With the summer starting to wrap up I’ve started to see a lot of engagements! While you’re probably trying to figure out what wedding decision to tackle first reserving your wedding photographer early on is so important! You want to make sure you reserve your perfect wedding photographer as soon as you know your date!

Choosing the perfect wedding photographer goes beyond just liking the images. You’ll be in contact throughout the entire planning process and it should be someone who’s ready to help guide you and give advice and support. Wedding photographers are there to capture your wedding day, but they are also are there for your engagement session, to help with the timeline, take care of any wedding day situations and keep your wedding day stress free! You’ll want to pick a wedding photographer you can trust and is the perfect match for you! Here are a few things to consider when choosing your wedding photographer:

Style

The very first thing you should consider when looking for your wedding photographer is what style you want. Wedding photographers each have their own unique shooting and editing style that sets them apart from the crowd. Some photographers create very light and airy images that look like film while others love darker moody tones. Emotions also play a large role– are you looking for soft and sweet images or ones with lots of laughs and candid moments? Photographers all have their own niche and it’s important to choose a photographer who’s going to capture your special day in the way you imagine. Personally I mix beautiful posed images with candid moments and edit my photos to be warm and full of color. I strive to capture modern, joyful and romantic imagery that won’t date itself in the future.

Budget

Before even beginning to reach out you’ll want to establish a budget for you wedding vendors, including your photographer. You should take into account the average price of vendors in your area, how much you’re planing to spend on your wedding as a whole, and which pieces of the day you want to invest in the most. While it may be easy to get caught up in all the details– and I am a little bit biased– I strongly encourage couples to set aside more money for their photographer. When the day ends the photographer is the only one who is delivering a lasting product that you can hold on to. And they capture the work and services of all your other vendors!

By setting a budget ahead of time you can immediately know when looking for your photographer if their pricing is in your budget and how much you’ll be able to spend on wedding coverage. And if you have you planned out the cost of your wedding as a whole you’ll know if you have a little bit of wiggle room if a photographer is just out of your planned pricing!

Personality 

While style and budget seem like obvious things to consider when looking for your perfect wedding photographer you may also want to consider one other detail– their personality. Your photographer is with you from the planning process until through delivery of your final images. Often they’re with you more than anyone else on your wedding day– even your bride/groom to be! Consider what kind of personality you’re going to want to be around and if you all connect on a personal level. You don’t have to be best friends, but having someone else there to enjoy the day with you makes all the difference!

There are two great ways to get to know your photographer. The first is to carefully read their reviews to see how past couples describe them. Often brides and grooms who have worked with them in the past will be able to give you valuable insight into the personality of the photographer. Many photographers, including myself, publicly share reviews on their website. You can read mine here.

The other option is to schedule a meeting with your potential photographer. Meeting in person over lunch or a cup of cofee can give you a better idea of who they are and if you two would get along. Don’t have time for that?  Even just Skyping or chatting on the phone is better than emails!

If you’re searching for the perfect wedding photographer I hope these three factors help you find your match! Wedding planning can be stressful sometimes, but it’s key to go in looking to surround yourself with a great team who will make your wedding dreams a reality!

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