I’ve been there guys! It’s a hard task picking out a wedding photographer for your day. I mean this is the most important thing about your day. Wedding planning can all be very exciting at first. Interesting to get ideas, choose colors, asking your friends to stand by your side. Then you start dealing with all of the families wants and needs. Aunt Jane hates UnclePhil and they WILL NOT sit near each other. The one groomsmen who just can’t seem to get it together and you just want to rip your hair out because things are not going as smoothly as you had planned.
Trust me. I have been there and I know exactly what you are going through. Since becoming a wedding photographer (after I go married ind you) I’ve come to know a thing or two about the wedding planning process. I don’t believe my job stops at taking photos, so I’m hereto be a resource for you. You can bounce ideas off of me, you can vent to me, I will assist you on your big day with anything you need and anything that is within my power. Today I want to help you as you begin the planning process of your wedding and mainly help you figure out the most important vendor of your day.
Here are the top 3 questions you must ask yourself when picking your wedding photographer. When you begin searching and reaching out to photographers for your wedding, I want you to ask yourself this.
1.) AM I OBSESSED WITH THEIR STYLE OF PHOTOGRAPHY?
Before you even think about sending an inquiry to a photographer, ask yourself, “Am I obsessed with their work?” Do you love their candid shots? Their reception images? How they pose their couples? How they capture the day? Can you see yourself in their images? All of these questions are important. There are so many photographers out there that you can’t possibly talk to all of them so talk to the ones that really speak to you and your partner.
To give examples about this even further, here are some different types of clients and photographers who may not be the best fit.
– A couple who loves candid images but inquires to a photographer who mostly has traditional posed images in their portfolio.
– A couple who loves the classic style of editing, but inquires to a photographer who edits very dark and emotional.
– A couple who inquires with a photographer that mainly does elopements but they are wanting a classic cathedral wedding.
All in all, one style of photography isn’t better than another, it is just different. Just like one style of wedding isn’t better or worse. The great thing about weddings is that everyone is unique and you deserve a photographer that aligns with your personal style so they can show exactly who you truly are on your wedding day.
2.) DO WE CLICK LIKE LONG LOST BFF’S
Of course not everyone wants their photographer to become their best friend. You are probably asking yourself “Why should I be friends with a person that I am hiring to do a job for me?” “Do I need to be friends with all of my vendors?” The answer is no. But honestly 95% of the couples I work with I become friends with and hangout with after the wedding is all said and done. You should click with your photographer because they will be with you 100% of your day. We will know when you go to the bathroom, when you have a meltdown before you walk down the aisle and when you get to finally relax after the ceremony! So you should know this person very well. Amazing things happen when you feel comfortable (or dare I say bfs-status) with the person documenting your day. You start to relax, you act like yourself. You are able to let your guard down and fully let them in to capture your love story – your intimacy, your quirks, your raw emotion. Trust me when I say that a bfs couple/photographer relationship ALWAYS makes for the best images.
3.) DO I TRUST THIS PERSON
Trusting someone with your wedding day can be hard. What you need to think about when trusting a photographer is, do you trust this person to use their expertise and talent to capture your wedding in a way that will leave you free to just enjoy your day? Do you trust their skills to deliver for you? Do you trust them as a person to help when needed? I think trust is a no brainer when choosing the person who’s going to be capturing something that only happens once. Something as important as your wedding day. Here are just a few examples of a couple that does trust their photographer.
– They won’t give them detailed, multiple pages long shot lists that she got from Pinterest because she trusts them to create amazing photos other people will want to pin.
– They plan their timeline around when the photographer recommends the best light and how much time they need to document certain things.
– If the photographer suggest something for the sake of the shot then the couple will happily do it, knowing that they are creating something they will value for years.
There you have amazing people! I hope this was helpful to you as you begin your planning journey for you wedding day.
