Weddings
10 Essential Tips for Choosing The Perfect Wedding Photographer
Choosing your wedding photographer can be a daunting decision. After all, you only get to live this day once, and you want to love and cherish your photos for generations to come. With that in mind, here are 10 essential tips to help you choose the perfect wedding photographer:
Before starting your search, determine the style of photography you prefer. Do you lean towards candid and natural (photojournalistic), classic and timeless, artistic and edgy, dark and moody, or some other editing style? Knowing your preferred style will help you narrow down your search to photographers who excel in capturing your desired aesthetic.
1. Define Your Style
Start your search by browsing online portfolios, checking social media profiles, and reading available couple reviews. If you feel comfortable, you can always ask a photographer for a reference from a previous couple to provide feedback on the photographer's work, professionalism, and approach to the wedding day.
2. Research and Reviews
Don't base your decision solely on the highlights in a photographer's portfolio. Anyone can make themselves look good with a carefully curated gallery. Ask to see a full wedding gallery to get a better sense of their style across an entire wedding day, from getting ready to the reception. This will show how they handle different lighting situations and the degree to which they blend photojournalism with more traditional portraiture.
3. Look at Full Wedding Galleries
With the possible exception of your wedding planner, you will spend more time with your photographer than with any other vendor throughout your wedding day, so it's important that you feel comfortable with them. Your photographer should do more than just take your pictures; they should be a resource to you throughout the day, helping to address and adapt to the inevitable but unexpected road bumps that arise. Schedule a meeting or a video call to ensure their personality meshes well with yours and that they'll make you and your guests feel at ease.
4. Pay Attention to Personality Fit
Ask about their background, how many weddings they've shot, if they've worked at your venue before, and how they plan to adapt their approach to your specific wedding vision. An experienced photographer will be prepared for any situation, work well under pressure, and be able to adjust to last-minute changes.
5. Assess Their Professionalism and Experience
Discuss how they craft their plan for the wedding day and how they differentiate that approach for each specific couple. This includes their approach to family portraits, their ability to capture spontaneous moments, and how they visual their compositions.
6. Understand Their Photographic Approach
Carefully review what each collection includes in terms of hours of coverage, number of photographers, special sessions (like engagement shoots), and what you'll receive post-wedding, such as digital files, prints, and albums. Go into these conversations with a clear idea of your max budget and assess the degree to which their offerings match your desires.
7. Review Their Collections and What's Included
Ensure they have a plan for unforeseen circumstances, such as equipment failure or personal illness. While these instances are rare, a professional photographer should have backup equipment as well as a contingency plan in case they cannot photograph the wedding in the event of a health or family emergency.
8. Ask About Backup Plans
Ask about their post-wedding workflow, including redundant backup of your photos, their process for editing, and how long it will take to receive your gallery. Discuss their editing style and how they go about ensuring your gallery has a consistent look and feel. This is also a great time to ask about photo rights and if you'll receive high-resolution images with the ability to print your photos.
9. Inquire About Post-production Details
After meeting with potential photographers and reviewing their work, trust your instincts. Choose the photographer who not only meets your criteria in terms of style, quality, professionalism, and budget but also who makes you feel the most excited about capturing your wedding day.
10. Trust Your Instincts
Lindsay & Kyle
We really appreciated how flexible he was with changing plans and moving around to multiple sites for photos. Everyone in our wedding party commented on how fun and comfortable getting photos was. Brad even made sure that we were enjoying our reception and not just taking pictures with guests, which we really appreciated. Our photos turned out beautiful and really captured our personalities.
"Brad was wonderful to work with! He made the wedding stress-free and fun"
02
Cincinnati, Ohio
no.
wedding location
kind words from past clients
2025 wedding collections begin at $3400, and the average couple invests $4500 for complete coverage.
As part of my desire to craft an experience that is tailored to you, I design custom collections for each and every couple.
For more details on your wedding photography investment, please contact me. I'd love to get to know more about you and to create a custom collection for you!
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