Tips for choosing your wedding photographer

Choosing your wedding photographer. So you just got engaged, booked your venue, and are looking into a wedding photographer. Wedding photos are one of the most important things from your wedding since they are the only tangible thing you will have. Choosing the right photographer you love is crucial because of this. Keep in mind, there are so many photographers out there whose work is truly amazing but will not be your perfect photographer. Below are some tips to help you choose the right photographer for you and capture your wedding the way you want it.

• Figure out the style you want.
  • There are two different styles to look at: Editing style and shooting style.
    • Editing style examples are moody, light and airy, true to color, film, and vibrant.
    • Shooting style examples are photojournalism style, documentary, traditional, editorial, and artistic.
  • This is truly important. If you are on a budget and just choose any photographer that is within your budget and you don’t like their style, you’re not going to love your images. 
  • If they are within your budget, please do not ask them to edit to a different style. If you feel the need to ask them to change their editing style, they might now be the right photographer for you.
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• Discuss your budget
  • Wedding photography pricing can be very daunting. You might have a budget in mind and might be surprised by the cost. The starting rate of wedding photographers will start at $2,000 in Southern California. Any less and they are just starting out or not as experienced. Keep in mind quality over quantity. In addition, some might seem like a great deal but might not be. Photography shouldn’t be something one should take lightly as it’s the only thing you will have from your wedding.
  • Learn what your priorities are and discuss what is important to get captured. For example, if you are not big on the getting ready part, you can fit your wedding within 6 hours which will be less money spent on photography and can fit most budgets.
  • Pro tip: If you are on a very tight budget, there are ways to save like not choosing a Saturday between the months of April – November. You can also limit the amount of guests you have. However, I do not recommend trying to find a cheap wedding photographer. Most photographers have a payment plan or will create one for you.

• Figure out how you want your wedding captured and what you want photographed.
  • Do you want candids? Posed? A little bit of both? Discuss what’s important to you and what you’re looking forward to seeing of your wedding photos. Ask yourself what do you want remembered? I recommend taking time to envisioning how you want your wedding photos to feel and the way you want them to look.

• Ask to look at a few full wedding galleries.
  • Ask for wedding galleries that are similar to your wedding venue. If your wedding is indoors, it’s important to see how the wedding photographer uses flash. When looking at the galleries, look at what they capture and how they capture it. Do they capture the more of the couple, families or both?
  • Most photographers also blog weddings so you can see the important parts of a wedding. You can ask for the full gallery of that one if you truly love it.

• Set up a time to video chat and prepare a list of questions to ask them. Please only do this if you really love their work and are wanting to learn more about them before you hire them. If you message more than a handful, you will be overwhelmed and which end up ghosting them which will suck. I recommend looking at their website first and see if they haven’t answered any of your questions there. Most photographers have a FAQ section on their website.

Here are a couple of questions you may want to ask:

1. What’s it like to work with you on our wedding day?
2. What’s your backup plan in case there is an equipment fail.

• Follow their social media account to see more of their work and get to know them more.
  • Many photographers are sharing more relatable parts of their lives so clients can get to know them on a personal level. If you want to see if you’ll get along with your photographer, I 100% would recommend this. 

• Look at reviews. I recommend looking at everything from above again and then looking at their reviews. Compare what you love most about each photographer and see if you can envision your wedding in their style and getting photographed by them.
• I’ve been reviewed on Wedding wire, Google, and Yelp.

In conclusion, I hope these tips on choosing your wedding photographer was helpful. It’s not going to be easy unless you already have a photographer in mind.

RECAP

So glad you made it to the end. In summary, be intentional when looking for a wedding photographer. And remember:

1. Figure out the style you want
2. How do you want your photos to look
3. Figure out your budget and be flexible if possible
4. Follow their social media and website
5. Look at reviews
6. If you like what they’re about, inquire

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If these tips for choosing your wedding photographer helped you, check out tips to make your engagement session amazing. Looking for more wedding planning tips, learn more about creating a good wedding timeline.