Photography captures life's most unforgettable moments and allows us to relive all of the little snapshots in time that make up our entire lives! With that being said, choosing your wedding photographer is a big decision that requires ample time, thought and research. In compiling your wedding vendor list, it is imperative that you and your fiancée ask yourselves a few key questions to narrow down what is most important to you both when it comes to your photographer. Whether photography is an area in which you are willing to splurge a little or if it is an area of your spending that you really want to keep tight, find some time to delve deep into your research and keep these three super important factors in mind when choosing your wedding photographer: Style, Personality, and Pricing.
Photo | A Sea of Love behind-the-scenes at our Paul Bunyan inspired shoot
Style: Let's start with style, of course! The first question to ask yourself when compiling your list of possible photographers is: What kind of style do I want my wedding photos to reflect? Light and natural, romantic and moody, artsy and playful? Once you narrow down your preferred style, you can really begin to pinpoint photographers whose work embodies the style that you would like for your photos. Seasoned photographers will be able to capture many different moods and moments all in one wedding; however, you will notice that through their lens and editing, each photographer creates a style of their own that is very apparent and signature throughout the collection of their work. Choose one who you feel will capture the true essence of you and your fiancé and be able to tell your love story in a way that speaks to your beginning, present, and future as a couple.
Personality: And by this we mean, mesh with your photographer as well as you mesh with your best friend! We have seen so many of our clients become long time friends and supporters of their wedding photographer and it comes as no surprise seeing as the photographer is the vendor whom captures the essence of the couple. Once you have narrowed your possible photographer list down to serious candidates only, contact them to see if and when they can meet with you to discuss all of the details. Most photographers like to schedule in-person meetings and during that time you will be able to determine not only if their style and pricing/packaging are right for you, but if your personalities are a good fit for each other. After all, your photographer will be with you from beginning to end on your actual wedding day and you want to be sure that you enjoy their company. As a side note, one of the best tools to virtually meet your photographer is through their social media accounts! Browse through their websites and follow them on Facebook and Instagram to see all of their ongoing work and be able to pick up on their personality and style. This may seem like a no-brainier tip in today's world; however, social media connection can oftentimes allow you to narrow down your list to maybe even just one or two possible candidates because the constant outflow of content will allow you to know everything about a photographer before ever meeting with them in person. Plus, who doesn't love to browse through gorgeous wedding photos!
Pricing: Now as we stated before, it is important to decide where you can splurge a little and where you want to save. Some couples are not as enthusiastic about photography as others and may want to focus their attention on another aspect of the wedding. Whereas some couples may be willing to forgo or condense one thing so that they can hire the photographer of their dreams! Researching photography pricing in your local area or niche photography style is your best starting point. Whereas the national average for wedding photography nowadays is $2,814, it is important to consider your location, wedding date and wish-list. That being said, do as much research as possible online or via email before requesting to meet with your photographer in person. Once you schedule an in-person meeting, you are really beyond the big picture and now focusing on the little details of their pricing/packaging and the actual contract. Pricing and packages will include the time spent photographing on the actual wedding day in addition to things such as: a certain number of edited images, hard copy prints, online album access such as a Dropbox link, and so forth. Be sure to discuss all of these details with your wedding photographer and ask any questions that you may have via email or during your in-person meeting.
We hope this post provided some insight into choosing your wedding photographer! Keeping style, personality, and pricing in mind is imperative and can be helpful when choosing any and all of your wedding vendors, not just your photographer. You will undoubtedly spend lots of time researching, planning and preparing everything for your wedding and that is why Celebrate Colorfully is here to assist you in all of your wedding planning needs! Browse through our services and contact us today to begin planning the wedding of your lifetime! We wish you all a wonderful week filled with lots and lots of love and laughter...and until next time, CELEBRATE!