Last Updated on November 15, 2012 by
I was sitting at my desk last night thinking about which bridal shows I am going to attend for the 2013 wedding season and I started looking through my notes from previous shows. One note I jotted down was a comment from a potential client, April. It read, “Thanked me for being so nice and educating her on my product line and what to look for in a photographer.” It then dawned on me that maybe a lot of brides don’t know what to look for in a wedding photographer. So I decided that I should help educate every bride-to-be. Because an educated bride is a happy bride. 😉
Brian’s Top 5 Tips to Choosing a Wedding Photographer
1 Personality
You want to be sure that your personalities mesh with your wedding photographer, it’s SUPER important. Your photographer is going to be with you for 1-2 hours during your engagement session, 8-10 hours on your big day, and months after the fact (finalizing albums and artwork for your home). So if you hire someone whose personality isn’t compatible to yours and your fiancée’s, it’s going to be a long and uncomfortable road ahead for you. Working with a photographer who fully understands and genuinely cares about what you are looking for in your wedding portraits will ultimately provide you with the best photographs and wedding album.
2 Wedding Albums
Because you can’t very well hang 400 pictures in your house of your wedding day, the best way to preserve and elegantly display your photos is through a custom-designed wedding album. This album will become your first family heirloom and will be passed down from generation to generation. One day you will be able to flip through your album with your grandchildren and tell them all about your wedding day. A CD/DVD of images just doesn’t cut it. Keep these three questions in mind when looking at wedding albums – 1. What sizes are offered? 2. How many pages in my album? 3. How will my images be designed in the album?
3 Coverage
Your wedding photographer should discuss the details and timeline of your wedding day. This will ensure that they provide the most suitable number of hours of coverage. In order to capture all of your important moments throughout your day, you will want your photographer there for up to 8-10 hours. This will allow enough time to capture all the highlights of the day, as well as candid shots of your friends and family.
4 Engagement Sessions
It is important that an engagement session be included in your wedding collection. No joke! The engagement session allows you, your fiancée, and your photographer to get to know each other, as well as provide you the opportunity to become comfortable in front of the camera. Your wedding photographer should also be a creative director, not just pointing and shooting. The engagement session should serve as a preview of what to expect during your wedding day coverage. The more comfortable you can be in front of the camera, the better your photographs will be.
5 Number of Wedding Photographers
How many photographers are included in your wedding day coverage? In our experience, most weddings need two photographers. Your primary photographer should be focused on directing and getting all of the necessary shots of the bride, groom, and wedding party. Your second shooter should be getting a more photojournalistic perspective of your wedding day, capturing candids of your family and friends. Keep in mind that one photographer cannot be in two places at the same time.
Bonus: Price
Your wedding photographs will be your first family heirloom, which is why you shouldn’t simply price shop for your wedding photographer. You cannot put a price tag on your most cherished memories. Keep in mind that after the Honeymoon is over and countless anniversaries have passed, your wedding photos will be all you have to remember your wedding day. Don’t leave them to chance.
For more info on Wedding Coverage and to book your consultation appointment, drop us a line.
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