10 Tips for Choosing Your Wedding Photographer

I know how hard it is when it comes to choosing your wedding photographer! Where do you even begin? There are so many out there, and it’s difficult to figure out what really differentiates them.

It can be a tough decision, especially when you consider the role the wedding photographer will take on your day.

After all, of all your wedding vendors, your photographer is the one who

• will brush your hair out of your face and pick the twigs out of your dress!

• will be right by you for roughly 8 hours

• you will exchange the most emails with!

• will interact with your guests and the people closest to you.

• is making their art at your wedding.

• you’ll still be in communication with after the wedding. Gallery delivery, print sales, album design… not to mention photographing life’s next milestones like ( maybe!) a baby!

It’s a big decision for sure and it feels like you have a lot of homework to do!
A google search also returns a hell of a lot of vendors!

I’ve put my thoughts below into 10 points I think deserve your attention.

1. Search different platforms like Pinterest, social media and visit wedding fairs to see photographers showing off their images and read the captions to (hopefully) be able to figure out what makes them unique, and a right fit for you as a couple.

2. Find out what style of photography you are drawn to!

So, here’s a quick crash course to describe the way the images look and feel:
- Bright and airy using natural light (poppy, light, fresh, clean)
-Fine art (highly curated; film or looks like film; usually high end)
-Dark and moody (uses shadows and deliberate underexposure)
- Trendy editing (e.g making green look brown; images look very warm)
- Documentary style (true-to-life colours; not overly staged)

My work falls between a warm moody style.

3. Figure out your budget
You have to be realistic, just like your other vendors wedding photographers are business owners and we have to charge to make a job worthwhile for us.

Its probably pretty tempting to think you can trim down to suit what you would like to pay, but established photographers don’t work that way ( sorry!)
I’m not afraid to talk about money, and myself ( along with others I’m sure ) will gladly recommend other photographers who are a better fit price wise if your budget won’t stretch.
But seriously, TALK to us about your vision, your budget and lets figure something out!

4. Check out testimonials and reviews

We live in a world where unhappy customers will take to the internet within minutes of a purchase to vent their frustration, or a service that didn’t go as hoped. Use THIS to your advantage and have a stalk!
Social media is your friend here and I normally would check out a vendor’s Instagram profile immediately because I want to see how they come across, how active they are and how they engage with their community.
It’s a good way of checking if someone is even still open for business.
A photographer’s website is much more static.
It won’t give you quite the same insight into what they’re actually doing in real-time, and their latest work.

5. Ask for links to view full wedding galleries

This is 100% a great idea to ask your photographer if you can see full weddings online.
You could also ask to view weddings they may have shot in the same or similar venue to what you have booked, and you will be able to visualise yourself as a bride!

6. Consider wether their images will stand the test of time

Wedding photography is a time capsule into a moment , a space, a time in your life… Will the editing be true to life?

7. If possible, meet in person!

A in person meeting, or chat over the phone will be your chance to ask all the questions you want.
You’ll also be able to see how you get along with the photographer!
( I’ve been known to walk a few laps of the lake with brides before getting some exercise in and talking about their big day! )

If you already know, like and trust your photographer you’ll feel more comfortable from the moment they walk in on your wedding day! ( This is also really helpful for your groom too as they can often feel kinda left out of the loop, so knowing he gets along with the photographer is one less thing on the day he has to be worried over.)

8. Ask them how they work at weddings

Even with the knowledge that they’re a ‘candid, documentary-style photographer’, that doesn’t necessarily tell you a great deal.
Some photographers mean that they never (eek!) set up a shot, move things around or pose anyone.
They simply capture everything as it is.
Other photographers may chase a ‘candid style’, while actually carefully curating everything to look a certain way.

Its defiantly worth asking how they’ll deal with family pics and situations that may need a little time + patience as well.

Me? I’m all about nutting things out BEFORE your big day, so I know what you want.
This allows me to move about your day with ease + flow.

9. Have a engagement shoot!

Most photographers will bundle a engagement shoot into their wedding package which I think is a great idea, that way there’s not a extra cost if this is something you would like to document.

You can also utilise those images as your save the dates to be sent out!

10. Understand whats included in your package

This might not sound like a big deal, but it can become one if you are sure on the deliverables, and an anticipated timeframe.

It can be really easy to make assumptions, so don’t make the mistake - read the contract, ask questions and be on the same page!

I have heard of photographers only including the low-resolution files, and if the client wanted a print- resolution image, they’d have to pay for a high-res digital file or order the print directly through the photographer at a steep mark-up. No thanks!

And how long will it take for your photos to be delivered? Most photographers take 1-3months, with sneak peeks shortly after your big day.

Me? I provide sneak peeks within 24hours for you to use across your social media & usually work hard to get your images complete within 6 weeks.

So there you have it -
My thoughts on how you can go about finding the right photographer for you.

X, Peta