For those of you who don't know, this October I am getting married to my wonderful fiancee Kelli! We've been together almost 4 years, and when he popped the question in September of 2016, my first thought after, "YES!" was, "now who is going to be our wedding photographer...?" Funny enough, it wasn't just on my mind, but on the minds of lots of my friends, clients and family, because everyone asked who I was going to pick and how I would decide.
So who did I pick to photograph one of the most important days of my life? The amazing Tracy & Shawn from Love & Be Loved Photography. When I met them, it was like meeting my photography soulmates. I chatted with them for almost an hour, and I loved that they listened to my ideas but had lots of their own. Their calm but powerful presence was exactly what I was looking for on my wedding day, I knew almost instantly upon meeting them that I could trust them to do this job, and to do it well. When I saw their wedding photos from other weddings, it honestly brought tears to my eyes. I just knew they were the ones.
After we received our engagement photos, I was speechless (if you know me, you know this is a rare occurrence!) - these two had been able to really show so much emotion, love, friendship, and silliness in our photos, I was blown away. In other words, if you're looking for a wedding photography team, I highly recommend them!
I know that as a bride, picking a wedding photographer is daunting. There are so many choices, it's not just about budget, it's about style, who you like, who works well with the look you want, and the list goes on. Luckily as a photographer, I already had some great tools to help me decide who our wedding photographer was going to be.
I shared some of these insights with a few clients, who had never even considered some of the things that were forefront in my mind, and I realized that there are probably a lot of brides out there who would appreciate some direction and help in choosing their wedding photographer. So get ready, this is the exhaustive, intensive, meat and potatoes list about choosing a wedding photographer!
The 2 most important things to consider about photography for your wedding day are:
1. This is your wedding day, it only happens once. Make sure you pick someone who you trust, like, and want to spend the whole day with because they are the one wedding vendor that you will spend the most time with. Make sure they're fun, and that you have a good repertoire with them. If you meet them, and you just don't "click," don't book them, it's that simple.
2. After your wedding, your photos are the only things that will be left (besides your spouse of course) so you want to do thorough research of the wedding photographer to ensure they're going to deliver to you the absolute best photos and products available within your budget.
Trust me when I say everyone is going to ask to see your photos from your special day, so if you don't like those images, this request is going to make you cry. Every. Single. Time. Instead of looking back at your wedding and sharing in fond memories over beautiful images, you're going to avoid looking back on those images at all, and a day that should have been so special to the two of you, will quietly slip into the past.
So where do you start? Well before you even begin researching local photographers, I suggest heading over to Pinterest and starting a board of wedding images you like. Pick ones that move you, ones that make you feel something. Then, once you've compiled a fairly hefty list, ask yourself the following questions:
- Do you like photos where the bride and groom are really close together, very intimate, romantic, serious or where they are more far apart, more fun poses, less serious?
- Do you like really soft colors, really dreamy looking, or do you want deeper colors, more emphasis on the backgrounds or the people?
- Do you like truly photo-journalistic style images or do you want a lot of candid images?
Keep in mind that some photographers will try to tell you their style is photo-journalistic because they take a bunch of "candid" images. This is a bunch of crap. Candid images (where no one is posed, the type of photo literally anyone could take who had a camera) are not the same as photo-journalistic. Photo journalistic style is still a composed image, it still has thought and a purpose, it still tells the story of the wedding. A candid image is just a picture, and some photographers use them as filler for your wedding album.
Now, with all of that in mind, you're able to begin to see what style of wedding photography you like. This is important because just as you look at wedding dresses prior to trying them on, you want to know what style of wedding photography you like prior to hiring your photographer. Once you know your style, you can now begin to look for photographers who emulate that style!
Okay, so you've found a few photographers in your area who's style you like, now what? Probably very few of these photographers have their prices listed, and you may be on a budget, so you may think you don't want to "waste your time" meeting with someone out of your budget. In my experience, wedding photographers will usually offer a payment plan, or allow you to pay the total in the few weeks or month prior to the wedding, so even if a photographer seems out of your budget, it's definitely worth it to meet with them to see what you can work out. Especially if you love their style, there is usually a way to make it work.
