Choosing a wedding photographer can be overwhelming. There are truly so many wonderful, experienced and talented photographers in your area, which can make your decision difficult enough. But there is so much more to choosing a photographer than finding someone who takes beautiful portraits. Don’t worry, I’m here to help you out with my 5 top tips!

1. Love Their Work and Style

Okay, I know you’re probably thinking, “duh!” But here me out. I have received emails from couples asking me to edit differently or change my style completely. When you hire your wedding photographer, you are hiring them for the work they put out. Do not, I repeat, do NOT hire your photographer and expect to receive something different than what they show on their website, their galleries, social media platforms, etc. If you have any hesitation whatsoever on their work or you hope they edit your photos “just a little bit differently,” then they are not the photographer for you. Ask to see full galleries and make sure you truly love their work and the way they approach a wedding day, not just the cherry-picked images that are featured on their website and social media.

2. Make Sure Your Personalities Jive

Most photographers utilize social media platforms and use them as an opportunity to connect with people not just professionally, but personally. You spend a ton of time with your photographer leading up to your big day and of course ON your big day, so it’s important to know if your personalities mesh. Can you imagine working with someone you don’t jive with and expecting to enjoy that part of your wedding experience? Yeah, me neither. Go with your gut and make sure you LOVE your photographer’s personality. Check out their Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, etc. and see what they’re all about. Trust me, it makes a HUGE difference.

3. Figure Out Your Budget

Listen, wedding budgets are important and knowing what you have to work with will help you in selecting your vendors. I recommend sitting down with your partner and figuring out what is at the top of your priority list. Are you super into dancing and you’re looking for a baller DJ who will get DOWN and keep all your guests on the dance floor or a gorgeous venue you’ve had your heart set on for years? Make a list of what your top priorities are. Most wedding photographers have their starting prices on their website so it’s a good place for you to see whether or not you can afford your dream photographer OR you can reassess your budget and spread it out differently to be able to afford that photog.

4. Do Your Homework

Check their website for testimonials, Google and The Knot for reviews from past clients. Pay attention to the way they interact with people on social media and what their responses to comments are like. Do they take the time to respond? How do they capture moments that are important to you on your own wedding day? Even the design of a wedding photographers site can tell you a lot about their personality and their work. Take the time to do a deep dive and learn more about what the client experience is like from past couples.

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5. Reach Out Through Their Website

For the love of all things weddings, please do not reach out to potential vendors on Instagram. The #1 way to reach ANY vendor is to contact them directly through their contact form on their website. This saves you time from having to reach out on social media, your dream photographer reaches back out and has to get your contact info to send details, you have to reach back out and send your contact info and then wait for their email … you get the idea. My contact form is super detailed because I want all the information I can possibly get about you and your boo, and I want to make sure we’re a great fit and it will allow us to get to know each other right way. Save yourself AND your friendly wedding vendors time and reach out via their contact page.

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Head over here if you’d like to see a recent full wedding gallery! This particular wedding had one photographer (me) for a total of six hours.

Interested in more wedding tips?! Check out my blog post on what to wear to your engagement session!

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