the process of selecting an amazing photographer to capture your love in the most authentic way. If you’re considering having me for as your wedding photographer, please head here and fill in the contact form. I’d love to hear what your vision for your wedding photography is and work together to bring it to life!
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