Whether you’re planning a micro wedding or a traditional wedding – one thing is certain, you want a wedding photographer who can beautifully capture every moment of your special day. Family and friends often tell soon-to-be brides that the day passes by in a flash. Before you know it, the DJ is playing the final song and you’re wondering where the time went. After you’ve had some time to relax, you’ll start reflecting on your wedding and wonder how the photos have turned out.
- Did the photographer capture everything I requested?
- Do I look beautiful in my photos?
- Does the photographer truly understand my style and vision?
These are valid fears because your wedding photos are memories you’ll cherish for a lifetime.So how do you make sure you end up with gorgeous photos that tell your unique wedding story? Hire an experienced wedding photographer who is as excited about your day as you. This guide helps you land a wedding photographer you can trust to create memories that last forever.
What’s Your Wedding Photography Style?
Get an idea of how you want your photos to look before reaching out to wedding photographers. This helps you cut through the crowd and pick a photographer who is perfect for you. There are quite a few styles you can choose from but know that your wedding photographer can combine styles to create your distinctive vision. Here are some popular styles:
Photojournalism wedding photography provides you with shots that tell a story. The photographer is an active observer in your wedding and focuses on capturing moments as they unfold rather than setting up scenes. This option is great for people who are looking for candid emotions in their photos.
Traditional wedding photography focuses on setting up a scene. Your wedding dress sits perfectly on the ground, your wedding party is lined up and everyone is posing for the camera. Your photographer is likely to work from a shot list. These are the kinds of photos you see when looking through your grandparent’s wedding albums. They’re classic and timeless.
Artistic wedding photography is a mix of photojournalism and traditional photography. Your photographer can set up the scene but it’s up to you to create the moment. This style is about capturing creative shots based on your personality. You can work with your photographer to come up with a unique idea and they help make it come to life.
It’s also important to pay attention to editing styles while researching wedding photos. Wedding photographers can use their editing software to make your photos look beautifully dark and moody or light and airy. If they know your preference in advance, they can suggest scenes or poses that enhance your chosen style.
Find Local Wedding Photographers
You can start searching for photographers in your area once you have a general idea of how you want your photos to look. A great place to check out is theknot.com. Here you can find local photographers, see price ranges, and read reviews.
Wedding photographers typically display their best photos. Make sure to look at full wedding albums as this gives you a more comprehensive view of their work. Comb through to see if the photographer caught key moments and was able to tell a visual story.
It’s also important for their portfolio to include many settings so you can gauge their skill level. For example, do they have photos from cloudy and sunny days? Daytime and nighttime? Different seasons? This tells you if they’re able to adjust their lens and edit photos to complement the surrounding environment no matter the situation.
Interview Your Wedding Photographer>
After you’ve gathered research on photographers you like, reach out to them and set up interviews. Make sure to interview at least 2-3 photographers so that you can see who most aligns with your vision, style and personality.
This step is critical because you want to find out if your personalities match. You are spending the entire wedding day with this person – make sure you like them!
When you speak to the wedding photographer, do they:
- Listen and ask thoughtful questions?
- Sincerely show excitement to be part of your day?
- Seem like they would mesh with your guests and family?
These are significant things to consider. You want to spend the day focusing on yourself and not worrying about the photographer.
Other things to think about:
- Is it important for you to have someone who can take charge when photographing your large and energetic wedding party?
- Or do you want someone who blends in with the background for your smaller intimate wedding?
- Does the wedding photographer have a second shooter so that all angles are captured?
Knowing this in advance can help set expectations to ensure the experience runs smoothly.
Find out Your Wedding Photographer’s Timetable
After you’ve made sure that your personalities and styles are a match, it’s time to get down to the nitty-gritty.
The next step is to ask about timelines and deliverables.
How long after the wedding do you have to wait for the photos? Knowing this in advance could impact your decision. Some photographers return edited photos within 12 weeks and others take 6 months. Can the photographer provide sneak peaks shortly after the wedding? If the timeline is important to you, make sure you have this conversation up front.
Also know what your wedding package includes:
- What’s the base cost of the package and what can be added on for a fee?
- Are you getting both digital images and prints? Or just digital images?
- How many hours are included?
- What events are covered?
Prior to signing the contract, discuss the complete package with the photographer so that everyone is on the same page.
Also, photographers have full rights to your photos. This means they can post them on the internet without your permission. If you’re a more reserved person and this doesn’t sound appealing to you – let the photographer know so that you can work something out.
Get in Touch with Lavish Touch Photos
As you can see, there’s a lot to consider when interviewing potential photographers. Take your time with the process and make a thoughtful list. Thoroughly vetting the photographers saves you time, money and headaches in the long run.
Though if you want to work with an experienced and highly-regarded wedding photographer, send me an email!
I’ve had photos featured in local magazines including Detroit Ambassador and Voyage ATL, in addition to national publications such as Essence online magazine and The Knot. I have won The Knot Best of Wedding award in both 2018 and 2019 for my wedding photography.
My most popular wedding package features:
- Online gallery
- High-resolution images
- A second shooter
- Custom designed wedding album
Do you live outside of Florida? I love traveling outside of the state to capture weddings. Past clients have been from Michigan, Ohio and Georgia. I can take perfect snowy shots for your winter wedding or meet you on the beach for your tropical summer nuptials.
Check out my five-star reviews on The Knot and email me today at Rika@lavishtouchphotos.com!
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