How to choose your wedding photographer
How to Choose the Perfect Wedding Photographer for You!
So, you're planning the wedding of your dreams, and you want every moment captured in a way that you love! That’s why choosing the right wedding photographer to work with is so important, after all, your photos will be the one thing you will use to look back on and remember your wedding day! From the exchange of vows to the wild dance floor shenanigans, your wedding photographer will play a crucial role in capturing all these memories for you. The photographer you choose will also be with you ALL DAY! That’s why finding someone that you feel super comfortable with, who feels like a perfect fit for you is key when searching for your wedding photographer.
Here I have put together a little guide about how to choose a wedding photographer, what to look for, what to expect, what to ask, all the things you need to know!
Step one! Before you get in touch with any wedding photographers here are some key things to consider as you browse through the many wedding photography websites and portfolios in your local area!
1. Their Photos! The Big One!
Do you love their photographs? Can you imagine yourself, your partner and all you favourite people being pictured in the same way? Every wedding photographer is different, they have different ways of shooting, of editing, of storytelling! You need to make sure that you LOVE your wedding photographers photos as your wedding WILL be captured in the exact same style.
So, the first thing you need to ask yourself is, what kind of photos are you drawn to?
For example, I love to document your wedding day! I love to capture images that are colourful, authentic and full of fun! I like to capture the real stuff! The love, the laughs and all the silliness inbetween.
There are so many other styles out there though - you could be drawn to; timeless elegance, dark and moody, dramatic and artsy, bright and airy, lots of posed stylised images.
You just need to find the right style for you! The style you love!
So, if you’re looking for fun, bright and colourful, documenatary photography, don’t book a photographer whose portfolio is dramatic and artsy with posed stylised images.
2. Your Photographers Shooting Style!
So you love their photos, brilliant! Now it’s time to think about if you like their way of shooting! After all, you have to enjoy the journey of getting these images right? Each photographer works in their own way so it’s important that you like the way they work and can imagine yourself easily working with them.
Some wedding photographers like to plan and create posed images, while others like myself, like to capture images that are more of a documentary style, moments that are unplanned, real and very silly, laugh out loud moments. This is important to think about as it really will make an impact on your day! You need to think about how they will make you feel on your wedding day? Would you enjoy spending time with your photographer on the day creating a number of posed images for each event? Or would you prefer to spend your day having an awesome celebration and letting your photographer capture whatever happens on the day?
You can usually tell a photographers shooting style from their photos. Are the photos very stylised, do the couples look posed? Are their images very polished and picture perfect? Of do the images look more real, are the photos of natural moments? Do the guests look like they're having an awesome time? Do the couples look in the moment?
My aim is to document your wedding and capture you having an awesome celebration with all your favourite people!
To find out more about your photographers shooting style, check out reviews on their website, their blog, any behind the scene content and stalk through their socials!
3. Your Photographer, THE PERSON BEHIND THE LENS!
You will be inviting this person to your wedding and will most likely be spending the WHOLE DAY with them, so it’s important that you click with them and feel comfortable with them being there. Put simply, it’s important YOU LIKE THEM!
You want to feel at ease on your wedding day! You want to be able to look back at your wedding photos and remember those excited feeling, relive those hilarious moments, and be transported to those little heartfelt moments too. You don’t want to remember feeling awkward in front of the camera and not being fully engaged with your day as you were worried about where to look or how to pose. If you are truly in the moment and having fun those truthful images will transport you right back to those amazing memories!
This is why it’s really important to meet and chat with your photographer before you book them. Make sure that you have an easy rapport with them, that you feel comfortable asking them any questions, to see if they feel like that extra bestie that you just have to invite to your wedding? Follow your gut instincts!
You think you have found your wedding photographer! Woohoo! Here are the next steps!
Check their whole website: Make sure all the information on their website resonates with you! Make sure you love their images, you like their personality, that you could see yourself spending the day with them.
Get in touch! Send an enquiry or email: Feel free to contact a number of photographers, it’s okay to spend time working out who you gel best with! After getting in touch you should get some more information from them and whether or not they are available for your date and when would be best to meet?
Meet your photographer: The best way to really make sure you click with a person is to meet them right? So this is the time to set up a video meeting or better yet, meet them in person. This way you can really see how you get along, see how comfortable you feel asking questions and really gauge if the photographer is the right person for you.
Sign a contract: The end of the journey! You found your photographer so it’s time to get it all signed, sealed and delivered. Once you have paid your deposit and signed your contract you can officially tick finding a wedding photographer off your list!
So why not start your wedding photographer hunt now! If you’re looking for fun, alternative, documentary style wedding photography get in touch wit me today!