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Wedding planning is a gigantic, monumental, climbing-Mount-Everest-like task. Not only do you have to choose a date (a date that you’ll remember for the rest of your life), but a church, and a reception venue, a florist, your bridesmaids, a DJ, your ring bearer, the wording of your invitations & programs, your wedding’s color or theme, and the list goes on and on.
It’s been 8 years since I planned my own wedding, but I remember the feelings of overwhelm & excitement well. There were highs and there were lows. There was even a day, about a month before my wedding, that I laid on the couch & sobbed, strongly considering calling the whole thing off. And not because I didn’t want to marry Derrick, or didn’t love him, but because the planning/hiring/pulling-together process was just so much.
I might not be able to help you with every aspect of your wedding planning, but I do extend my help to all of my KAP Couples. From giving vendor recommendations, to helping them plan out the timeline of their day, I truly do everything I can to ease that burden of wedding planning. That’s the purpose of all of my “FAQ posts” – to lend a hand and give insight into the wild world of weddings. I’ve been a part of almost 100 wedding days, and I’d like to think that after that many, I have some insight into the intricate details that go into them.
I do have specific inside information on hiring your wedding photographer though.
Since I am a wedding photographer, I wanted to share some of the key things to consider when you are browsing thru the millions of photographers Google will offer you.
A quick search of “Pittsburgh Wedding Photographer” will yield “about 885,000” results (I know because I just did that specific search).
What are some starting points when looking thru all of those websites to help you narrow down your choices to a manageable number?
STYLE
On first glance thru a photographer’s website, do their photos resonate with you? Do you like how they edit (I explained the most common editing styles HERE)? Do you like how they pose (are the photos they’re showcasing mostly candid or posed)? Is their website professional, warm, inviting, and drawing you in to want to know more?
Obviously, a photographer’s job is to take photographs. As that is their key mission on your wedding day – do you like their photos? Browse thru their galleries and their blog posts – do their images speak to you? Can you see yourself in their photos? Do you like how they speak about their clients, how they present themselves, and their work?
This is the easiest and quickest way to narrow a list of photographers down – because you simply will not resonate with every photographer’s work!
RECOMMENDATIONS
Upon digging further into a photographer’s website, you should hopefully be able to find testimonials, reviews, and recommendations from past clients. Or, maybe the photographer doesn’t have those things specifically highlighted on their website – instead, they link you over to their Google Page or Wedding Wire reviews. Reading what other couples who have worked with this photographer say can be invaluable information.
Pay special attention to what couples say about the photographer’s attitude approaching the wedding, how professional they were on the wedding day, and how quickly they received their images.
It’s also helpful if you know people who have worked with a specific photographer before. They can truly give you the inside scoop on whether they loved their photographer or not!
COMMUNICATION
If you’ve made it past the first two “qualifiers” in your quest to find a wedding photographer – the next step can easily be a deal-breaker. How well does your photographer communicate? When you fill out the contact form on their website, how quickly do they get back to you? Do they list other methods of reaching them outside of their contact form? Can you count on their communication? Are they willing to chat with you in the way that you most enjoy (meaning, Millenials, in general, hate talking on the phone – they’d rather text or email – does the photographer insist on communicating in one certain way)?
Building that foundation for open & quick communication is crucial! At this time last year, my own sister was planning her wedding. I can’t even tell you how many wedding vendors we contacted that simply never contacted us back. It was rough! Because, some of the vendors, she was seriously interested in hiring! But when they never responded – it was kind of like a rude slamming door right in your face.
Your photographer should not only respond promptly but professionally. And after just a few emails back & forth, it should be obvious how efficiently they communicate with their clients.
RELATIONSHIP
Do you realize, that as a bride on her wedding day, you will spend more time with your photographer than your own husband? That’s a lot of time! And on one of the biggest, most weighty days of your life!
Even if you love the photographer’s style, they get super high reviews, and their communication is perfect – if the three of you don’t mesh (the bride, the groom, and the photographer), you aren’t going to get that amazing experience that a wedding photography experience should be.
It’s so crazy to me how personalities work. Specifically, I always think back to this amazing girl that I played volleyball with. She was so sweet and everyone just adored her. There was just one problem: we didn’t mesh. I cannot explain it. Her friends were my friends, but the two of us seemed to just be opposite magnets. Not in an angry or bad way, we were happy acquaintances, but nothing seemed to line up for us to be friends. Find a photographer that you mesh with and that you enjoy hanging out with! You’re going to share some super personal moments with them!
PRICE
I strategically put the “price” tip last, because so many people put it first. Obviously, if a photographer is way out of your budget, it’s a waste of both your time and the photographer’s time to go thru the motions of potentially hiring them. I think too many couples immediately go for the price tag though and instantly judge the photographer based on that price tag.
Budgets are wonderful things, in both daily life and in wedding planning – they tell your money where to go instead of wondering where it went. Knowing the maximum number of dollars you can spend on certain vendors is a wonderful tool, I just don’t think it should be the first thing you should consider. If your wedding photographer is hired solely on their price tag, you will most likely be disappointed with the end result.
A few things to keep in mind: a lower price tag might not necessarily lead to a bad experience. If a photographer is just starting out & has a lot of potential, they’ll have a lower price tag simply because they have less experience. Are you willing to be a part of their learning curve?
Along those same lines: a higher price tag doesn’t necessarily lead to a wonderful experience. If a photographer has the experience and equipment to warrant a larger price tag, that doesn’t automatically mean they are going to be excellent at communicating or that your personalities will mesh.
There is so much more to hiring a wedding photographer (or any wedding vendor for that matter) than just their price tag.
What do you think?
Did I leave out any key considerations?
I’d love to hear your thoughts – leave me a comment below!
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