Saving and doing DIYs whenever possible – without losing quality – is always a goal when planning a wedding. However, not hiring a photographer shouldn’t be an option.
Except for memory, photography is the only item that will remain on the following days after your wedding. Also, it is the only way couples have to accurately express to friends and relatives that couldn’t attend the event just how magical it was.
Of course, a friend or a bridal party member could do this favor and be your photographer. However, with all the techniques and knowledge that modern photography involves, it’s not fair comparing a professional job from an experienced photographer to an amateur, regardless of their goodwill.
If you take photography seriously and think it’s a good idea to build physical memories that speak for themselves, this article is for you; help you have the best experience ever when hiring the perfect photographer for your wedding.
Read on.
Search References and Options
Social media will have a crucial role to help you find the perfect photographer. First, you’ll need to explore your creativity by idealizing what you want some of your photos to be like briefly. To have some references, look for pictures on Pinterest and start shaping your preferences from the beginning.
Then, consult some friends you know that have gotten married recently, and see if they have a good recommendation for you.
Also, use the most popular social media to find more options: Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn… What you’re aiming for at this first moment is to find professionals that work next to you who can provide an interesting service and take a look at their profiles. Judge the book by its cover this time and evaluate if the photographer’s work is at least slightly close to what you’ve idealized.
Finally, if you’ve been planning your wedding with an event planner, ask their opinion about the photographers you found interesting. Besides, see if they have a different suggestion for you. If so, look for their social media and compare their jobs to see if they’re on a different level. Later, you can start consulting prices and making contact with the best professionals you have found.
The more alternatives you get and projects you see, the more conscious your final choice will be!
Rate the Portfolio
Judging the book by its cover is only fair if that is not your criteria for a final judgment. In other words, you need to know your photographer’s work thoroughly before deciding on who to hire.
Pay attention to the photographer’s style: Dark and moody or naturalistic and classic? Vintage or modern? Which of them do you like better?
Professional photographers will probably know how to adapt their pictures in more than one style. Yet, there will always be an approach that prevails, and they can perform better. Thus, make sure to choose the one that has proved themselves to be talented in the styles you’ve idealized your albums.
You can also switch the photography style during the event, so choosing a versatile photographer can prove to be quite a handful choice.
Get to know your photographer
You might not have enough time to build a long-lasting friendship with your wedding photographer. Still, both you and your spouse should try to get at least some familiarity with the person who will be shadowing you in every corner of your wedding venue.
Especially for more intimate photographs, like kissing, hugging, or romantic posed photos; being in the presence of a total stranger can be quite embarrassing.
Thus, inviting them to drink sometime before the event or maybe taking a walk in the park will probably be the right call. Being comfortable with the photographer will free you from awkward and embarrassing moments.
Pay attention to the package
Prices are relative; it’s no use paying cheaper if, in the end, you’ll only receive just a couple of pictures, and your photographer will only be attending the event for a single hour.
To avoid frustrating packages, carefully check the photographer’s availability, the number of pictures they offer, whether filmography, albums, and engagement sessions are included, for example.
Make sure you know what you’re hiring for and compare the cost-effectiveness of one photographer to another before making the final decision.
Provide information your photographer will need
Knowing the wedding venue beforehand is crucial for a photographer, who can start planning the gallery according to the possibilities in the environment in he’s going to work. Also, provide your event schedule in advance.
Also, tell them – and be as clear as possible – in advance the photography style you would like your set of pictures to fit. It involves planning, as sometimes we take things for granted but we actually forget to state.
Finally, something worth mentioning is to speak about privacy policies; after all, a business needs marketing to survive, but a couple may want to preserve their image.
Make sure to adjust the details about image rights and what kind of pictures the photographer will be allowed to share on their social media to promote your event and their job. You have the right to deny any image from your event, but remember it would be upsetting to your photographer.
With all these hints, we hope you can find the perfect photographer! Make sure to plan every step of your wedding to have the most memorable event ever, in a positivite and grateful view.