You have spent months and months planning your perfect wedding, overseen every little detail perfectly and your wedding day will go by so fast, you won’t have the time to take a moment to stop and admire every little detail that you put your heart and soul into! That is why a wedding photographer is one of the most important vendors for your wedding. And choosing your wedding photographer can be daunting. You may have tons of questions and you don’t know where to start. Here are some tips that can help make your life just a tad bit easier.
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Choose your photography style
Yes! There are different styles of wedding photography and if you didn’t know that, then that’s alright. A lot of people don’t. But you would still need to figure out what style you love so you can find your perfect photographer!
Different styles of wedding photography Traditional: Traditional wedding photography is basically a slightly modern take on the photos you see in your parent’s photo albums. It involves a lot of control from your photographer to get all the posed, “looking at the camera and say cheese” type of shots.
Fine Art: Fine Art photographers capture photos that are intended to be appreciated as prices of art, something that can be a stand alone piece in a museum or a gallery.
Editorial: Weddings that are photographed in a similar way of the photograph you see in magazines. There is more drama and edge in the editorial photos and not many candid photos.
Photojournalistic: Photojournalism is your photographer hiding in a corner and capturing every thing as it unfolds from start to finish. It involves little to no posed or stages shots.
Dark and Moody: A moody look is a way in which your photographer shoots to mimic film photography and the tones that are achieved by film. If you like the bright and bold traditional colors for your wedding photos then the dark and moody photography may not be for you.
Adventurous: If you and your boo love to travel and explore or hike up a mountain and have gorgeous landscape in your portraits and want your photographer to follow you on your adventure, then you are looking for an adventurous photographer.
2. Research & do your homework!
With so many photographers out there and so many portfolios to check out, it can be quite overwhelming. First things first, go on their website and check out their portfolio. This will give you an an idea of what they think their best work is and their style. You will notice a consistency in their work and their work resonates with you then keep them on your list to reach out later. Also, check out their blog to see full galleries of their past weddings.
3. Email your favorites!
Once you have found at least 5 to 6 photographers whose work you love and can resonate with, reach out to them and ask some questions. Don’t send every photographer a generic email, make a connection with them. Tell them a little about both of you and your vision for your wedding day.
Some questions to ask are:
》 Whether they are available for your date.
》 What are their pricing and packages?
》 Is there a travel fee if your venue is a little further?
Set up a phone consultation When you speak to them in person, you can ask them more questions about how they work, if their packages include second shooters and figure out what you can expect from them throughout your entire relationship. Don’t be afraid to ask any and all questions you may have.
4. Meet up in person.
The only way to get to know someone better is to meet them in person, which is why it’s is super important to meet all your prospective wedding photographers in person. With this meeting, you can figure if you can be comfortable around this person and if you would want them hang out with you on your wedding day. You need to be able to get to know the person behind the business and build a relationship so you are able to trust them with your most important memories.
** Need help with some questions? Here is a post about what to ask to your photographer.
5. Go with your gut!
Once you have met with the photographers and asked them all the questions, you have already decided in your mind which photographer you can relate the most to. Trust your gut and go with the one you felt the most comfortable with after all it is a very important day!
6. Get it Booked!
Sign the contract and pay your retainer. Most photographers will not count your date booked until your contract is signed and your retainer is paid. So if you really love the photographer you picked, then do that ASAP so that no one else can steal your date!
Ready to start thinking about your vendor dream team? Here are some of the local vendors I highly recommend.
