Right now in the photography world, it’s “booking season” which means the inquiries for the next year’s wedding season are starting to roll into our inboxes. Being a previous bride myself, I know that it’s overwhelming to figure out which photographer is the right one for you. After all, you only have once chance to pick the perfect one!! From a photographers perspective, I thought it would be helpful to share Four Things to Consider When Booking Your Wedding Photographer! Spoiler alert: It’s shouldn’t be based on the price alone!
*Side note: I have these in order from most important to least important.*
The personality of a photographer is huge because we (the photographer) spend MORE time with the bride than the fiance does! Making sure that you, as a bride, connect with your photographer and you like their personality is key! A few easy ways to get an idea of their personality is through their email replies (are they using smiley faces and exclamation points? (hint: which is me!). Another way would be to follow them on social media and watch their Insta-stories to get an idea of how they talk and interact.
This can kind of go a few different ways, but I’m focusing on what you can expect as a bride. Don’t be afraid to ask about their image turn around time, how long they’ve been a photographer, how many weddings have they photographed, do they have a portfolio that they can showcase, etc. Experience also is important because the more experience the photographer has, the more likely it is that they’ve already experienced any and every wedding situation before and know how to diffuse it! It’s important to have someone that is leading your wedding day to be able to handle anything that is thrown their way!
The style of the photographer (and I’m not talking about their personal style of the way they do their hair and makeup). I’m talking about the way they take photos and their editing style. For myself personally, I am a light and airy photographer which means my images are brighter and white; not super dark or have too many muted colors. Don’t waste any time contacting a photographer that specializes in a light editing style if you’re looking for darker edited images. Another thing to research is how they photograph their clients during an engagement session and even wedding portraits. Some photographers shoot more naturally posed with prompts to ensure laughter or they set up their clients to look more posed. Study a photographers work a little bit to see what you like/don’t like and then find the photographer that fits in the style that you like best!
I’m not denying this is important, but I do truly believe that it’s much more important to find the perfect photographer for you. You’re talking about one day, the only day, that you are getting married. It’s the day that you have dreamed of and are highly investing in, because it’s so special! If a photographer checks the personality, experience and style boxes you’re on the right track! When searching a photographer’s website, find their investment cost to see if you fit in the price range. If you are in that range, fill out the contact form and connect with them! While, yes, price is important because you ARE investing a lot of money.. it should not be the only thing that dictates whether you book that photographer or not. You can ALWAYS make the money back but you will NEVER get your MEMORIES back.
Are you a bride-to-be? Check out these posts for more tips and tricks!
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