You’re engaged! Congratulations! Now all of the fun of wedding planning can begin.

Wedding planning is a daunting task and I am here to give you a few tips that I hope will make finding a photographer less stressful.

There are so many elements that make a good photographer. However, you also need to keep your own personal preferences in mind when finding a photographer that is right for you. Make sure you have a solid list of your photography wants and needs before starting the process; it will save a whole lot of time!

PRICING

The first thing to consider is pricing. Wedding photography can get expensive, so figuring out your price range for this services is critical. I delve further into how to decide on your photography budget in my article How Much to Spend on Wedding Photography, but I will give you a sneak peek here. If photography is a big priority for your wedding day, you should be spending a decent part of your budget in this area because of how much you value it! I also recommend finding a photographer you love before setting your budget. This will give you the opportunity to explore all of your options rather than narrowing your search by price from the beginning. Also make sure to look for photography packages that give you the most bang for your buck by including additional sessions or other amenities that you may need.

PHOTOGRAPHY POINT-OF-VIEW & STYLE

The best way to describe a photographer’s perspective and style is by asking how the images make you feel. Do you see elegant, high-fashion images? Or are you drawn to the natural, candid moments that were captured? Each photographer captures a wedding day differently, so it helps to know what you like best in photographs in order to guide you to choosing the right photographer. Still don’t have a clue what style will suit your wedding day? Check out my article What Photo Style is Best for my Wedding Day? to give you some few tips!

CLIENT EXPERIENCE

The way a photographer interacts with their clients is what sets them apart from other photographers. You should value a photographer who takes the time to walk you through wedding packages, understand your photography needs, and answer all of your questions. Look for a photographer whose communication preferences match your own. Hate talking on the phone? Then look for a photographer who is responsive to emails and text or someone who has the availability to meet in-person.

 

As a wedding photographer, I always make sure that I convey how excited I am to work with a couple and show how much of a priority they are to me and my business. I pride myself on frequent communication and flexibility with my communication methods. I love meeting clients face-to-face to make sure that they feel comfortable with my personality and my photography style before booking. If a photographer does not strike you as someone who will make your wedding day a stress-free celebration…don’t book!

Reviews posted on the photographer’s website or social media pages are also great ways to get input from previous clients on how their experience was!

PHOTOGRAPHY CAPABILITIES

This refers to what your photographer is able to do in order to best capture your wedding day. Many times a photographer’s equipment plays a large role in what they are capable of doing. If you are planning a sunset ceremony, it should be important to you that your photographer know how to handle low-light situations. This requires the use of flash photography which is a skill that photographers need to learn and practice. A photographer who only uses natural light would not be a photographer suited for your wedding day. If you want your bride and groom portraits taken in the crashing waves on a beach, you would want to make sure that your photographer owns waterproof gear.

Photographers are usually very proud of the gear that they use and any special skills they have, so don’t be afraid to ask!

BUSINESS LOGISTICS

It is never a bad idea to ask for a sample of the photographer’s contract. A good photography contract should include information on insurance/liability coverage, cancellation, and photo rights. Ideally, you want a photographer who has insurance in case anything were to happen to their equipment on the wedding day. In the midst of the current global pandemic, a photographer’s cancellation and rescheduling policies have become more important than ever. Couples need to make sure they are comfortable with these policies before agreeing to work with any photographer. Understand how your photographer would handle a situation in which they are not able to attend the wedding day. You should also review how your images will be delivered to you, what methods the photographer uses to protect your images after the wedding day, and how long your images will be kept by the photographer.

Asking these important questions and understanding these policies will help protect you and your photographer.

I hope that these helpful hints will make finding your dream wedding photographer much easier!