A wedding is an experience, its a whole bunch of beautiful memories put together. And the photos you have at the end are the evidence of that special day! Your wedding photographer will be there to capture your special moments that you’ll cherish forever, so picking the right one that works for you is super important.
Sometimes a photographer’s style will speak to you and you’ll know instantly that that’s what you want. Other times you may be uncertain of what you want.
There are a lot of photographers out there, and we want to help point you in the direction of how to find the perfect fit for you.
We’ve broken this up for you in terms of what you need to look at and decide. These are budget – which is super important, style – which is the biggest way to determine what works best for you, portfolio – which helps you decide what you want after you have your budget and style, and finally connection – which is the personal touch we so love.
Keep reading to find out more!
Budget
This one is a no-brainer. Its definitely the first thing to consider when making a decision. Define what your budget is for this specific service. There’s no point finding a photographer you love and then discovering that their services are out of budget, right?
If you don’t know where to start with breaking down your budget and allocating to each service then you probably need the help of a wedding planner (we definitely offer this service, just saying), but if you don’t want a planner – the best thing you can do is research a little.
Some photographers have starting prices on their websites, while others may be willing to give you a quick ‘price range’ quote to help you understand what they offer. You can also ask other couples about their research, if they got multiple quotations and what the price ranges were. That will help you decide how much you want to spend on this aspect and that will help you navigate the best decision for you.
Each photographer will offer their own prices for their own service, try not to focus too much on comparing different photographers. Focus on what you want to spend, and on what you like.
Style
The second thing you want to look at is the style of photographs you want! Every photographer has their own style and you need to really think about what you want your wedding photos to look like.
In general there’s two things to note when looking at the style of a photographer. You want the style of their photographs in terms of the colours, tone, brightness and in general the way they look. The other important thing to note is the shooting style, to note the angles or how posed the photos look.
Here’s a little breakdown of the most common photography styles you encounter at weddings.
In terms of colour or tone, you usually get Fine Art or Dark, more dramatic photography:
- Fine Art
Fine art is similar to the traditional wedding style, but is more known for being light, bright and airy. It’s generally softer and more delicate than classic digital images. This style is more for romantic, soft, bright colours and pretty outdoor weddings. - Dark & Moody
In this style, the photographer is looking to add some shadow and maybe edge. The distinct characteristic of this style is the editing of the photos. The tone of the images is altered to give them a subtle (or not so subtle) filtered effect. If you’re going for a boho, rustic, quirky or moody wedding then this style is for you.
Adding a side note here that choosing the right photography style and colours, is strongly tied to your wedding design! Why? Because if your wedding flower design is light and airy greenery with pastel shaded flowers you don’t want the end result to be dark and moody photos. Likewise if there’s a rustic feel to your design, with abstract dry florals and earth tones, you don’t want your wedding photos to be bright and soft and airy.
- Classic/Traditional
These are the more timeless wedding photos, the one’s you’ve seen before. They’re beautiful and a bit formal. There’s posed shots and family portraits. Here your photographer will capture the ordinary/classic shots in a personal and modern take. - Photojournalistic
Photojournalistic photography is quite different. The photographer captures candid moments or spontaneous pictures of people, décor and action. Nothing is staged or posed and you’ll often find the photographer lost somewhere in the crowd looking for those special moments. - Lifestyle
This style is something like the middle ground. Caught between classic photos and spontaneous candid shots. There’s some direction and styling to get the desired shot, but its not posed. - Editorial
Now this style is completely in the control of the photographer. The focus is on lighting, on posed shots. The photographer is hands-on, controlling the environment and directing every shot. If you want magazine-like results then this is for you.
Portfolio
So you’ve settled on your budget, you know what the general price ranges are and you’ve decided how much you want to spend on your wedding photographer. You’ve also looked at available options in terms of styles and photo colours and you’ve decided what works best for you.
All this has significantly narrowed down your choices, but there’s still a lot of options out there. Now is the time to do some more research! Check out the photographers you like, and go through their portfolio. Look at the shots they’ve showcased, and find what you like.
There’s no right or wrong here, just as long its what speaks to you. Certain angles, certain poses, of course the colours and the types of photos they have.
It is also important to be respectful of the photographer’s style. Sometimes photographers are willing to be slightly flexible with their style, so there’s no harm in asking for specific shots you saw and like but very often their photography style is their identity as artists. Try to go by what they’ve showcased to decide if its what you want.
Connection
And last, but definitely not least is the importance of selecting a photographer based on the connection you have with them.
Your wedding day is a special one, it is an emotional and memorable day spent with your closest family and friends… and your photographer. This person will be there from the moment you wake up in the morning, until possibly the moment you leave your wedding party.
You never really thought about it this way, right? There’s no other wedding professional that will spend so much of your day with you, not even your wedding planner as we tend to step back and coordinate the day from the shadows. The photographer will direct your preparations, and document your wedding ceremony, they will capture your wedding portraits and candid special moments. They will be there for your first kiss as a married couple and your first romantic slow dance.
It needs to be someone you have a connection with, someone you ‘clicked’ with. It is super important for you to feel comfortable around this person, to relax and be yourself and properly enjoy your own moments.
Trust us, the result will be 100% times better.
This post is part of our ‘Wedding Planning How To’ series, check out the one where we help you pick your planner here.