A Complete Guide To Choosing The Right Wedding Photographer
Whether you are getting married in the next few months or you have a wedding in the near future, your wedding is going to be one of the most important occasions of your life. As such, it’s a good idea to think carefully about the people you want to photograph your wedding.
Photographers can have different styles. They can work with different tools, and have different shooting techniques. The hours of hard work they put into their art go into training, shooting, and editing all so that the newlyweds can enjoy the amazing final wedding pictures.
You’ll find everything you need to know about the best photographers, from what to look for in a wedding photographer to what to ask when you’re interviewing them in our article today. Here’s how to find the perfect wedding photographer for your special day:
- Find the right photographer that suits what you’re looking for
- Ask questions about what the photographer can offer
- Build big expectations for your wedding day
Selecting Your Wedding Photographer
You can start by searching for the local photographers and branch out from there. Once you have a big list of them, you’ll be able to start crossing off the ones that you don’t like. Once you’ve narrowed down your list to a handful of local businesses, you can start reaching out to them directly. If you’re unable to get in touch with them, you can also turn to Google or LinkedIn for recommendations.
Scale of Research
When planning your wedding, you should be thinking about how your photographer will cover the big moments and important people at your wedding. If you’re having a big wedding with a large host of guests then it would be best to hire a photography business that has up to 5 people instead of hiring a freelancer. A wedding photographer group should be big enough to get to all the key locations quickly and also cover your wedding day in detail.
You’ll also want to find out whether they’re able to travel to your wedding location, so make sure you find out what kind of transportation they use and whether they’re willing to travel. Make sure you don’t get too excited about an offer from a photographer in Scotland if you live in the South Coast of England. While it might sound tempting if their portfolio work impresses you, it may work out too expensive for you to hire his services because of the travel expenses.
Look Through Their Portfolio
When you have a few wedding photographers to choose from, take a look at their portfolios and compare them. Look for the ones who have the most photos you love, and who have a style that matches yours. Just keep in mind that you should avoid the photographers that don’t have a portfolio.
There are many different styles of wedding photography and each has its own set of rules and expectations. Find out which one is best for you and your relationship.
Don’t Leave Out The Reviews
Now that you’ve narrowed down your options, you’ll want to take a look at the local reviews and ratings. Social media reviews and website testimonials are the next best thing to seeing the bride and groom in person, so be sure to take a look at what they’re saying about the vendors on their sites and social media accounts. And don’t forget to take a look at the Google My Business reviews, too.
The wedding day is the most important day of your life. It’s important to remember that a photographer is a person, too, so you want to find someone you connect with and that you’re comfortable working with. This will help you feel less anxious on your wedding day as you know that you can trust the photographer.
Ask For Availability and Their Quotes
Once you’ve narrowed down your options from the list, make such to contact the photographers and ask them about their pricing information and availability for your wedding date. Don’t forget to let them know about your wedding date and time, your budget, your expected total of guests and the location of the wedding.
Firstly you’ll be able to leave out the photographers that are not available for your special day. With photographers who are available, they will also be able to provide the best package options for your wedding.
Questions for Your Wedding Photographer
How to find the perfect photographer is a process that involves many questions. This will help you get a clear understanding of what to expect on the day.
Questions to Ask
Here are some questions to ask your wedding photographer to get the most out of your session:
- Will you want to review the venue beforehand or have you worked at the venue we’ve chosen before?
Having a local wedding photographer will ensure that you have someone who is familiar with your local event venues, churches or hotels. But, if the photographer is planning on travelling to the wedding venue, then you will want to review the angles, lighting, and positioning to capture all the best moments from the wedding.
- What information from us would help you prepare before the wedding day?
Your photographer may expect you to provide them with information about your wedding day, such as the venue access codes, contact information, the timings, the lighting, and any other special requests. This will allow them to be fully prepared to take the best pictures on your special day.
- Â Can we show you some of the pics that we loved from your portfolio?
This will assist the photographer in taking the right pictures that you know you will love on the day.
- Would you be joining us during the serving of food? Do you have any food allergies?
If you are providing meals for your guests, then you should include your wedding photographer in your plans. You want your photography to be working to the best of their ability, so make provisions for them in advance so that there is no confusion on the wedding day.
- Is it possible to keep you longer than scheduled and how much extra would that cost?
If you’re looking to get some good photos, you can’t afford to have the fun end early. When you are planning to get a professional photographer, make sure to ask if they will be able to stay late and how much it would cost to keep them working till late. If they are not able to, then don’t forget to have your phone on full battery so that you can take photos for the rest of the night.
- Are you able to compile a slideshow for the wedding breakfast?
The editing process takes a long time with the average time for a package taking between 2 to 6 weeks. However, you can see if the photographer can put together a small slideshow for the morning breakfast in order to put smiles on people faces.
- Is there a backup for you if you can’t attend or if your equipment stops working?
If you want a stress-free wedding, then you should make sure the photographer and your wedding team have a plan A, B, and C in place for any potential problems. Get your team involved in designing back-ups for back-ups, so you’re prepared for the unexpected. Also, it helps to know if the photographer has extra equipment or a friend that they call on if things go wrong to help avoid complications.
Meet Up Before the Wedding
There are a lot of reasons why it’s important to meet your wedding photographer before the day. First, it gives you a chance to see if you are on the same page. Second, it gives you the opportunity to ask any questions you may have. And third, it gives you the chance to get to know them as a person, rather than a faceless entity online.
Check-in Before Your Wedding
Before your wedding, make sure to confirm the details with your photographer. You should check in with them at least once a week to confirm the date, time they are arriving, location, travel plans and any other details.
Planning your wedding can be a stressful time, so it’s important to get everything in place well in advance. Add this to your pre-wedding checklist to make sure you don’t miss anything.
Enjoying Your Special Day
It’s really important to have a wedding that you and your partner are excited and comfortable about. So, don’t stress about what other people think – just make sure that you and your partner are comfortable with what you’re doing, and that you have fun!
Your wedding photographer will capture all the important moments of your wedding day and they will capture the joy of your wedding day. You’ll have photos for years to come. And, like your wedding, you’ll have your joy for the memories.
Photograph Album Pending
The day after your wedding has come and gone, you might be feeling the blues. It’s normal to feel a little sad, but if you want to get through it, try to stay positive.
Take advantage of the time you have with your partner, and soon you’ll be excited about the arrival of your photos. You will then be faced with hundreds to thousands of options to choose from. This will be another big decision, but you’ll have to choose the ones you like best.
Whether you’re in the process of creating a photo album for your family and friends to see or just looking for a great print to hang above your fireplace, you can select the perfect print or prints that you will love.
A photographer can capture those priceless moments for you, and it’s usually pretty affordable to purchase the photos that you need. So make sure that you leave part of your wedding budget aside to buy and print your favourite photos so that you can hang them up around the house. Also, don’t forget the other family members who want some pictures too. After you’ve bought the licenses and the print-outs, you are free to keep the photos so keep them in a special place in the house with your special partner.
Write an Honest Review
Reviewing your wedding photographer’s work will be a great way to help the photographer’s reputation. This can be done by either leaving a review or by posting on the photographer’s website. A great wedding photographer will thank you for leaving a review after the shoot. A professional photographer is always grateful for the extra business and a recommendation from a happy customer.
Being a wedding photographer is no easy job. Your time will be devoted to taking your clients’ wedding photos, but your skills will also be needed to create beautiful and flawless wedding packages. Reviews are a great way to let your clients know that you appreciate them, and you will get to meet a ton of new clients through your wedding photographer.