When did you know your sweetie was the one for you? Perhaps it was love at first sight or maybe it was six months into your relationship. Either way you knew when it felt right. I believe finding the perfect wedding photographer is not only possible but essential to capturing your wedding day with care and authenticity. You may not become starry-eyed over your wedding photographer but I bet you’ll feel a little tingle.
When I got married almost ten years ago photography was the most important part of my day. Go figure. I had anxiety dream after anxiety dream of picking the right person and at that time I did not have the community of photographers I now have so I really felt like I was starting from scratch. There were several things I considered before we found the right photographer: style, budget, and most important for me was comfort and personality fit. Heck, if I was going to undress in front of this person I wanted to feel comfortable with them. I also wanted to know she was confident in her skills, negotiating all sorts of personalities, and had a positive approach to her work.
Our photographer did an amazing job. She gifted us with gorgeous images from our day. They were emotional, beautiful, and captured all of the things we hoped for. But not all photographers will provide you with the experience you’re looking for and for that reason I say do your homework, make a list of what’s important, and above all, trust your gut. Meet with a few photographers if necessary and keep in mind your photographs and video are the only things you have to remember your day so don’t skimp.
More and more I am hearing sad tales of couples who are trusting friends or Uncle Bob to photograph their wedding, or going with the wrong photographer because they didn’t budget enough money or time to meet with folks before finding the right photographer. If a photographer tells you they can shoot your wedding but they normally photograph crime scenes, be wary. If a photographer tells you they’ve only shot a few weddings, be forewarned. If a photographer doesn’t take an interest in what’s important to you, I promise not to say I told you so but it will break my heart.
There are lots of great photographers out there but which one is right for you? Here are a couple of questions to ask yourself:
– How important is photography to you?
– What is the most important part of your wedding day?
– If you were to describe your favorite photo of you and your sweetie, how would you describe it?
– Do you want stylized, posed portraits of you and your sweetie or more relaxed, candid images?
– How important is it for you to have a relationship with your photographer and other wedding vendors?
– How important is it for your photographer to connect with your guests?
– What missing photos would upset you beyond words if they weren’t captured on your wedding day? I know this is hard to visualize before your wedding day but this will help you get specific about what you really want. Talk to other couples about their day and find out what went well and what didn’t go so well.
These questions can help to structure your day around what’s important to YOU and lead you to the right photographer.
Each time I hear a story of someone receiving disappointing wedding photographs I cringe. I really do feel if you hire the right photographer, or any wedding professional for that matter, and you have a good relationship with clear communications you will be gifted with the wedding of your dreams. And who knows, maybe you’ll even get to dance with them at the end of the day:)
I’d love to hear from you about your process of finding the right wedding photographer. I’d also like to know if that didn’t happen for you and what you would have done differently. Comments can be left below this post or sent to me at sandra@sandralovesyou.com.
Thanks to my pals Jennifer Bullock, Susan Kowalski and Seth Kaye for the photos of me in action.
xo,
