A wedding is one of the most meaningful events in our lives. That's why we want to hold on to the memories of this special event. Photography helps us recreate this special day for many, many years to come.
Choosing the right wedding photographer is a crucial task. But how do you select a professional that will capture these beautiful moments and deliver results that will delight you and your family?
The following tips can help you select the right individual who will go above and beyond just taking mere photos of you and your guests:
Tip 1. Ask a friend for advice
You definitely have friends, acquaintances or family members who have used a wedding photographer in the past. Ask them for advice, and how their experience was. After all, people you know are those who can give you the most candid feedback. They will honestly tell you what they liked and didn't like about working with their photographer.
Another option: Contact a photographer whose work you really appreciated at someone else's wedding. You can just ask your friend or family member for their contact information.
Tip 2. Check their portfolio
If a photographer positions themselves as a professional, then they must have a website with a portfolio. This is like their business card. Looking at the examples of their work will help you to figure out whether you like their style or you should keep looking.
You can imagine how your photos are going to look by browsing wedding photos of other couples. Ask yourself these questions: “Do I like the professional style of the photographer? Are the examples of their work consistent with my idea of perfect wedding photographs?”
If the answer is yes, feel free to contact them.
Tip 3. Pay attention to experience
It is important that you choose a photographer who already has wedding experience. The experience doesn't only make a photographer more creative while shooting; it also influences their ability to act in stressful situations. As you can imagine, various unexpected events can happen during the wedding, even at the most well-thought-out one.
For example, if it is rainy or windy. An experienced photographer will adjust quickly and take stunning photographs even in bad weather.
Tip 4. Set up a meeting
When choosing such an important resource for your wedding, meeting in person and getting to know this individual or company is crucial. After all, they can have a very professional appearance with a very good portfolio, but maybe they won’t align with your vision or they may be difficult to communicate with.
Keep in mind that this person will be with you throughout the wedding day, so you should be as comfortable as possible with them. If you think that this photographer gets you, as a professional and a human being, you can proceed to the following tips.
Tip 5. Arrange a trial photo session
A lot of professional photographers offer a trial photo session. Typically, a trial photo shoot is already included in the standard wedding package. However, if this service is not included, we recommend you ask your photographer for this opportunity to evaluate them.
The point of a trial photo session is to understand if your photographer sees you the way you want to be seen. Together with the first meeting, trial shooting will help you to make an informed and stress-free decision.
Tip 6. Discuss the price
Pricing is another consideration when choosing a wedding photographer. A decent professional is usually not cheap. But as we all know “buy right or buy twice”. That's why you should allocate an amount of your wedding budget for a good photographer.
But in any case, do a little research on how much wedding photographers typically charge. Then you will know for sure if the photographer is overpriced.
Some photographers may give you a small discount (for example, for permission to publish your photos in their portfolio).
Tip 7. Ask about deadlines
Usually, it takes up to one month for a photographer to send you fully prepared photographs. During this time, photographer picks out successful images, processes and groups them and then sends them to the customer.
Considering the fact the average wedding has several hundred or even thousands of photos, it takes a lot of time to process them all. It's a lot easier to be patient when you know how long it's going to take from the start.
Tip 8. Sign a contract
When everything has been agreed upon, and a photographer has been selected, there is only one thing left; sign an agreement! This may be the most important part of your special day, except for the wedding day itself, of course.
Make sure that the agreement covers the following aspects: terms and volume of work, working conditions, copyright of the pictures, photographer's remuneration, deadlines.
Most professional photographers will also require you to prepay for their services (this amount can range from 10 to 50 percent of the total cost). Make sure that prepayment is mentioned in the agreement as well.