How to choose the right photographer for your wedding day!
When it comes to your wedding day I know what an important decision photography is!
So with that, I wanted to offer some advice on booking the right photographer for you (no matter if it’s me or not). So here are some things, as someone in the industry and previous bride, that you should consider when making your decision.
1. Style.
Okay, this one is obvious but sometimes, people don’t take this into consideration enough!
So, make sure you LOVE their pictures. This is literally the ONLY THING from the wedding day that
LASTS, and you need to look at these for decades to come. So don’t settle!
2. Make sure you like THEM.
Maybe the not so obvious thing to consider. I tell all my couples, and all my friends getting
married to choose someone that they LOVE and don’t mind spending an entire day with.
Believe it or not, you spend more time with your photographer on your wedding day than you do
each other, so make sure it’s someone you get along with and vibe with because you (and your
family and your friends) will be spending quite a bit of time with them. You wouldn’t go on
vacation and invite someone you don’t like, right? Same should go for your wedding day!
3. Make sure they have positive energy.
One of the things that is most important for me to do on a wedding day is bring positive energy
to every interaction I have, and also bring a sense of calm when needed. Just like my point
above, you spend all day with your photographer. Do they have an energy that is going to get
your friends and family (and you guys) excited about taking pictures? When I’ve attended
weddings as a guest, my heart has literally broken watching some photographers bring the
energy down with their attitudes. THIS IS THE HAPPIEST DAY OF YOUR LIFE. Find
someone just as eager to celebrate that as you are.
4. Price vs. Value
All of us photographers understand that budget is something very important to consider. We
don’t want you to take a second mortgage out on your future home because of a bad decision,
but we also don’t want you to have regrets! Often times, our budgets may need to have a little
wiggle room for the things that are truly important to us. There are all different kinds of
photographers (ones that will send a contract, and then you won’t hear from them until your
wedding day which will be less money) or ones that pride themselves (like me) on giving an
experience. For me personally, I help every step of the way as you’re planning your wedding.
My goal is to make it as stress free and fun as possible, so that means I’m helping create your
timeline, your family formal list, giving vendor recommendations, album suggestions and design,
and so much more.
There is so much VALUE in an experience.
5. Reliability
Make sure you know who the photographer is that will be shooting your wedding! (Seems
obvious, but some large studios just send a random person – whoever is available on your
wedding day!) Also, make sure they can provide some sort of back up plan (or plan of a plan) in
case of emergency so that you’re not in a bind without a photographer incase they come down
with the plague or something. =)
6. The Delivered Product
Make sure you know what you’re getting in your contract. Are you getting digitals? Prints? An
album? Do they have a watermark? Do you have print rights if that’s important to you? Make
sure they meet the criteria of what you want and what you’re hoping for!
I hope you find this advice helpful!
xoxo Marcela
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