Three Things to Consider When Hiring a Wedding Photographer

When our clients hire us to plan, design, and produce their destination weddings, they’re ultimately entrusting us with the execution of thousands of details that will all work in tandem to facilitate a cohesive and extraordinary live event experience. No detail is too small, or too large to receive our utmost care and attention. When we research and recommend vendors for each wedding, we’re ultimately working hard to build a team of like-minded professional experts who will not only do the job exceptionally well, but be excellent partners throughout the process of working together, with the same level of focus and attention to detail we expect of ourselves. We take this logistical challenge of sourcing vendor teams very seriously. The wrong vendor team can wreak havoc on the very best of plans and ideas, but those same ideas in the hands of the right team… well, that’s when the magic happens!

It’s no surprise to anyone that the decision process for hiring a photographer for your wedding may be one of the most consequential and overwhelming in the planning process. A simple Google search may easily result in hundreds of photographers in the region, and to the average couple, it’s difficult to discern what criteria to use in choosing who to hire. At the end of the day, when we’re vetting photographers to present their work to our clients for consideration, we’re weighing a number of factors, including the following:

Are they available for the full wedding weekend to provide coverage for any/all events as necessary?
Does their pricing work well without our established budget parameters for the wedding?
Is their work a good stylistic fit with our client’s aesthetic preferences and the setting/lighting conditions/surroundings?
Are they properly experienced, insured, etc.?
Is it a good personality fit knowing they’ll be in close proximity and interacting on a very personal level with our clients?
Will they be a great addition to the team behind the scenes?

If all of the above criteria is met, then we can hone in on specifics in terms of pricing, custom proposals, etc.

It’s never an easy process, and truthfully - we often spend hours thoughtfully researching, vetting, and reviewing options before ever presenting any photographers to our clients. So let’s break this down into three tangible tips that will help anyone looking to hire a wedding photographer!

1.DON’T BE AFRAID TO EXPAND YOUR SEARCH BEYOND THE LOCAL MARKET

We often hear people express a desire to work with local professionals for their wedding. We understand and support the sentiment behind that wholeheartedly. But… depending on the location of your wedding, it’s important to consider that your local options may be limited with regard to experience, quality, or stylistic fit. There are many vendor services that might be important to source locally, but photography is truly one that deserves a broader look in many circumstances. It’s very easy for a photography team to travel with their gear.

Often people assume it’s important for a photographer to have worked in a particular venue many times in order to do their best work. But truth be told - we see the most unique and inspirational work coming out of situations where photographers are shooting in locations for the first time. Just as we prefer to work in new spaces/places and destinations because it inspires us creatively to ensure our clients’ wedding are truly personalized and original, photographers often benefit from that creative freedom in the same way. Any photographer who knows what they’re doing will spend time researching and scouting the venue before they start shooting. But a photographer who repeatedly positions their clients in the same spots, against the same walls, in the same grove of trees, with the same poses, may not really be delivering images that feel fresh, original, or personal to you. The last thing you want is an artist who is going through the motions and repeating routines instead of working diligently to create original art for you.

Your wedding photography lasts long beyond the wedding day in a way that no other vendor’s services do (other than videography, which should receive the same level of priority!) Don’t make the common mistake of shortchanging yourself and limiting your own options by failing to look beyond the immediate geographic region. There is so much talent in the world. It’s worth it to find and connect with a photographer who will deliver images you will treasure for the rest of your lives.

2.TAKE A LOOK AT FULL GALLERIES - NOT ONLY LIMITED PORTFOLIO COLLECTIONS

Remember that anyone can probably find 10-15 great photos from a wedding day to include them in a gallery on their website, or include in a portfolio. But what about the other 400-600 (or more) images from that day? Are they of equal caliber? Are they cohesive with regard to editing style, lighting, composition, etc.? How do you know if you don’t see them?

Don’t be afraid to ask to see a couple full galleries before making the decision to hire a photographer. We do that routinely if we’ve never worked with a particular photographer before, and the most experienced photographers are not only accustomed to that request, they love the ability to share their work in a way that showcases continuity of artistry. Always ask.

Sometimes the lack of cohesiveness can be shocking and you’d much rather experience that realization before signing a contract than after your wedding is over and you’re left with only a handful of images you truly like.

3.PRIORITIZE QUALITY OVER PACKAGE INCLUSIONS

When you invest in photography, it will/should be a significant portion of your wedding budget. Remember that you can always purchase albums or a la carte items later, but they don’t have to be a part of how your spend your precious resources for the wedding weekend. It’s not uncommon for us to remove albums/prints from the final photography proposal before going to contract. Think about it this way… if we can take several thousand dollars (or more!) worth of additions and put those same funds into more coverage and/or a higher level of expertise, that’s worthwhile. It’s easy to feel like you need to chose the better deal and hire a photographer with the most package inclusions. But at the end of the day, if you love a different photographer’s work more… then the better decision is to prioritize the talent/skill/artistry. You can buy an album later.