Choosing Your Wedding Photographer

Photo Courtesy : www.sandcastlebeachweddings.com

As wedding planners, we meet some couples who know exactly what kind of wedding photographer they want for their weddings; and some that don't always know where to start when it comes choosing a wedding photographer. 

Based on past experience and having worked with various photographers across the world, here are the 4 most important elements you should be considering when choosing your wedding photographer. 

Style 

Every wedding photographer has their own unique style ranging from classic wedding photos to fusion photos; candid to fine art photography to photojournalism and lots more.  Do you need to know everything about these styles ? Not really.  

The important thing is whether you find the photographers style of shooting appealing.  It all boils down to personal style.  What you need to remember here is if you can imagine yourself as the subject in the photos that you are looking at ?  Does it make you happy and elated or make you cringe and have the ground swallow you ?

As much as we would all like to believe we can pull of the perfect shot in a single take - it often takes time to get 'just the perfect shot' - so we recommend asking your photographer how much of your time they will need at and in between your wedding functions to produce the kind of photos that you are drawn to. 

Availability 

Now that you've shortlisted photographers by their style of work, it's time to approach them and find out their availability.   The established and reputed wedding photographers can get booked up to 1.5 year in advance.  So we recommend getting in touch with the photographers whose style that you like and asking them about their availability.  

It's better to know if they are available straight away than to start imagining all the amazing photos they could be taking at your wedding.  Once you know he / she is available - dream on baby ! 

Personality

Once you know your shortlisted photographer is available, you need to schedule a phone or face-to-face meeting. If you happen to live in the same city at your preferred photographer - go meet him / her NOW !  For photographers that are based elsewhere, take 30 minutes to schedule a phone call or a Skype call with them.  We suggest using Skype which allows you to actually 'see' your photographer and gauge his / her reactions to any questions you have. 

Photo Courtesy: Shots Photography, NZ

Your wedding photographer is someone who is going to be spending a lot of time with you during your wedding - and you want to make sure that whoever you hire is someone that you get along really well with.  The last thing you want is an over bearing photographer or a know-it-all who doesn't want to hear about the kind of photos that you want captured for your big day.  

At the end of the day - your photographer is going to be around during some very intimate family moments and you want to be comfortable and feel at ease.  A good photographer has the ability to calm your nerves, make you feel sexy and be able to get all your friends and family together when it comes to group shots.  

Bottom line - if you don't like your wedding photographer for whatever reason - it will end up reflecting in your photographs; so go with your gut when it comes to trusting how comfortable you are with someone.  

Cost

We've had clients ask us 'why' some photographers are more expensive than others.  Honestly it comes down to experience and reputation.  That doesn't mean you need a celebrity photographer to get the best photographs nor does it mean you should go for a photographer who seems to be offering everything under the sun for peanuts either.

We always tell our couples that photography is the one area of your wedding you shouldn't compromise on.  All independent photographers will be happy to work out a package for you.  Your wedding planner can help identify photographers that work in reasonable budgets and have a fantastic style of photography.   

As a general rule of thumb - your photography quote should include services of the photographer and an assistant; digital copies of all photographs on a DVD; X number of edited photographs; and a coffee table book.  Some photographers have a standard coffee table book that they include with their packages - others offer more variety and styles and that is part of an a la carte menu. 

Your photographer is not just working at your wedding - he / she is also a guest at the wedding which means that they will eat & drink at your function at some point.  It's common courtesy for the couple to allow the photographer to do this.  Your wedding planner will help you factor in the extra plate count as it does add to your budget.  For destination weddings, the bride & groom also have to pay for accommodation, transportation and food & beverage for the photography team for the duration of the event. 

Of course there are other considerations to factor in before choosing a wedding photographer, however we feel these four are key to making the right decision and hiring the perfect photographer for your special day. 

Feel free to get in touch with us over Email, Phone or Skype if you want us at AKA to refer you to any of our amazing photographers.