We are going to tackle a big topic today: choosing your wedding photographer. There are so many wedding photographers out there and I know it can be overwhelming trying to decide who to hire. Your photos will be the most treasured piece of your wedding day that you will look back on for years and years so of course it’s important to hire someone you trust. So how do you do that? Lucky for you, I have broken down the 8 things I suggest couples look at when hiring a photographer. Pay attention to these 8 things with any photographer you talk with and you’ll be sure to hire someone who is a perfect match for your day! 

1. Style 

First things first, you need to make sure you LOVE the editing and posing style of the photographer you hire. You want to be obsessed with your photos! And this goes beyond just editing, although that is a key component as well. When you look at a wedding photographer’s portfolio or Instagram feed, how do you feel? Do you LOVE the photos they post and think “OMG I want this to be MY photo”? That’s probably a great indicator that you love their style! You want to like the way that they pose the people in their photos, the way they edit their photos, and the overall composition of their photographs. 

Check out my portfolio HERE.

2. Reviews 

Of course you should read reviews before booking a wedding photographer! Check out their Google and Facebook reviews, as well as any reviews on their website. It’s a great insider look to see what their past clients are saying. Are you reading glowing reviews about how the photographer made them feel and how much the client loved the photos? That’s a great indicator that this wedding photographer is good at their job. 

3. Experience

This is a two parter: you want to look at the experience the wedding photographer has with weddings and how you feel about your experience with them. Let’s start with their shooting experience first. If they don’t offer a full wedding gallery for you to view, ask to see one! This is a great way to see their work over the course of a full day and not just the beautiful sunset shots. You want to pay attention to how they photograph all types of lighting in a gallery. Do you like the getting ready and ceremony photos as well as the natural light portraits? You also want to talk about how many weddings they have photographed! Photographers who have shot more weddings typically are able to work with the many bumps that naturally happen on wedding days while staying calm and collected. 

Then, you want to notice how you feel during your experience with them! Are they responsive to your emails? Are they helpful with the questions you ask? Do they send you guides to help you through the process and provide resources to you? These are all things to think about when you are going through the experience of inquiring/booking a wedding photographer!

4. Do they have time? 

This is a pretty easy one. Does this photographer have time for you? Pay attention to their response time to you and if they seem to be prioritizing you as a client. There is a difference between hiring a booked photographer and an overbooked photographer! 

5. Hop on a call 

This is less of a thing to look for and more of an action: get on a call with them! This is a great way to see if your personalities seem to mesh well and get a feel for them as a person and photographer. You can also ask all of your questions and see how they answer them. Typically this call will really help you learn about their process and see if they fit your needs. 

To schedule a call with me, please fill out my contact form HERE. I encourage everyone that inquires with me to get on a call. It is a great way to get to know each other and allows me to know how to best serve you!

6. Vibes 

Speaking of seeing if you mesh well on the phone, you really want to make sure that you guys vibe overall! The wedding photographer that you hire will be with you on your wedding day as much if not MORE THAN you spouse. They are with you while you get ready, do first looks, get married, do portraits, and cut the cake. Of course you want to love their work but you also want to like them. You will know if you vibe with someone or not and that is truly an important part of hiring a photographer! 

If you’re looking for someone who will hype you up while you’re getting ready, cry with you when you exchange your vows, laugh at all the hilarious stories told during speeches and party with you on the dance floor, you might be in the right place!

7. Budget 

You want to make sure that you are hiring a photographer who is in your budget! Be open and honest with them about your budget and what you are looking for. Make sure to get their full pricing information that breaks down their packages. Figure out what you can afford and be up front about what you are able to spend. 

For my starting prices, you can find them on my investment page HERE. I send my full pricing guide as well as add ons in my pricing guide immediately after you inquire.

8. Trial run 

If you have talked with a photographer, love their work, feel like you vibe but still are a little nervous to put down a retainer and sign a contract, do a trial run! Book and engagement session with them! This way you get a great idea of what it’s like to work with them. You’ll get to see how they direct you at your engagement session and also see how their editing style looks in a gallery with you in it. This is a great way to truly see how you work together! 

Above all, don’t be afraid to ask questions when choosing your wedding photographer! It’s our job to make you comfortable in your booking decision, and we want to make sure we’ll work together just as well as you do. 

Want to hop on a call with me to talk about your own wedding day? Fill out my contact form today!