Tips for finding the perfect wedding photographer…
I have been a professional wedding photographer for over 13 years and I have heard it all… but that’s ok! Weddings are one of the biggest purchases you’ll make in this lifetime and you should spend wisely. I’m always happy to answer any questions my potential clients have and whether you hire my company or not, I encourage people to make an informed decision. I have created a step by step guide to help people decide on a photographer that best suites them.
4. What kind of editing do you feel drawn to? Once you narrow your focus, work on what style of editing these photos tend to have. Do you like the amateaur direct flash look (think Urban Outfitters ads), light & airy (overexposed) film style, or dark warm and moody, etc. Keep in mind that editing often goes through trends, so timeless is also an option, putting words to the style you’re looking for is a step in the right direction.
5. Are you okay with hiring an associate? While in most situations, hiring an associate is absolutely fine but a common trend right now is for photographers to book a wedding with intentions of finding someone off the street too shoot it. I can’t emphasize how important it is to know who the photographer is going to be and have it on the contract.
6. Last but not least…. What is your budget? No one likes to talk about money but I think it’s important to discuss budgeting so people can have a realistic expectation of what they’re going to spend on wedding photography. In an average market for a good & experienced photographer you should expect to spend a minimum of $4,000 for a no frills package, wedding day only coverage. While experienced high-end photographers start around $7,000-$10,000. While not every cheap photographer is bad by any means, there are many talented people just getting started, but it’s a certainly a risk.
Ask yourself :
Where do I start? Ask your friends if they have any recommendations, search on their social media if you have to! If you have a planner, they are a solid source of referrals and will only refer people they know and trust. If you don’t have a planner or recently married friends, google is going to be your new best friend, don’t be afraid to go past page 1, yes it will be overwhelming (there are over 600 photographers shown in Austin on the Knot alone) but that’s what the next few steps are for.
What kind of wedding are you having? If you’re having an evening wedding in a ballroom, it’s good idea to focus on portfolios and styles that cater to this. Outdoor weddings are significantly easier by comparison. Make sure your kind of wedding is featured somewhere throughout their website.
What kind of photos do you feel drawn to? Create a pinterest board of 25 photos that speak to you, take the location, dress style, flowers OUT of the equation. What kind of photos do you like? Do you like serious portraits, heartfelt moments, all the dancing photos, or pictures of you and your favorite girls hanging out? You’re allowed to like it all but liking it all is still a step in the right direction. :)
Just a couple tips :
Having a hard time deciding? Don’t be afraid to have a chat over zoom or in person to get to know them better but pro tip, limit the meetings to just a few as more than much more can be overwhelming.
Ask for a full gallery! It’s great way to see the complete gallery of work provided. Portfolios are the best of the best for a reason but make sure there aren’t any weak spots.
If you’re feeling nervous about photos, have an engagement session before hand to get to know your photographer better. That way they’ll be more like friends on your wedding day.
Ask how much involvement they’ll have on the wedding day. While most photographers are somewhere in the middle, some photographers believe in true photojournalism (they don’t touch or move anything) and others will control every little details.
Have they photographed at your venue before? It doesn’t matter, as long as they’ve photographed at a venue like yours. Most of the weddings I shoot every year are brand new to me and it does not impact the quality of work provided.
Book farther in advance than you ever thought you’d need to. The most popular dates of the year tend to get booked up often over year in advance, the popular dates vary based on location but you can start by noticing venue availability. Holidays and numerical dates are the first to come to mind, can you believe 7-7-2007 was on a Saturday?
