Besides an awesome planner, a wedding photographer is one of the most important vendor decisions on your big day! The only thing you will have after your cake is cut and your bouquet tossed is your photos! Finding the right photographer can be tricky, so here are our best tips! Of course, we are always happy to recommend people who are wonderful, so call us!
Ask to see an entire wedding day
Instagram images can get your heart a flutter! Perfect photos in a beautiful grid may give you high expectations. Keep in mind, most wedding day photos are not taken during perfect golden hour. Asking to see an example of a full wedding day will let you see a photographer’s range. Do they shoot well inside? How about in harsh sun? Because chances are, your ceremony will take place during less than ideal lighting. Do they capture the most important moments well? Seeing an example or even a couple will let you see what your wedding gallery will look like.
Consider their style
Photographers all shoot and edit their photos a bit differently. Some opt for more desaturated colors while others love really bright images. Some photographers love to incorporate a lot of sun flare into their photos while others will use flash to overpower the sun. The possibilities are endless! Do you want your photos to look fun, joyful, exciting? Steer clear of someone who shoots moody, desaturated, and serious. On the other hand, do you want a more demure, vogue look? That moody photographer may be just the ticket for you! In addition to the feel you want, consider also how those photos will look in 10 years. Make sure you love the style because it fits you and not because it’s “trendy” because brides tend to regret picking something just because it’s popular right now.
Talk with them, preferably in person
Spend time talking to potential photography candidates. Tell them about you and learn a little about them. You will be spending a lot of time with this person or people, and they will be close to you at all times on your wedding day, so make sure your personalities jive. The right photographer can make your day so much more amazing just by being there. You will also want to ask them all the hard questions! Do they charge more for images after the wedding? How do they back up their photos? What do they do in case of illness? Make sure there is no doubt as to what you will be getting!
Read their reviews carefully
Reviews will be your best friend online! See what other brides have to say about your photography candidate. They went through the whole process, so their opinions mean a lot! Even more valuable is if someone close to you worked with them before. Advice you can trust means so much! Pay attention to how they review their photographer. Simple 5 star reviews are good, but do they gush over their experience? Again, because this person will be rubbing elbows with everyone, you want someone who will make everyone feel comfortable and fantastic! 
Ask us!
We said it once, but it bears repeating; we do this all the time! We know so many wonderful photographers! We want your day to go off without a hitch, so recommending someone amazing is at the top of our priority list!