When it comes to your wedding, one of the most important decisions you can make is a wedding photographer. Your wedding day passes so fast, but you’re going to want to relive it forever. Choosing a wedding photographer is no easy feat, so here are some tips on how to pick the photographer that is right for you!

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#1: Understanding your budget

Knowing how much you want to spend on your wedding is a good place to start. Once you land on a total budget, you can prioritize where you want to spend more or less, depending on what is important to you. Research some wedding photographers that post their rates publicly to see an idea of a price range. Also look into what things are important to you to have captured on your wedding day. Whether getting ready or reception is important to you or not, you could decide you would only need 6 hours of coverage instead of 8. There’s other factors to look into with photographers such as engagement sessions, associate shooters, etc. that could add onto the cost of wedding day photography.

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#2: figuring out the style you like

One thing I have seen most that ends up being a let down with couples on their wedding day is that they have just looked at pricing and not the style of photography. They have booked with photographers simply based on the price being in their budget but not into their style of shooting or editing. There are an abundance of photographers with all types of styles and budgets so finding that one may take some research but it will be worth it in the end. When you are researching wedding photographers, look at the photos on their websites and social media profiles to better understand their photography style. Whether it’s light and airy, dark and moody, storytelling, or emotive, the concepts of a photography style are so important. You don’t want to book someone whose photography style isn’t something you LOVE just based on their pricing alone, you want to book someone whose going to capture you in the way you want.

A good way to figure out the style you like in one place is Pinterest (which is also a great way to find photographers as well!). Create a board with wedding images you just adore and would want for yourself to have to remember your wedding and try to find wedding photographers with similar styles that fit in your budget! *Pro tip: Ask yourself what draws you to these images. The editing, composition, movement, the emotions captured, etc.*

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#3: using social media to your advantage

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#4: ask for galleries

One way to really see how a wedding photographer captures a wedding day is by asking to see some wedding galleries. I usually suggest around 3 just so you can get an idea of the consistency of shooting and editing.

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#5: don’t be afraid to ask questions

Once you have some wedding photographers in mind, reach out and ask some questions. Most wedding photographers websites have some frequently asked questions on there but don’t be afraid to ask for more. You want to know everything before hand so you know what to expect.

Some examples of questions to ask:

• What is your turnaround time on sneak peaks and full gallery delivery?
• Does it include a personal copyright to use for printing myself?
• What is your approach to wedding day photography? (Do you like to sit back or are you fully hands on?
• Do you pose people or is it more candid?
• What is your plan in case you cannot shoot my wedding?
• How long have you been doing wedding photography?

Understanding how your wedding photographer works is so important so you both are on the same page.

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#6: Meet and greet

I cannot tell you how important it is to meet your wedding photographer beforehand. Whether you book an engagement session with them or just meet at a coffee shop to discuss things, it’s important to see if you get along. Not all personalities mesh well together and you don’t want to have someone you don’t connect well with capturing one of the most important days of your life.

Having your wedding photographer for your wedding doing your engagement photos is such a great way to not only get to know them, but to get comfortable in front of the camera with them. You will get to see how they shoot and be able to be more comfortable with them on your wedding day.

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In the end, it all comes down to finding the perfect fit for your wedding day. You really want to have that connection with your wedding photographer and that open communication to for both of you to know what expectations are had. These are your memories for generations to come and they are important, you want a wedding photographer that understands that and will do that for you.