How To Choose The Right Photographer For Your Big Day
Everyone wants to hire the best wedding photographer (one they can afford) to capture their precious, once-in-a-lifetime moments. The issue isn’t finding photographers, it’s deciding why they deserve your money. Even if they have won awards or your friends recommend them, you must know they are a good fit for you. That’s why Carpe Diem Design Studio is going to show you what you should be looking for when hiring a wedding photographer.
Here are 8 Tips for Hiring the Best Wedding Photographer and Videographer
Experience - How long has the photographer been in the wedding industry?
Wedding Photography Style - Are these the types of photos you want in your wedding album?
Location Keywords - Are you searching with the best keywords?
Communication - Does the wedding photographer keep in touch?
Credentials & Reviews - Have others had a good experience with them?
Services - Do they have all the services you desire?
Policies - What are the policies regarding illness, rescheduling, staffing, etc.?
Pricing - Are the photographer’s prices within your budget?
Experience
Experience in the wedding industry is critical to obtaining the perfect shots. Your photographer must be prepared for the things that happen during a wedding. They should know how to handle guests who block their photos, where to stand to get the best pictures, and the natural flow of a wedding. Aside from the wedding, photographers need to know what type of camera and which lenses are best for the shot. They should know how to work their equipment to obtain sharp images that are not blurry. They should know what equipment is needed for shooting an indoor wedding vs an outdoor wedding, choosing the correct equipment can make a big difference. Even with the right equipment, editing a photo is where the magic happens. You don’t want a photographer who doesn’t know how to properly edit photos.
Here are things to remember:
Professional equipment is a must!
Multiple years of experience shooting weddings and editing photos is your lowest standard
A photographer who works well with others (remedies for guests who interrupt, staging bridal party, & working with wedding planners)
A plan to obtain the best wedding shots (Will your photographer do a walk-through of the venue?)
Wedding Photography Style
What are wedding photography styles? The truth is most people don’t know what wedding photography styles are or they can’t tell the difference between wedding photography styles. Let’s start with the basics. A wedding photography style is the photographer’s method of achieving their picturesque vision for your wedding album. There are many different styles, but the most common are traditional, photojournalism, fine art, and editorial.
Traditional photography consists of staged pictures of the bridal party, family, and friends. There’s no need to worry about how to pose because your photographer will position everyone.
Photojournalism photography is made of photos that document special and spontaneous moments. They are action shots that tell the story of what happened during the speech, on the dance floor, and capture all the wedding’s emotions.
Editorial photography is a high-end staged process where the photographer uses the bridal party as models to capture magazine-like pictures. The photographer is concerned about the right lighting, angles, and staging to get the best photos.
Fine Art photography is similar to editorial photography, but it has photos that look softer and brighter.
In addition to the styles, there are editing aesthetics such as dark and moody, flash, vintage, sepia, and black and white. In our opinion, a wedding album should be fun, capturing a variety of elements throughout your wedding day. At Carpe Diem Design Studio, we use a photojournalistic approach to documenting the entire day from the bridal party getting dressed to the last dance at the reception. We also add a bit of traditional, editorial, and fine art photography pictures, with a touch of editing aesthetics.
Carpe Diem Design Studio stages the bridal party, family, and friends for traditional shots.
Our editorial photos ensure we use the correct lighting, angles, and posing to achieve the best pictures.
Our fine art photography shots are intimate, candid, and quaint.
Some of our editing aesthetics include double exposure and black and white.
Location Keywords
By entering things like, “NJ Wedding Photographer” or “Hawaii Wedding Destination Photographer,” brides usually begin a standard search resulting in mediocre search results. While searching for a wedding photographer’s location is normal, if you want to find the best wedding photographer, you must maximize your search results. Try searching for wedding photographers who are just outside the location of your venue. Search the nearby towns and sometimes even the next state over. Search for keywords that most wedding photographers use on their websites such as “Servicing Cherry Hill, Medford, and Collingswood” or “Atlanta Luxury Wedding Photographer.” Be specific in your online search. You can also search for wedding photographers who have shot at the venue you’ve booked. If you think they are too far, send an email or make a quick phone call to ask about the width of their service area, their travel fees, and any other travel information you may need to know. You can also use longer search keywords like “Hawaii Destination Wedding Photographers Who Travel to Fairmont Kea Lani Maui” or “Luxury South Jersey Wedding Photographer Using Photojournalism and Visual Storytelling.” The point is that casting a wide net may keep you from finding your perfect photographer. Using specific search keywords also helps in case you need to change venues at the last minute.