I would also like to point out that you're probably going to have bridal shower, you could always ask to make it a "photography shower" and ask your friends/family to donate to your wedding photography budget, instead of more traditional showers like lingerie, etc. This is a great idea if you want the photographer of your dreams, but they're out of your budget, plus it makes your friends/family feel good knowing they've contributed something you'll actually love and cherish literally forever.
The next step is to contact them, usually by email, to arrange a meeting. When you go the meeting, you're going to want to be prepared with some questions for them. Don't just go in to the meeting unprepared, you are a detective and your discerning who is the best fit for you, this involves some investigation on your part. I have used the wedding questions from HereComesTheGuide.com and TheKnot.ca to help me in creating this list, and both of those websites have fantastic resources when it comes to wedding planning, and wedding photography.
Questions for Your Potential Wedding Photographer:
1. How far in advance do I need to book with you? If they say they could potentially book you in as soon as next month for your wedding, they're probably not that busy of a photographer. Like any good professional, they should be booked up well in advance because they are in high demand.
2. How long have you been in business? Yes, I understand that all photographers have to start somewhere, but I would suggest that you don't want your wedding to be their first ever. Just because they've been in business a long time however, doesn't guarantee their great, so you need to ask them:
3. How many weddings have you shot? If that number isn't a lot, they could still be green in the wedding industry. Keep in mind that the more weddings they've shot, the more experience they have in knowing exactly which shots to get, how to anticipate the events of the day, etc.
4. How would you describe your photography style? Now you may get a great answer, or you may get a wishy-washy answer, when I was interviewing photographers I heard all sorts of responses to this from "light and airy style" to "my style is photographing love." Now, if the second one doesn't make sense to you, don't worry, it didn't make sense to me either. Realize that photographers are just people too, and if they're saying things that don't make a lot of sense, or they sound a bit ridiculous, they're probably inexperienced, and this is a sign that you should probably move on.
5. How would you describe your shooting/working style? Ask them to walk you through how they shoot a wedding ceremony, some photographers will walk right up and adjust your dress to get that "perfect" shot while you're saying your vows, others want to just be a fly on the wall. You have to decide what is more important to you, some photographers can be very distracting to you and your guests, others can be almost invisible. Remember that the photographer isn't running the show, you are, and if someone coming up to you mid-ring exchange and fixing your dress bothers you, then make sure you don't pick that person as your photographer.
6. Do you have a portfolio I can review? Are all the images yours, and is all the work recent? This is the most important thing to see from your wedding photographer!!!! Anyone can take 500 images in a wedding day, take 10 amazing shots, take 490 boring ones, and only show you the 10 amazing ones to make you think they're great. This is not an accurate representation of what you will actually get in your wedding package so make sure you ask to see:
- An ENTIRE wedding collection: from getting ready to reception and everything in between (this could be in the form of an online gallery, on their computer, or on a USB)
- An ENTIRE wedding album: some photographers will mash up different weddings into one album, so as to show you their best images, but again, you are paying for all the images, so you better like ALL of their images
I would also ask to see more than one wedding from start to finish, so you can see if they are consistent in their style, if they are delivering good quality images, if they are capturing emotion, if they are what you want your wedding images to look like. Picture yourself in the photos, if that was you, would you be happy with those shots?
7. What type of equipment do you use? If you're hiring a professional, this really shouldn't be an issue you even need to consider, as a professional will make sure they have multiple camera bodies (incase one fails, or to shoot your wedding with multiple lenses without wasting time changing the lens back and forth), multiple batteries, memory cards, lenses. etc. This really should be something the wedding photographer should worry about, and not you, but the reason you need to ask this is because if they say, "well I shoot with my cellphone/iPad/flip phone/etc" run.
8. Do you shoot in color and black & white? Some photographers will not give you all your images in color and black and white, so if this is important to you, make sure you ask about it.
