How to Choose a Wedding Photographer
Knowing how to choose a wedding photographer for your wedding can be the difference between a wonderful wedding experience, and one you regret.
While it may be tempting to save as much money as possible on a photographer, a real deal comes not in the amount of money you save, but in the amount of value gained.
Here are some important factors to consider when you are looking at how to choose a wedding photographer.
What to Consider
Land on a Budget
When considering how to choose a wedding photographer, the first thing you should consider is a realistic budget.
If you have a shoestring budget and only have $1000 to spend on photography, while you may love a certain photographer’s style and personality, you must have the realistic expectation that you cannot hire a $3000 photographer.
On the flip side, if you have $5,000 to spend on a photographer, while you may be able to hire one cheaper, you will get the most benefit out of your photographer by spending the full amount of the allotted budget. You can do this by spending $3000 for coverage and buying up to $2,000 in printed products, or booking a package collection that includes prints and albums in it.
Choose a Style You Love
Style is another aspect to consider. If you are drawn to dark, moody photography, then finding a photographer who fits this mold would benefit you.
Same for light and airy or natural.
These are the photos you are going to have for the rest of your life, so make sure you land on a style you love.
That said, I would make sure you avoided current trends in styles and find a style that is timeless.
You may not love today’s trends 5 years from now.
Know the Photographer
This is probably the most important consideration. If you don’t take time to get to know your photographer (either through their about page, social media, or even a consultation), you are playing Risk with your wedding experience.
In my own booking process, the first step after receiving an inquiry, is I get on the phone with the bride for an alignment call. The purpose of this call is for us to get to know each other and see if we would be a good fit to work with one another.
If not, the couple moves on to the next photographer – but if we get along just fine, we go on to discuss pricing and booking.
The reason for this is simple – if we do not get along well or if the bride does not trust me, then it will reflect in their photos.
These photos are a reflection of their commitment and love for each other, so I want them to be as beautiful as they can be!
View a Full Gallery
Photographers have a tendency to show off their best work only on their portfolios.
That’s to be expected because they need to put their best foot forward. However, when it comes to hiring one for your wedding, it’s important to take a look at a full gallery to see if their quality is proven, or if they only show the lucky photos.
When looking at a full gallery, consider looking at galleries that are at similar venues or lighting conditions as your own wedding.
Consider Your Venue’s Lighting
If you are getting at an industrial hall with low lighting, request to see a wedding with low light.
If you are having an outdoor wedding, ask to see a gallery of a wedding that happens outdoors.
There’s no need to ask if they have shot at your venue before because if their work is worth any salt, a new location should not prove to be a lighting problem.
Consider an Engagement Session Trial
Engagement sessions are a wonderful way to break the ice by learning how to work with your photographer.
If you have a pretty good feeling about a wedding photographer but aren’t 100% ready to pull the trigger, ask about an engagement session.
This is a low-cost trial to see how the photographer works, crosses off a to-do from your list of things to get ready for the wedding, and lets you determine if you want to move forward or not without paying thousands of dollars a photographer can cost.
Should you decide you want to move forward with the photographer, many will even reduce the cost of the engagement session from the wedding collection cost.
Ask Questions
If you are unsure about something, asking questions is always the right thing to do.
Sometimes, you just don’t know what to ask. I’ve put together 50 questions you can ask your wedding photographer + 10 you don’t have to ask.
The only answer that is not an acceptable answer from photographers, is “I don’t know.” This is an indicator they are not putting thought into your question, and as a professional, all of your questions deserve to be answered – even if they’re answers you don’t like.
Understand Rights to Photos
Understanding the rights to your photos is crucial. Almost all photographers retain rights to photos to use towards marketing or selling their photos.
If a photographer offers high-resolution downloads of your photos, this does not mean you have the right to print them. Only share them in a digital space.
Make sure you ask about printing rights. Some photographers maintain the integrity of the print quality and only allow prints to be purchased through them.
Others will allow you to print photos yourself of all sizes.
Then, there are photographers like us who deliver high-resolution photos large enough to beautifully print as large as an 8×10. Anything larger, it’s suggested your order through your photographer as they work with professional print companies to print photos so they will not age.
Understand Timeline for Deliverables
How fast are you going to receive your photos after the wedding?
Knowing this can save you a lot of anxiety and will give you a realistic expectation of when to receive your photos, as well as hold your photographer accountable to delivering on time.
Standard wait times are around 4-8 weeks, but during peek seasons (April, June, September, and October), it can take longer.
Make Sure You Love Your Photographer
Finally, make sure you love your photographer.
We touched on this earlier, but I cannot stress enough how important it is you love your photographer.
Weddings are a joyous occasion, and it’s a time when you invite everyone you love to celebrate with you.
Your vendors should be no exception.