Next time you search for wedding vendors:
Use longer and more specific search keywords
Search outside of your immediate location
Check the next state over
Check websites for key information such as travel fees and for pictures at previous wedding venues
Here a few of the venues Carpe Diem Design Studio has worked with:
The Carriage House in Galloway, NJ by Carpe Diem Design Studio
Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, PA by Carpe Diem Design Studio
Communication
Even when a luxury wedding photographer is busy, they still have time to respond to requests, emails, and phone calls. Bad communication is normally the first sign of a photographer who is overwhelmed by their business and most likely unable to accommodate new clients. Part of being a great wedding photographer is balancing the workload because receiving beautiful pictures is only half of the experience. Having a great relationship with your photographer starts with communication from themselves or their team. If they are not responsive in the early stages of connecting, then you may have a difficult time once the wedding is over. Good communication will reassure you that your photographer will show up to your wedding, provide timely results, and bring an overall sense of peace during the wedding process.
Credentials & Reviews
The best photographers aren’t cheap. They have worked their way up so that they can be called the best by their clients. They have padded their resumes with reputable venues and important clients. They are considered the best because they have worked on their craft so when you are looking for the best photographer, search for their clients. Read over the client’s reviews on their website and other places their business is listed. Google reviews are one of the easiest to review because even guests can review a wedding photographer when they have a great experience. To find out if your chosen wedding photographer is well-liked by other professionals, contact the most recently listed venue on their website or social media page. You can also contact the clients they tag on social media as well and ask for an honest review or about specific concerns you may have. This is a great opportunity to ask if their photographer gave them their pictures and video in a timely matter, and how responsive they were during the process.
Services
Your best wedding photographer would be a wedding artist who offers all you need. You may want more than just wedding photography. Check their websites for the services they offer and then don’t hesitate to reach out for any questions about services they don’t have. You may want a wedding videographer or a 360 photobooth. If you don’t see those options, ask your photographer if they offer it or have a recommendation. Sometimes they work with other companies that can give you a discount because you’re working with a partnered company. Other times, the photographer will contract the company and you won’t have to worry about extra fees or dealing with the vendor. You’ll be able to work with one vendor for multiple services.
Some services you may want to look into are:
Pre-booking consultations
Boudoir sessions
Rehearsal / welcome dinner coverage
Day after sessions
Additional photographer or 2nd shooter
Engagement shoot
Wedding Videography
Wedding Slideshow
Bridal Portraits
Trash the dress session
Bride and/or Groom Getting Ready Photos
360 Photobooth Rental (Motion Photobooth)
Basic Photobooth Rental
Use our wedding photographer comparison log to organize your desired services.
WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER COMPARISON LOG
Policies
This is where you really need to pay attention. You must be aware of your photographer’s policies within their contract. You should be asking a lot of questions to narrow down who your perfect wedding photographer will be. Think of everything that could happen and ask how your photographer will handle the issue. You should also be aware of how your photographer may choose to display your photos on their website and other publications. Many people don’t know this, but pictures taken by a photographer belong solely to the photographer even if you purchased them. They are allowed to be used however the photographer wishes, but having a good relationship with your photographer can help alleviate any issues you may have.
Here are some questions you should ask:
What type of wedding packages do you have?
How many photographers are shooting the wedding?
What are your traveling fees?
What are your rescheduling policies?
How many photos will I receive?
How and when will I receive the photos?
What happens if you are sick on the day of the wedding?
What happens if a storm prevents the wedding from occurring?
How will you display or use the photos?
Pricing
Your wedding venue is important, but so are capturing the memories you make before, during, and after your wedding ceremony. You can tell how much wedding photography means to you by looking at what you have already booked. If photography was one of the last things you booked, then it could possibly mean that it’s not as important as the other wedding vendors. Don’t be a bride or groom who waits until all other wedding vendors have been booked, leaving little to no funds available for the best wedding photographer. Let it be one of the first services you book. Give yourself ample time to decide on whose services would best fit your overall theme for the day.
If you have waited, be careful how you ask for discounts. Remember, asking for a discount can give an impression that while you like the wedding photographer, you don’t think they are worth what they are charging. It can be offensive. Try being honest with your desired photographer about your budget, letting them know what services or elements are most important to you, and then asking what they can do with your budget. If it isn’t much, then ask for a payment plan. You can also ask to book them for less time, too. Carpe Diem Design Studio has 8-hour sessions, 6-hour sessions, and 4-hour sessions. This way you’ll receive the best photography skills and keep within your budget.
Overall, if you want the best wedding photographer at your wedding, then you will need to do a deep dive into what you really want from your photographer. Then you will need to compare all the photographers you like. Use our wedding photographer comparison log to help compare your best 4 choices. Click the button below.
WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER COMPARISON LOG
Or choose Carpe Diem Design Studio as your best wedding photographer and contact us today.
