In a world full of Pinterest checklists and advice from literally everywhere, it’s often easy to get overwhelmed and “list happy” when you are planning a wedding - especially when you are considering who to hire as your wedding photographer. Believe me, I know. Wanna know how? I hoarded checklists from The Knot and WeddingWire like it was my job when I was getting married in 2013. And, I was also the bride who gave my photographer a color-coded spreadsheet of my wedding day timeline. Who did I think I was? Amy Santiago? (If you haven’t watched Brooklyn Nine-Nine, stop reading this blog right now, and start watching that show ASAP.)
Like I said, list-happy.
(Also, note to friends, please do not emulate me. I don’t know how my photographer decided to still work with me after that annoying little blip.)
And, honestly, having all of those checklists didn’t help me at all. Not even a little bit. And that color-coded spreadsheet was more than unnecessary.
Me, in all of my color-coding bridal glory. Ashley, I will love you forever for being so gracious with me.
With that being said, I think that researching and eventually hiring your wedding photographer can easily boil down to a few key points, actions, and practices that can help you weed out the cool photographers from the not-so-cool (and also keep your lists and overwhelm at bay, in the process):
Price. Imma just dive right in. When looking at prices for different photographers, first note whether or not their prices are higher or lower than what seems competitive in your area. If they are higher, they are probably well-established and have considerable experience under their belt, as well as a significant amount of demand and a strong presence in your area. If they are lower, chances are that they are newer to the industry, and looking to book more weddings. Neither are bad. Both should just be noted.
* for reference, in the Hudson Valley, the mid-range of prices for wedding photography is anywhere between $3,000 and $6,000.
Full Wedding Gallery Request. When speaking with wedding photographers, ask to see a few full wedding galleries from them. This way, you can see what you can expect from them as your photographer - from the beginning of the day through the cake cutting - and in multiple situations.
Ask for Specifics. And by this I mean: know what is included in your wedding photography package. How many hours will be covered? Will there be one or two photographers? Is an engagement session included? Will you have access to all of the edited images, or only up to a certain amount, requiring that you pay extra to receive all of them? Will you get a USB or access to an online gallery? Do you have to pay travel fees? Will your images be downloadable without watermarks? Can you share them on social media? Is a physical album a part of the package, or is it an add-on? What about taxes? Then, once you make the commitment to book, read your contract - it should be there to protect you as much as the photographer.
Meet face-to-face (either in-person or virtually). It’s important to know that you will be working with a real live person, and not just dialoguing with a sketchy “company” via email. Also, body language can tell a lot either in person or virtually. And you want to be sure that you vibe with your photographer and feel beyond comfortable with them - after all, they’re going to be spending several hours with you on the most important day of your life. And, if FaceTime or a coffee date can’t work, a good old fashioned phone call is the next best thing.
And, finally, TRUST YOUR GUT. That is in bold, all caps, and italics for a reason. If you love everything about your photographer - their images, their vibe, their funny references from The Office - scoop ‘em up. This decision should be yours as a couple, and yours only. Be leery of letting other voices speak into this (and other wedding planning decisions). It’s your wedding. Hire who you want.
And now that I’ve shared my insider knowledge, here are a few things that are not important, but that I have seen expressed as concerns:
Whether or not your photographer has photographed a wedding at your venue before. It’s just not necessary to be nervous about. If they’re a good photographer, they’ll figure it out. 😉
Worrying about giving them a shot list (aside from family photos). I can promise you that just about every photographer out there knows they have to get photos of you walking down the aisle. 💕
Whether or not this is their full time job. It’s just not a measure of passion. What is a measure of passion is how excited they are to FaceTime with you. If they’re pumped to just chat with you about your wedding, think about how excited they will be on your actual wedding day! 💕
A difference of $500 (or insert another monetary amount that you could realistically attain if you needed to). If you are deciding between two photographers, and one is $500 more than the other, but the more expensive one is the one who makes your heart sing, SPLURGE. Curb your Starbucks runs ($5 a pop, y’all!), and start saving up for that not-originally-budgeted $500. I can just about guarantee that you will not be sorry.
As you are planning, always remember that photos are one of the ONLY tangible things left over from your wedding day. Gowns get boxed up. Food gets eaten (legit eaten - you never see it again AT ALL after your wedding day 😂). Hair extensions come out. But photos are forever. 💕