9. Can I give you a list of specific shots I would like? You should definitely have some idea of what images you like (from all your earlier research into style), but your photographer should also be intelligent and have a list of poses she/he goes to, I call it the photographers toolbox. Is their tool box well equipped, or does it only have a hammer and nails? You want an experienced photographer who will have a variety of poses they can call on, depending on weather, backgrounds, dress style, etc.
10. May I have a list of references? Remember, you're the detective, ask to speak with their past brides. Ask the following questions to the references:
- Why did you choose this photographer? (If it was a friend, they may be less likely to be truthful about their experience)
- What did you like most about working with this photographer?
- What did you like least?
- What was your wedding day like? Ask about their ceremony/reception/photography locations, if the photographer has only ever shot weddings in churches for example, and you're getting married on the beach, they may not be equipped to deal with the changing outdoor lighting. Or if the bride got married on a beach, she can give you an idea of what to expect since you are too, that type of idea.
- How long after your wedding did you see a sneak peek? Receive your images? Receive your product (albums, prints, canvas, etc)? How long did the photographer say this would take vs. reality?
- What was the quality of the product, what did you think of it, has it lasted? Seeing the durability and quality of an item will let you know what quality you can expect.
- Did the photographer go above and beyond in your opinion? Would you recommend him/her to your friends?
11. Are you the photographer who will shoot my wedding? Will you have any assistants with you on that day? If not, who will be taking the pictures and can I meet them before my wedding? Some photographers use "associates" to shoot weddings for them, so make sure you're able to meet with and see the work of anyone involved in photographing your wedding, so you can know exactly what to expect. Associates aren't necessarily a bad thing, often times they will have been coached and mentored by the photographer, and their styles can be very similar, and are sometimes available at a cheaper price point.
12. What happens if you are unable to shoot my wedding, for whatever reason? The parameters of this should be clearly outlined in the contract you sign with your wedding photographer, so that should this happen the expectation on both ends is crystal clear. Often times, the photographer will help you find a replacement for them, but you will more than likely be required to cover all the costs of the new photographer, while also being refunded from the first photographer, depending on the circumstances. Either way, ask this question and be very clear about the possible outcomes.
13. Do you charge a travel fee? Some photographers will charge extra to photograph a wedding over a certain number of kms away, make sure you ask this question if you're getting married outside of the home city of the photographer.
14. Are you photographing other events on the same day as mine? This matters because if they are taking another job before your wedding they could be late to your wedding. Remember, this day only happens once and you want everything to go smoothly and without a hitch.
15. Is it okay if other people take photos while you're working? Know that other people may not be permitted to take photos while your photographer is working. In my own wedding contract I have this listed because it can be very distracting for your bridal party and family as well. Imagine getting family photos taken and there are 3 different people taking pictures of the family portrait at the same time, everyone's eyes will be looking at different cameras, and the images will not turn out.
This could result in editing charges for you because the photographer will have to go in and adjust everyones eyes. This is also important because you're hiring the photographer for their style and their abilities, and you don't want other people around taking away the key folks who need to be in the shots, so that they can take pictures of them instead. Guaranteed great aunt Mildred's photos of the bridal party are more than likely not going to make it into your wedding album, but your photographers images will, so the photographer needs to be the one taking the images. This is not to say that other people should be forbidden from taking images either, but realize that the photographer is there to do a job, and if there are multiple people competing for the same shot, it's going to be counter productive.
16. Have you ever worked at my ceremony/reception location before? This is important because lighting is different in every single location, and your photographer needs to be aware of the lighting on your wedding day. If they've worked in your location before, they can give advice about where to set up your ceremony or your signing table, or your head table even, based on what will produce the best images. This advice can be invaluable for getting great shots not only from the pros, but from your family and friends as well.
