As a photographer who likes to be an open book about her business and what is provided I often find myself in casual conversations about what photographers provide, what to look for, what to consider when you are hiring a photographer for your wedding day!  Some things I think are important to know when choosing who will capture that days events……

No one photographer is for every client out there and the same goes for clients, not everyone is meant to work together so it is very important to really consider your choices.

The best place to start is do you love their work.  We are artists and we have all heard that art is subjective; the same is true for our photographic art, our images.  While one photographer may shoot from a very candid view, another may appreciate posed images more.  Which do you prefer?  There are many that are very talented at providing a good mixture of both.  Do appreciate the art that they post?  Check their social media platforms and their website, a common misconception is that a hired photographer will provide the exact editing style that you are looking for.  This is not accurate some are light and airy with their editing style while others have a more moody feel; make sure you like what you see and that is how you want your story to visually look when it is being told.

Ok so you love what you see.  Now it is time to start the conversation.  But where do you begin?  If you have a budget that you want to stick with that is a very important place to start the conversation.  There is no reason to spend your time or that business owners if there is no intention or ability to book them.  Many of us live on a budget, weddings are expensive and most weddings live on a budget too ;).  When looking at pricing it is important to understand what that includes.   Do you want a second shooter, two photographers capturing your day?  Know what events of the day are included in your coverage, is it based solely on hours or are they staying all day?  What do you get when the day is over?  There are photographers who only include prints, some include all images as digital files that you can download, many include both prints and digitals – sometimes only their time to photograph the event is included.   It is important that both you and your photographer are on the same page when it comes to coverage and the final product.  There are no do overs when capturing this day.  You never want yourself or your photographer to be unclear as to what everyone’s expectations are day of or when receiving the final images.

Ok so you have agreed on a budget, what is included and you are ready to hire this photographer – well I have a few more things you should be thinking about to make your day’s final images everything you could imagine.

Your photographs on your wedding day are intimate peeks at everything that happens.  From getting ready and dressed, to romantic moments with you and your new spouse, to catching the moments that are happening all along the way you want to make sure there is a comfortability with the one person that is going to follow around through all of those experiences.  Compatibility is so important.  Meet with your photographer candidates, do you connect, can you relate?  How will you feel if this person is literally following you around for this big moment in your life?  Remember that part where I said everyone isn’t for everyone, blah blah blah well this can be a BIG mistake.  If you or your soon to be spouse are uncomfortable with this person’s personality it WILL affect your day.  Schedule an engagement session if you are on the fence.  You may find that you are a really good fit or maybe you can’t imagine listening to that person’s jokes all day.  You never know but your wedding day is too important to not be sure!

This is an important conversation to have and I would love your feedback or questions!