How to REALLY find your Wedding Photographer

I found this awesome article on a colleges site today. They are based in the US, but the points are still 100% valid here in OZ.



There are many articles out there that will give you a long list of questions to ask your prospective photographer. You can find them any of a zillion websites as well as wedding planning books and organizers. The answers to these questions can undoubtedly give you tons of information but let’s concentrate on what really matters first before we get lost in the details. There are really three basic questions that need to be answered before you can decide if a photographer is right for you. Do you like the pictures they take? Do you like the photographer’s personality? Do they fit your budget?

Do you like their images?

This should be obvious. But it’s not really as obvious when you look at it closely. First of all, you should educate yourself a little about photography in general. Look at lots of different wedding photographs. Check out your friends wedding albums. Search online for photographers websites and go carefully through their online galleries. Don’t limit yourself to photographers in your area. The idea is to get a feeling for the different styles that exist and to find out what means the most to you. Ask yourself how the pictures make you feel. Which kind of photos would you like to see yourself in?

It’s also good to find out what “good” photography is. You want images to be properly lit, in focus and well composed. Well, what the heck does that mean? Photographers go through years of school, read books and attend professional workshops to get a good handle on this subject. For your purposes, looking at a lot of different photographers can give you a better feel for what a good image can be. You want a photograph to have detailed dark areas and detailed light areas. You don’t want large areas of plain black or white anywhere in the picture because they do not print well. Obviously you don’t want blurry photos. You want to look for nice, crisp focus on most of the images in the galleries. Composition is harder because it is mostly subjective. If the images make you feel strongly, the composition is probably working for you.

Once you find out what you really like, you can start narrowing down your choices. You can choose from photographers in your general area or nationwide. Many photographers are willing to travel to different locations. An extra charge will probably be involved, but if there is someone out there who’s photos knock your socks off, it may be worth it to transport them in for your big day.

Do you like the photographers personality?


Photographers are the only wedding vendor, except maybe the videographer, who will be with you for the whole day. That can be 6 to 12 hours! It is very important that you choose a person who makes you feel comfortable and relaxed. You should feel confident that they are capable professionals who can perform their jobs with little direction from you or your guests. They should also be people that you really like.

The best way to find out if you truly like them is to tell them about yourself. Let them know how you and your fiancé met. Let them in on your plans, even if you are just in the hoping and dreaming stage. It is easier to discover whether you connect with someone if you show them what excites you and see how they react. Many of our clients become friends because we connect on such a deep level. If a photographer cares about you as a person, they are more likely to want to take extra special care of you throughout the process.

Do they fit your budget?

Now, before you meet you need to be sure that you can afford your favorite photographers. Some photographers list their prices on their websites or will send you pricing information as requested. It is probably a good idea to know at least what range of prices and packages the photographer offers before you meet with them so that there are no unpleasant surprises. You can go over the specifics at the meeting, but going in with some idea is always a good plan.

Make sure you understand exactly what is included in the price. Is there an album? How big is the album and what kind of options are available and do they cost extra? Do the negatives or digital files come with the package? Are they available at all? Is that important to you? Just know what it is you want to get out of your wedding photography and make sure that it is part of the deal. If you are someone who wants a large canvas print to display over your fireplace mantle but you really don’t care for an album, make sure you hire someone who has canvas prints available and not someone who includes an album in every package.



I totally agree with everything in this article. Its SO important to have an affinity with your photographer. You have to get along and enjoy each others company because that hugely influences your images. No one wants their wedding day to be full of stress and uncomfortableness (is that even a word?) or having to deal with people you don't really like. I do believe that the first two points are FAR more important than the third, so make sure you LOVE your photographer, both their personality and their images, because the impression they make sticks around far far longer than the cost ever will!