How to choose your wedding photographer

Congratulations! You’re engaged! I hope you enjoyed every minute of your engagement before the wedding planning started! Because now it gets REAL. “Getting engaged is easy. Getting married is the hard part.” - Someone said this.

Your to do list is INSANE. And the top of that list should be your wedding venue, date and … photographer! Realistically, you’ll need the first two before you can book the third.

So now what? You can google search wedding photographers around you, friends have probably already recommended a few, and then there are out of town folks you may already be following on instagram ($$$). There are a lot of choices!

To add even more anxiety, we’ve heard and read about horror stories. The married photography team who fight the entire wedding. The ones who don’t show up. The pictures that are poorly lit, not lit and with faces drawn in by hand. This is a tough decision and the choice you make will result in the photos you look at, share and show for the rest of your life. Or even worse, pictures so bad you DON’T look at, share or show.

This is why I decided to compile some tips to help find the best wedding photographer for you.

These are some aspects to take into account:

PRICING

It could be the main factor for some couples. I covered the subject in “How much Should I spend on My Wedding Photographer” Check it out here. But let’s rip the band-aid off now. A professional, quality, talented photographer should cost you at least $3,000 for a full days work. Below that number lies hobbyists, beginners, friends of friends, etc beware! Paying less will always equate to a higher risk. I break down what goes into that price here.

APPROACH AND EDITING STYLE

Find wedding photos on pinterest and instagram that inspire and connect with you. Is your wedding outside, during the day? Find those photos. Is it an intimate, beach gathering? Keep to those. Make sure your photographer is comfortable and skilled with your setting and picture goals. Make sure their galleries speak to your preferred aesthetic. I was an architectural photographer for ten years before switching to weddings and I always wince when I see photos that don’t take architectural lines into account.

INTERPERSONAL SKILLS

I love introverts. I’m in love with an introvert! However, your photographer must have the people skills NEEDED to get the best photos. The first time I brought my girlfriend (partner, as she says) to a wedding she was blown away by the sheer amount of wrangling, cajoling, flattering and maneuvering that I had to do - for eight full hours. And when I say ‘blown away’ I mean it - she hid in corners for most of the day! Behind every beautiful photograph is a thousand things trying to go wrong! Not only does your photographer need to have the artistry and technical no-how to get the perfect photo, they have to interact with all your family and friends. I’m not saying that an introvert can’t be a great photographer. But interacting with people gives me energy and joy - the main reason I made a career change to photograph weddings over skyscrapers.

PACKAGES

The price of your wedding photographer should include more than just them, on one day. Do they offer an engagement session? Is a second shooter included or is it extra?

Will they include and design your album? Can they accommodate specific needs? If the photographer can’t provide certain things that you seem important, it might be best to look elsewhere.

Make sure to analyze the offerings and get a package that fits your needs. And communicate with the photographer if you want less than they are offering, as that should reflect in the price.

Personally, I encourage couples to do an engagement session. It gives me the opportunity to get to know you, and your style. And most importantly, I don’t want to be a stranger on your wedding day.

PORTFOLIO

More than just looking for pretty pictures, make sure you look for consistency. Are the photos good in bright light and also in low-light scenarios? If you can see a full gallery - even better as that’ll give you a clear idea of the photographer’s skill and what to expect in your wedding gallery.

More than just looking for pretty pictures, make sure you look for consistency.

REVIEWS

Photographers that care about their business offer a service that awards them with 5 star reviews.

Don’t worry if they don’t have the most quantity of reviews as we tend not to follow through with leaving them. But believe me - if something goes wrong, a review will be left! When was the last time you left a review after receiving a great service? even after telling yourself you were going to? Instead look for the quality and the consistency of those reviews.

EQUIPMENT

If they don’t have backup cameras and lenses, beware! Photography equipment can and will fail. Having at least 1 backup camera and 1-3 backup lenses is industry standard.

PHOTOGRAPHY DELIVERY

First of all, you need to know how secure your photos are until they are delivered. And secondly, how are they going to be delivered. From file type and sizes, to printing rights.

You should be receiving high-resolution files that’ll give you the freedom to make large prints. It’s also nice to have smaller files for social media consumption.

CONTRACT

Make sure to read the contract before booking. Specially the fine prints. No question is a bad question, don’t hesitate in clarifying the terms. And if your photographer doesn’t have a contract, don’t book them!

BUSINESS INSURANCE

Some venues won’t allow a photographer without insurance on their premises. A business insurance proves how legit and committed a photographer is. These kind of photographers are more likely to deliver a great service and a high quality product.

WHAT HAPPENS IF YOUR PHOTOGRAPHER CAN’T MAKE IT TO YOUR WEDDING

Always look for a clause including a back up photographer - especially if you are working with a married team with kids. You want to know that it’s their responsibility to provide a photographer if an emergency happens. You want this even if your wedding plans change. For example, one couple had booked a friend of mine for a standard big wedding. Then, after everything went crazy with covid, they rebooked a destination wedding that required a two hour hike in the Colorado mountains. Where that would have thrilled me, my friend with kids could not make it work. She ended up contracting the wedding out to a local photographer she trusted, and edited the photos for them.

After rounding up your picks, ask yourself:

Whose photos do I like the best?

Who seems the most professional?

Whose personality do I like the most?

It all starts with the photos. That’s the most important aspect of them all. But it doesn’t end there. Make sure you like their professionalism and that you love their personality. After all, your photographer will be the vendor that spends the most time with you during your wedding day.

You don’t have to meet in person, in some cases an email exchange is all that is needed to create a rapport. Luckily modern days gives us the tools to create an even better personal connections through phone and video calls. And remember, some individuals might be shy or awkward at a first meeting, don’t discard them just for that. But if for some reason you definitely don’t click with a photographer, don’t go with them to save money.

Hopefully I’ve been able to answer the question, “How do I choose a wedding photographer?”. If you found the information helpful, help others by sharing!

Warmly,

Gabriel