The most important day every woman dreams of ever since she was a little girl is, of course, her wedding day. The day when cherished memories of walking down the aisle, saying “I do” and being romanced away are made and can be relived once again through beautiful wedding photographs. Thus, selecting the right individual to capture all of your special moments is essential but could be difficult in the process. Professional Wedding Designer of Some Like It Classic, Amina Michele, shares some tips for choosing a well-suited wedding photographer for your precious day.
1. Make sure you connect with them. You will be spending your entire wedding day with them, it is important your personalities connect. You will see them more than you see your new husband or wife. They do not have to be your best friend, but you definitely have to have a connection and personalities that can mold around each other. You need to be able to understand them and how they work, and they need to be able to understand your vision and what you love about their work.
2. Hire them because you like their work, not just because they fit in your budget. Of course you are on a budget and you should be looking at photographers that fit within your budget range. However, you need to hire them because their photography makes an impression on you, not just because they fit your budget range. At the end of the day, you are hiring a photographer to take pictures of the most important day of your life.
3. If you love the photographer, but their packages do not work in your budget, do not move on to the next photographer. Almost all photographers will work with you on cost. They would rather you try to work with them instead of going to another photographer. This goes for all of your vendors, they will negotiate with you if you make a little effort.
4. Ask questions, lots of questions. When you meet with a photographer you want to make sure they are reputable, they have had experience in several weddings and their portfolio reflects the type of photography that you like. Also, ask how long it will take to get your images back because there are some photographers who could take over a year to get images back. Another big question most people forget to ask is, “What will you wear to my wedding?” Make sure they dress appropriate to blend in with your wedding and would not stand out amongst your guests.
5. Do not sign up with a photographer without sitting down with them first. This goes out to all those attending the Bridal shows, please refer to all of the above, "$500 off if you sign up today"... never ends well unless you are 100% comfortable that you were able to cover all of the above bases.
6. When in doubt, hire a wedding coordinator. There are so many photographers in the industry, some know how to sell, but it does not mean they know how to shoot. Wedding coordinators work with several wedding photographers and they are the people that know who will work well not only with your style, but your budget and your needs.
