How To Choose Your Perfect Wedding Photographer

There’s so much care and consideration that goes into choosing every aspect of your wedding day. Every single detail gets taken into consideration down to the color and texture of the napkins. Once the day comes, you’ll be focused on being present, enjoying time with friend and family, and celebrating being newlyweds. At the end of the day, all you’re going to have are memories and the photographs (and video) to look back on.

That being said, it can get pretty overwhelming choosing your perfect wedding photographer when there’s so many options to consider. So how do you choose your perfect wedding photographer? Let’s break it down into a couple of categories to make the process easier. I’ll let you know what you should look out for.

Choose your aesthetic

It’s true that there are a lot of different styles of wedding photography to choose from! There’s the bright and airy style that is based off of old film photographs and have a predominantly Fuji feel to them. Dark and moody is a particular favorite for the Pacific Northwest and our overcast weather. There’s true to tone photos that have a more minimal editing process to them but still just enough to make them pop and look beautiful. There is also a style of photography that leans towards much more warmer tones, I sometimes think of it as a more modern sepia filter.

There’s more behind how we edit though, you should take into consideration how we capture the day as well. You can check out this article on Brides.com that goes into more details regarding Fine Art, Editorial, Photojournalist, and Traditional styles of wedding photography.

Research & Shortlist

Once you have an idea of the aesthetic and style of wedding photography that you’re looking for you can start the research process! This is probably the most overwhelming time, so you’ll be looking through a lot of galleries to the point that it’ll start to all blend together. But there’s a couple of things you’ll want to keep in mind during this step of the process: do you like their photos? How did they make you feel? Could you imagine yourself in these photos? When you think back about the photos that you want to look back on, do they fit the vibe?

Check their tones

Ok so this is one I never see mentioned but as a brown woman I have to bring up: check your photographer’s editing style and skin tones! Do you see yourself represented in their work? If so, do you like how their skin looks? Do they look orange, how are their highlights and shadows? As a brown woman this is always something that I take into consideration as I’ve been made to look straight up orange before and absolutely tf not. Personally, I want skin tones to look rich and be true to tone, no grey or orange undertones here!

Schedule a consultation

Maybe you have a shortlist, or maybe you already have strong feelings about who you want to work with. Whatever the case, do not skip the consultation. Whether you choose to do a video call or a simple phone call, this is your opportunity to connect with your potential future wedding photographer.

Consultations are a time for you to share your vision, expectations, and see how you connect with each other. You can also assess their communication skills and professionalism here. Ideally, if they haven’t already, they should share full wedding day galleries with you at this point so you can get a better idea of what a full day looks like outside of the highlight reel. Wanna chat with me? Reach out here!

Read reviews & testimonials

You know how you totally creep on someone’s social media when you first start dating to kind of get their vibe? Well, you should 100% do that in this instance too. Check them out on instagram, facebook, threads, wherever they’re at. Make sure you check out their reviews and testimonials either on Google or The Knot. Chances are most professional wedding photographers will have reviews on one site or the other if not both. See what their previous clients are saying: what was their experience like? Did the photographer exceed their expectations? Were they satisfied with the final results? There’s no one like a previous client that can truly give you valuable insight into the photographer’s professionalism and reliability.

Trust your gut

At the end of the day, you should trust your instincts above all else. Did you feel a genuine connection with the photographer? Do they understand your vision and are they not only committed but also excited about bringing it to life? Your intuition can be pretty helpful in making this important decision too.

When should you book your wedding photographer?

Booking your photographer is so important! Ideally, you’ll want to book someone right after you’ve locked down your wedding date and venue. A lot of photographers end up being booked roughly 12-15 months in advance. If you are planning your wedding during the peak months between May through October you will definitely want to book a photographer ASAP. If there is someone you’re also really interested in working with, you can always reach out to them in advance and figure out their availability to work around with the venue. Trust me, we really appreciate it when clients value our time like that!

In conclusion

Your wedding day is unique. Finding the perfect photographer to capture it requires a thorough and thoughtful approach. You want to find someone that you can engage in meaningful conversation with, and assess their professionalism and consistency. By keeping the previous steps in mind, you can make sure that you’re making a decision that you can be content with and will give you stunning, heartfelt moments that will last a lifetime.