Long after the top tier of your cake is put in the freezer and your wedding dress is packed away, you will have a framed photo of you and your beloved on your wedding day on display. That is why picking the right wedding photographer matters so much.
Your wedding photographer needs a lot more than a good camera, a steady hand and affordable prices. To be honest, price should only be the deciding factor when all other factors are equal. When you look at your wedding photos in years to come, you don’t want to sigh and think ‘well, you get what you pay for’; you want to feel proud and joyful remembering one of the most import days of your life. So here are a few pointers for selecting the right wedding photographer.
Think about the style and theme of your own wedding when you review a photographer’s work. If you are planning dramatic colors and minimalist lines, someone with a portfolio full of soft-focus pastels is not likely to work out for you. Ask to see photos of other weddings with similar themes and venues that took place at the same time of year as yours to get a really solid idea of how well a photographer can capture your vision. (And remember, it is all about capturing your vision, not the photographer’s.)
Make sure the photographer takes the type of photos you want. Whether you want a lot of traditional, posed pictures of the wedding party and extended family or tons of quirky shots of everyone getting ready with close ups of important and offbeat details, you want a photographer who gets it and includes the type of photos you want. It helps if you can view full albums instead of just the highlights selected by the photographer.
Why Liking Your Photographer Matters
It’s nice if you get along with every professional involved in your wedding, but there’s a reason your photographer is especially important. Your florist and caterer are not spending most of the day at your side. But guess who will be, besides your other half? Yes, you will be spending a lot of time with your photographer on your wedding day, and the last thing you want is someone who gets on your nerves. ‘Discrete’, ‘low-key’ and ‘unobtrusive’ are extremely likeable qualities in the circumstances. You want to get along, but you don’t want to be distracted by your photographer.
If you are considering a larger wedding photography company, it is important to confirm exactly who will be doing the photos. You might talk to the head photographer, but if she sends an assistant, you want to meet that assistant and be sure you see pictures he or she took.
Of course, you also want to know exactly what is included in the package you select and what your rights are concerning sharing or copying your wedding photos. Find out if you can order extras or customize your package if it isn’t exactly what you want – and what that will cost or if there is a time limit for ordering extra prints.
