When it comes to planning your wedding, one of the most important decisions you’ll make is choosing the right photographer. Out of the many vendors you need to book throughout planning process, locking in a photographer to capture each of the special moments of your big day is arguably the most important. They will be capturing beautiful memories that must last a lifetime. These images will be the physical representation of your memories forever! No pressure right? Below are a few tips from us on how to choose a wedding photographer that suits your needs perfectly.
- The first and most obvious tip to choosing a wedding photographer is to look at portfolios.
- Most obviously, one of the most important things to consider when choosing a wedding photographer is their portfolio. A portfolio will give you a good idea of their style, the types of weddings they have photographed, and the quality of their work. Look for a photographer whose style aligns with your vision for your wedding, and whose images make you feel something. Be sure to ask yourself if their work looks consistent, and if they have a wide range of different couples, meaning they haven’t just done one or two weddings.
- Most obviously, one of the most important things to consider when choosing a wedding photographer is their portfolio. A portfolio will give you a good idea of their style, the types of weddings they have photographed, and the quality of their work. Look for a photographer whose style aligns with your vision for your wedding, and whose images make you feel something. Be sure to ask yourself if their work looks consistent, and if they have a wide range of different couples, meaning they haven’t just done one or two weddings.
- Secondly, take the time to meet with the photographer.
- Meeting with a potential wedding photographer will give you a chance to get to know them, ask questions and discuss your perfect wedding day. Getting along with your photographer is critical to making the right choice. You need to feel comfortable and at ease with this person – after all, you will be kissing and sharing intimate moments of incredible love with your partner right in front of their lens! A good photographer will be able to connect with you instantly, and will you feel at ease with their knowledge and confidence in their process.
- Meeting with a potential wedding photographer will give you a chance to get to know them, ask questions and discuss your perfect wedding day. Getting along with your photographer is critical to making the right choice. You need to feel comfortable and at ease with this person – after all, you will be kissing and sharing intimate moments of incredible love with your partner right in front of their lens! A good photographer will be able to connect with you instantly, and will you feel at ease with their knowledge and confidence in their process.
- Next, be sure to check references and reviews.
- Another obvious one, but it must be said – the third tip in our ‘How to Choose a Wedding Photographer’ guide is to ask them for references and check their reviews. This will give you an idea of the experience other couples have had with the photographer and whether they are reliable and professional. Local wedding-related Facebook groups made up of other brides to be can be handy here – you can post and ask for feedback on vendors you are considering, including photographers (although write your words eloquently – many of the vendors will be members of the group too!).
- Another obvious one, but it must be said – the third tip in our ‘How to Choose a Wedding Photographer’ guide is to ask them for references and check their reviews. This will give you an idea of the experience other couples have had with the photographer and whether they are reliable and professional. Local wedding-related Facebook groups made up of other brides to be can be handy here – you can post and ask for feedback on vendors you are considering, including photographers (although write your words eloquently – many of the vendors will be members of the group too!).
- Analyse the various packages offered with care.
- Different wedding photographers typically offer a lot of variety in their packages. Often, some packages may include engagement shoots, prints, albums, and digital files, while others may only include digital files. Also be sure to ask about any additional costs that may be incurred (for example, if you ask them to stay extra hours on your day). It’s well worth sitting down with your partner and determining what you want to do with the photos after your wedding, and finding a package that meets these needs.
- Also, if the photographer you like doesn’t have the right package for you, ask them about a tailored list of items – most will be happy to personalise a quote for you.
- When choosing a wedding photographer be sure to scour their socials!
- Typically, wedding photographers will have a range of social media platforms showcasing their work. These mediums are prefect for getting to see more of their portfolio, and if you follow them early enough in the process, you will get to see how regularly they update – giving you peace of mind that they are legitimate, experienced, and will still be around when your wedding takes place!
- Typically, wedding photographers will have a range of social media platforms showcasing their work. These mediums are prefect for getting to see more of their portfolio, and if you follow them early enough in the process, you will get to see how regularly they update – giving you peace of mind that they are legitimate, experienced, and will still be around when your wedding takes place!
- Ask about their approach – how they will photograph your day.
- It’s important to know how the photographer will be approaching your wedding day. Will they be more of a fly-on-the-wall or will they be more hands-on? Will they be taking lots of posed shots, or will they be capturing more candid moments between you and your guests? Knowing the photographer’s approach will help you determine if it aligns with your vision for your wedding day. You will also get a feel for the way they will work when you meet with them. Many photographers will work in exactly the way you want them to, so don’t be shy in expressing your ideas.
- It’s important to know how the photographer will be approaching your wedding day. Will they be more of a fly-on-the-wall or will they be more hands-on? Will they be taking lots of posed shots, or will they be capturing more candid moments between you and your guests? Knowing the photographer’s approach will help you determine if it aligns with your vision for your wedding day. You will also get a feel for the way they will work when you meet with them. Many photographers will work in exactly the way you want them to, so don’t be shy in expressing your ideas.
- Don’t forget to factor in potential additional costs when choosing your wedding photographer.
- Wedding photography can be expensive, so be sure to compare packages from different photographers (as mentioned above), and don’t forget to factor in the cost of additional services like extra hours, a second photographer, more pages in your preferred album or even a faster post-production.
- Also, the addition of video (which is often quite expensive) can be a part of some packages too, so pay attention to detail before you discard a high price.
- Finally, be cautious of those photographers that are too cheap.
- The final tip we have is to be cautious of photography packages that sound too good to be true. Are they offering the complete package for $1000-$2000? Including drone and video? This is incredibly cheap and you may be risking receiving a lower quality product in the end. Be curious when you see an amazing price and consider the following – do they have less experience? How many images are they going to take? Are they minimising post-production (the part that should take the longest)? Are they going to be inundated with bookings, and have no time to truly care about you and your special day? There’s lots of reasons why they could be ridiculously cheap – so be cautious.
Gosh, we could go on and on in our ‘How to Choose a Wedding Photographer’ guide, but we believe the above are the most important. Remember above all – Whoever you decide to go with will be responsible for capturing the emotion and story of your day – and they only get one shot at it! On top of that, they will be spending countless hours working on post-production of over 1000 images – which is why you can wait 4-6 weeks to receive your final gallery. Ultimately, you get what you pay for. If you can afford to lock in a top quality photographer – you will never regret it. Your images will be on display in your home for the rest of your lives (just like ours are).
Doug and Jess
Other Helpful Links
For more helpful information on planning your wedding, visit our blog – https://lightcollections.com.au/blog/
For more on Light Collections, or to enquire about how to plan a wedding, visit https://lightcollections.com.au/contact, https://www.facebook.com/lightcollections.com.au, and https://instagram.com/lightcollections/.
