Choosing the Right Wedding Photographer

Your wedding day only comes once in a lifetime, and all that’s left after the party is over are your photos. And wedding photography is a big investment! That’s why it’s important to find the wedding photographer who’s right for you. Read on for tips on choosing the right wedding photographer.

A photographer’s personality matters

It may sound strange, but your photographer’s personality absolutely matters! This person will be with you ALL day on one of the most important days of your life. And if you’re not comfortable around them, it will show in your photos. And you just won’t enjoy your day as much. 

So think about whether you prefer to be with someone who is relaxed and easy going, or do you crave high energy around you? Have a good long chat with your prospective wedding photographer to make sure you vibe.

View an entire wedding gallery – especially evening photos

Obviously photographers will show their favorite images in their portfolios. Be sure you see a complete client gallery from a few different weddings. You want to see the entire scope of coverage as well as the quality of photos during different parts of the day. Photographing family portraits takes a different skill than photographing candids, or the couple, or details. 

But especially be sure to look at the evening photos. Assuming your wedding reception will go into the evening hours, you want to make sure that your photographer can handle shooting in the dark – especially if they label themselves a “natural light photographer”. If you’re planning on using market lights, candlelight, or any other kind of ambient light, make sure that your photographer doesn’t wash out all of the ambience with harsh flash either. A good photographer knows the sweet spot between lighting the subjects and maintaining the actual look of the reception.

Does it matter if they’ve shot a wedding at my venue before?

Absolutely not. A skilled photographer can assess the light and layout of a venue 30 minutes before their start time. As a photographer who shoots weddings in various parts of the world, I rarely shoot at the same venue twice. A little research on Google maps and showing up to the venue early to scout the location in person are all that’s needed to figure out my game plan. 

Do you like their style?

This may sounds obvious, but be sure you actually love the style the photographer shoots in. Look at a lot of their work, and really get a feel for their style of editing as well as how they pose or capture their subjects. Many wedding photographers shoot in a variety of styles throughout the wedding day – meaning they shoot candids, posed portraits, fun artistic couples photos as well as editorial imagery of the details and fashion. This is another reason to look at an entire wedding gallery to see how much they shoot in various styles.

Book an engagement session as a trial run

Engagement sessions are a great idea for many reasons. Not only do you end up with beautiful photos of you and your partner, but it gives you an opportunity to get comfortable in front of the camera before your wedding day. It’s also a great way to get to know your photographer and really make sure that you mesh.