5 TIPS TO FINDING THE RIGHT WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER FOR YOU

Ah, a new week.

While Sundays are my jam, Mondays are actually a day I’ve grown to love as well. A clean slate offering up some new beginnings and some promise ;)

Today on the blog I wanted to revisit a post that I wrote last summer for my girl Jess. The topic at hand was how to choose the right wedding photographer for you.

Now while I’m so glad that I wrote the post for Jess and her readers, I did want to share it on my corner of the internet, too, ensuring that the rest of you are able to hear these tips as well.

While some of my tips feel like common sense, others took some deep thought and consideration. I know its not a “one size fits all” situation when planning your wedding or choosing your vendors, but I truly feel that there are five sure-fire ways to find the vendors that are right for you.

And when it comes to your wedding photographer – this isn’t something you should skimp on. It’s worth the investment and effort to ensure that you vibe, that you could envision yourself being friends with them, and that your styles are similar.

Why, you might ask?

Your wedding photographer spends almost the entire day with you. Literally. :) So if you ask me, it’s worth it to be able to envision them as just another friend holding your hand throughout the best day of your life.

So here we go. Five tips to finding the right photographer for you!



1. GO WITH YOUR GUT.



When narrowing down websites (there are SO MANY!) go with your gut instinct when filtering which photographers you’d like to choose. Don’t look too much into the details yet (pricing, the about section, etc) Instead, strictly base your next move off of this question: “Do I have actual feelings and emotions when I see their images?” If the answer is yes, collect that website and put it in your LOVE file. If your answer is something like, “They’re okay… I mean, its not bad.” … move on.

Side note: Please don’t feel pressure to hire a family friend or family member who “owns a camera and would like to try it out” If that’s your jam and it makes you feel comfortable, GO for it. Absolutely! But if your photos are truly important to you, simply tell them you appreciate the gesture so much, but that you already have some photographers in mind. This also goes for referrals. If your sister used “x” and is pushing you to use them, too, but say their style just isn’t your cup of tea? Same thing. Show appreciation for trying to help and streamline the planning process, but you’ve got a specific style in mind, and you want to seek it out.

2. KNOW YOUR BUDGET, BUT KNOW WHAT GOOD PHOTOGRAPHY COSTS.


One of the biggest issues that I find with wedding photography inquiries is the cost. Before you start looking for a photographer, understand what you want, and then decide how much your photographs mean to you. If you want great quality photographers paired with a really lovely experience- it’s going to cost you more (think $4k-$8k depending on the collections and add-ons) If you don’t care all that much about your photographer (totally fine! Different strokes for different folks!) then I recommend not trying to negotiate with said $4k-$8k photographers. They’re priced there for a reason (think: supply and demand and experience) If you’re on a strict tight budget ($1-$2k) look for larger photographer companies that outsource professional photographers on the day of your wedding. You may not know who is shooting your wedding that day, and the experience won’t be personal, but you’ll have someone there to document your day in full at a lower cost. Or this may be a good time to call on that family friend / family member.

Sidenote: I just have to say it because well.. I have to! ;) But if you’re struggling with the cost of your photography, try to remember that when it’s all over – when the cake has been eaten, your dress has been hung, the guests have gone home and the flowers have wilted… what you’ll have left to bring back the memories and the love from that day are your photographs. Your first family heirloom. People for generations to come will be looking at these images. If you ask me, that’s a pretty amazing thing that’s worth the quality and investement. Save up to 25% OFF on Sympathy & Funeral Flowers. Find discount Anniversary Flowers at FTD! Go through this FTD coupon and save up to 10% OFF!

3. DIG IN DEEP.



Now that you’ve got your LOVE file of photographers that made you feel alllll the feelings, and you know what you want to spend, now’s the time to dig deep. If they have a blog, this is the best way to see if you think you’d vibe. Spend a little time reading their personal posts and finding out their story. Why does this matter? Because you’ll be spending a lot of time with this person. From the time you book, email correspondence will be frequent (if you have a good photographer, they will offer to help with timelines, vendor recommendations, etc) Not to mention your 8-10 hour coverage on your wedding day, your photographer is your wing (wo)man! You HAVE to like him/her. And you’ve got to trust them. Once you’ve stalked their blog, looked at their facebook and read some reviews and now know their guilty pleasures and the name of their dog, filter the ones that you want to contact in your TO CONTACT file. Hopefully you’ve narrowed down the list and you’re feeling like you’ve got a handful of potential best friends – errr—photographers ;)

4. FIRST IMPRESSIONS MATTER ON YOUR END, TOO.


When you contact your top photographers, remember that we’re feeling you out as well. While this is our job and yes, we need to put dinner on the table and pay our rent/mortgage, we’re also aware that we’ll be spending a lot of time with you, too, and doing all we can to make you a happy customer. So put your best foot forward, and if you’re having a bad day, maybe wait until you’ve cooled off to send out your inquiries. You would be baffled if you knew how many times I received grumpy emails in my inbox, or people who lack email etiquette. And guess what? I hardly ever take the bait. Just like any job interview, whether you’re the interviewer or the interviewee, the exchange is 50/50. Vibes are being exchanged and we’re making decisions about one another before we’ve even met. So be your best self, and remember that this part of your planning is meant to be FUN! :)

5. PAINT US A PICTURE