A lot of hard work goes into planning a wedding and it doesn’t get any easier when it comes to choosing your wedding photographer. Your wedding photos are something that you want to cherish for a lifetime. You, therefore, cannot afford to make a mistake when it comes to wedding photography. It may seem overwhelming, but, here are some points to help you pick out a suitable photographer for your wedding.
Get a Professional Photographer
You may have a friend or family member who does photography as a hobby. Hiring them might be tempting as it will mean getting cheaper rates or even for free. Even if they are good at it, this may not be a good idea as you need someone with the qualification and experience of shooting wedding photos specifically. Wedding photography is demanding and a professional wedding photographer will know when and how to take the perfect shots.
Pick Out a Photography Style
Whether you are looking for a traditional photography style, formal portraits, or a photojournalistic approach among others, deciding on a photography style is an important step when it comes to choosing your wedding photographer. Doing this even before you begin the search will make it easier for you as you will have an idea of what you are looking for. You will now be able to focus on the wedding photographers that offer what you are going for, saving you on time. If you are not sure of your preferred style, you can seek inspiration from online galleries.
Get a List of Potential Photographers
One of the first things that you need to do as you look for a wedding photographer. Shortlist a few potential photographers from whom you will hire the one that you deem best. You can look for suitable wedding photographers on sites that offer wedding vendor directories and search per region. You can briefly look through their profile and photos to see whether they match what you are looking for. Have a pen and paper with you ready to jot down the ones that you like. You can also utilize social media and referrals as sources of potential wedding photographers.
Do Your Research
Now that you have a list of potential wedding photographers, it’s now time to perform extensive research on each one of them to help you narrow down even further. If they have one, going through their website is one way to learn more about their services. Take a look at pages such as portfolios and blogs from their website to get a better feel of their work. Also, make sure to look out for customer feedback either on their website or social media pages. How they respond to these reviews is also as important as what previous clients have to say about them. From this research, you should end up with a few that you prefer.
Carry Out Interviews
Reach out to the two or three potential wedding photographers that are still on your list and schedule an interview. This way, you can ask any follow-up questions that you may have based on what you have gathered about them. This is also the time to gather more information about them by asking about things like experience, availability, turn around time, packages and pricing, and so on. You can consult a guide on ‘questions to ask a wedding photographer’ to help you with this. This is also a chance for you to ask for a larger portfolio of their work as opposed to the few of their best photos posted on their website. You should also discuss in detail about your expectations and needs to find out if they can deliver what you want.
Personality
Building a rapport with your wedding photographer is important and it may determine the success of your partnership. With a lot on your mind, you do not want to add to your stresses with a person who can’t cooperate. Personality is therefore key when choosing a wedding photographer. You can tell this as you interact with them during the interview. Your photographer will be a big part of your wedding day making it important that you get one that you can easily work and get along with. You also want someone that will interact well with your guests and make them comfortable.
Do Your Comparisons
Once you have gathered all that you can about each wedding photographer, it’s now time that you do your comparisons. You should pick one that provides you with the most value for your money. This means not just looking at the prices, but also what is included in the package. It should be within your budget, yet, be closest to what you are looking for. The photographer should also be open to tailoring making something that will work best for both of you.
There are many wedding photographers available out there, but not all of them will be suitable for you. Having considered all the above, you can now make an informed decision. As you make a decision, you should as well remember to trust your gut.