17. What time will you arrive, how long will you shoot, if I want you to stay extra what is the fee? Make sure your photographer thinks it's important to be early to your wedding, as weddings don't always go quite according to plan. Generally you'll be purchasing a package from them with set hours, but if you're not, make sure you understand how much time you're getting and at what cost. If your family's speeches go way longer than expected, and you don't get to your bouquet toss until 30 minutes after originally planned, make sure you know the fee for asking your photographer to stay longer.
18. What packages do you offer? Can I customize one that suits my needs? If your photographer has passed all the questions above with flying colors, it's time to chat packages. Often times they will have a variety of packages, so you'll need to discuss the logistics of your day with your wedding photographer to find one that suits your needs. For myself, I wanted coverage that lasted from getting ready in the morning, putting on my dress, taking the limo, all the way through the ceremony, the family photos, the formal photos, into the reception, and later into the night. My wedding guests are a lively bunch, and I wanted to make sure I captured them at their silliest. Find someone that will work with what you want on your wedding day.
19. Do you include engagement photos? You absolutely want an engagement session. Think of it as your test drive of the photographer. You get a chance to get to know the photographer(s), see their style, and become comfortable with them before the big day, which takes a lot of stress off of your shoulders when it comes to actually getting pictures. Plus if you don't like the photographer while they're working, they're really late to your appointment, they don't deliver their images in a timely fashion, you don't like the way the images look, etc, you would rather find all of that out before the wedding. That's what the engagement session is for.
20. What type of album designs do you offer? Do you provide any assistance in creating an album? Have a look at their albums, if they are beautiful to look at, you can expect yours will also look similar. Are they well put together, do they flow, do they tell the story of your wedding day?
21. Do you provide retouching, color adjustment or other corrective services? Your photographer should fully edit all of your images for a pleasing color balance, proper tones, etc. You may pay more for specific image altering requests (ie. removing excess skin on the back or near the armpits, from a tight strapless gown). Make sure you ask about anything you feel concerned about, and make sure you understand the answer. You can also ask to see an unedited photo vs. an edited one from them, so you can understand what to expect in terms of editing.
22. How long after the wedding will I get the proofs? Will they be viewable online? On a CD/USB? Yes, photographers are very busy people in wedding season, and sometimes it can take a few months to get your wedding images back. Ask this question so you know exactly what to expect, and make sure this is also laid out in your contract with them as well, because should you fail to receive your images in a timely fashion, or not at all, you can revert back to the contract should you need to escalate the situation further. If you do all of your homework, this should never be the case, but it's always better to have everything laid out plain as day just in case.
23. What is the ordering process? How long after I order my photos/album will I get them?
Every photographer is different, so just because one operates one way, doesn't mean they all operate that way. Ask these questions so you know how much work you'll need to put in on your end to order your album. If you're terrible at making decisions, you can ask your photographer if they will decide the album images for you, so you don't have to choose.
24. Will you give me the digital images, and is there a fee for that? Some photographers include the digital images in their packages, some don't. If you want to make prints, or your own albums, or send them to family & friends online, you may want the digital copies. I also recommend having the digital copies and storing a back-up of them onto your computer, as well as onto Dropbox/Google Drive/iCloud, in case your house burns down/floods/etc and you lose your wedding album. At least you haven't lost all of your wedding images. There is nothing saying your wedding photographer will still be around if this happens to you, so it's best if you can have a copy of them just in case.
25. What is on your contract? Can we go over it? The contract is paramount to a good working relationship with the photographer, make sure it's thorough and covers all the bases. It should essentially outline the answer to all of the questions you've asked the photographer and will protect both you and the photographer. Make sure the contract also lists their refund and cancellation policies.
Once you've asked all of these questions, and you think you trust the photographer enough to be there on one of the most important days of your life, your next steps are to book them! You should be super excited about this, if you have any nagging feelings or anything is making you feel uneasy, sleep on the decision. You want to be 100% certain. As certain as the moment you said YES! to your fiancee, you should be just as certain when you say YES! to your wedding photographer!
If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below! I do my best to answer all questions, but I do get married in 7 days... so forgive me if I don't reply until after our wedding!
Happy wedding planning to all of you brides out there!
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