The Truth about Choosing a Wedding Photographer

By: Alexine

Choosing a wedding photographer can be a confusing decision. You want to make sure you select the right person and end up with the perfect wedding album that will last your lifetime. Because your wedding day is a once in a lifetime experience you want to make sure and capture every special moment. With that in mind I’ve come up with some important topics to consider when deciding on a photographer.

Experience
The most important of all is defiantly how much experience the photographer has or in other words, how great their portfolio is. To ensure they know what to do and you like the art of their photos, asking to see a portfolio is first on the agenda. Also if you know anyone else that has used this particular photographer then you could ask to see their photos. This would be considered the first round of elimination when it comes to selecting one of the many photographers out there. While making appointments and viewing lots of photos may be time consuming, you will be happy you did so.

Cost
With most of the country having to nickel and dime every expense these days, splurging on an expensive photographer may not be possible. Most of the photographers will have an hourly rate along with photo packages. Some require you to purchase a package designed for weddings and others allow you to choose the print sizes and quantities. There are a selective few that will release the rights to your photos and give you a disk with all the photos edited on it. That is the most inexpensive route if you are really pinched.

However, if you are really set on a photographer’s work but they are higher priced, you could try and work out your own print package or come up with a payment plan. Most independent photographers are more willing to work with you and might have options that larger companies do not offer.

Availability
Although this is probably the number one question you ask a photographer, this is third in line as far as importance. You have to weed out the photographers on your list that have poor quality work and cost too much first. Then the big question is “do they have time to photograph my wedding?” If you have choose a date but not a time then you might be able to do a morning versus night wedding depending on if the photographer is available. It may seem nuts to plan the time around your photographer, but people have been known to do this. That may be the difference between having a great photographer or a lousy one. Then again you might get lucky and have the whole day with the photographer so they can photograph the bride and groom getting ready and all the preparations prior to the wedding.

Expectations
This is what the whole experience of choosing a photographer boils down to. What are you and your fiancés expectations? Having a list of poses and requests are great to give to your photographer. Bring this list to your appointment so all the details can be discussed. They will usually have a good idea of what to do, but if you go over everything you want then nothing will be missed. Trust me on this one, because there is no time to come up with poses and ideas on your wedding day. There is too much going on and you’re pulled in a million directions. Give yourself the grace of talking it out ahead of time.

Patience
Remember to take time and have patience with the whole process of choosing a photographer. Sometimes you choose the first one you meet and other times it takes a couple months of appointments to finally decide on one. Do not get discouraged on how long it takes, because the end result is your wedding photos that you have to look at the rest of your life. Good luck and I hope you find the perfect photographer for your wedding!