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How to Choose Your Wedding Photographer in 6 Steps

April 3, 2019 | riley

Image by Hannah Konda Fotographie. See more of this real wedding here.

If you’ve ever explored our wedding planning tips, you probably already know how strongly we feel that your wedding photographer isn’t just another vendor. That being said, we also know that when you’re ready to choose your wedding photographer it can seem daunting and overwhelming. But it really doesn’t have to be. We’ve broken it down into six simple steps that will take you from choosing your photography style to booking the perfect photographer.

Image by Elvira Kalviste Photography. See more of this real wedding here.

1. Choose Your Wedding Photographer Style

If you’ve never thought about your wedding photography style, don’t worry, you’re not alone. Most couples don’t realize how many different wedding photography styles actually exist. But, just like you need to know your wedding style before you can start picking out flowers or decor, you need to know what photography styles you love before you start looking at photographers. You can’t choose your wedding photographer if you don’t know what you’re looking for!

Wedding Photography Styles In A Nutshell

Fine Art

Fine art wedding photographers are actively creating art while capturing the story of your day. Every moment has the potential to turn into a photograph that could be a stand-alone piece in an art gallery.

Photojournalistic

Photojournalists are there to blend in and capture the wedding day as a whole, not just the planned moments. Photojournalism got its start in newspapers, so these folks know how to blend in and snap a shot you weren’t even aware of.

Traditional

A traditional photographer appreciates a wedding’s staples and will capture them for you with art and grace. You can expect a modern take on the posed photos in your grandparents’ wedding album.

Editorial

If you love the look of photography in magazines like Vogue, GQ, and Harper’s Bazaar, then you might like your wedding to be photographed with a similar feel. Editorial allows photographers to shoot creative, dramatic, over-the-top images.

Moody and Dark

These photographers edit their photos to mimic film imagery–or they might shoot both film and digital. If you love bright, bold colors and want your photos to look exactly how you remember your wedding day, then these artistic, interesting perspectives of your wedding day might not be your style.

Adventurous

If you and your partner love to travel and explore and are looking for someone who will follow you anywhere your travels take you, then finding a photographer who describes themselves as an adventurer is a must.

Photographers don’t just shoot one style. In fact, most wedding photographers incorporate many of these styles into their work in one way or another. It makes it more fun for them and more interesting for their clients. So, keep that in mind when you start looking at portfolios and consider how much of each style you’d like reflected in your wedding photos. That will help you choose your wedding photographer.

Image by Pinewood Weddings. See more of this real wedding here.

2. Browse Our Vendor Directory

We’ve made it our priority to connect couples with wedding professionals who can take the wedding photos they’ve always dreamt of, which is why our wedding vendor directory contains carefully curated lists of wedding photographers–and other vendors–from all over the world. You can search in your region or, if you’re planning a destination wedding, you can search any region around the world.

Within our directory, you can see each photographer’s portfolio, get access to their website and social media accounts, and even contact them directly through our portal. We recommend you grab a pen and paper so you can make notes of all your favorite photographers and the reasons you love them so much. Trust us, you’ll want notes when it comes time to write some emails!

Image by Sergio Alcala Photography. See more of this vow renewal here.

3. Thoroughly Research Your Prospects

With so many professionals’ websites and social media accounts to pour over, it can be tough to know what you’re even looking for. The first thing, of course, is that they have a website. If the professional is simply using Facebook for their entire business, that can be a red flag that they may lack experience or professionalism. Once you’re on that website, there are a couple of important pages you should browse to choose your wedding photographer.

Look Through Their Portfolios

The first is their portfolio, which will give you a feel of what they believe their best work is. Here you can get an idea of the types of weddings they enjoy producing or capturing, as well as a feel for their overall style. You may notice a pattern in their work. If it resonates with you, keep them on your list. You may also find that there isn’t a common style throughout the work you’re finding in their portfolio. This may mean that they are versatile and can adjust and tailor their work to different clients, or it may mean that they don’t yet have a strong sense of what they’re best at. If you’re interested in seeing more of a certain style, make note of what you liked in their portfolio when you reach out and ask if they have similar work you can take a look at.

Look At Their Blogs

The second aspect of their site you want to peruse is their blog. One of the things you’re looking for here is that it has been recently updated, showing that they’re actively booking clients and putting out exceptional work. Another thing you should look for is yourself. No, obviously, you won’t literally be on their blog, but you should look for couples and celebrations that feel like they could be your own. If you’re able to see yourself in this professional’s work, it’s a good chance they’re a fit for your wedding.

Image by For Love & Light. See more of this real wedding here.

4. Email Your Favorite Photographers

Once you’ve found at least three photographers who you would like to contact, it’s time to reach out and ask some questions. Keep in mind that this email is the beginning of a relationship with your future wedding photographer, and you’re making just as much of a first impression as they will with their response. Don’t just blast the same generic email to every photographer you find online. Get to know them, their work, and what you love most about their business. Then tailor each email to the photographers you’re genuinely interested in.

With this first email, you’ll want to be sure to ask the following questions:

  • Is your date is available?
  • What are their latest pricing, packages, and contract information?
  • Can they provide several testimonials?

Don’t Be Afraid Of Phone Calls, Either

You might also want to set up a phone consultation, during which you can ask about their approach to their work, what makes them love shooting weddings, and find out what you can expect from them on your wedding day and throughout your time working together. Photographers know this is a big decision, so don’t be afraid to ask as many questions as you need to feel comfortable and well informed!

Image by Quinn Oberlander Photographer. See more of this real wedding here.

5. Set Up In-Person Interviews

The only way to truly get to know someone is to meet them, which is why in-person interviews are a must when you’re trying to choose your wedding photographer. In this interview, you’re really looking at how comfortable you feel with each photographer. Like with any interview, the interaction with them is just as important as the questions you ask. Would you feel comfortable having this photographer follow you around with a camera all day? Do they share a similar design aesthetic?

Besides bringing some basic questions to the interview, it’s a good idea to bring along a wedding mood board with some details you’ve envisioned for your day. You want to know if they can execute your vision before you hire them. This one is all about expectations. If the answer is no, you’ll get a better sense you’re looking for after meeting with a couple of photographers. Remember, you don’t have to choose your wedding photographer just because you met with them.

Need some help coming up with questions?

We’ve got a whole list of what to ask—and not ask—your potential wedding photographer that you can use in all your interviews.

Image by Sambajoy Photo. See more of this real wedding here.

6. Trust Your Gut

You’ve done your research, you’ve narrowed down the choices, you’ve laid out your pro/con lists, now it’s time to trust your gut and make a decision. Which photographer made you feel the most comfortable during your in-person interview? Which photographer can you see blending in seamlessly with you and your guests on the big day? As long as your shortlist includes credible professional photographers who align with your vision and fit into your budget, you can’t go wrong. Go with your gut, make it official, and choose your wedding photographer.

Ready to start booking the rest of your dream team? Here’s everything you need to know about hiring your wedding vendors!

Image by Emily Hary Photography. See more of this real wedding here.

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39 Comments

  1. As a wedding photographer I couldn’t agree more with the above. Working out the style you’re after and then meeting/skyping your photog face-to-face always makes sure you’re going to get the just the best wedding photos….

  2. Thanks so much for taking the time to create some great tips about how to choose your wedding photographer. It helped me a lot to set up and start publishing my wedding photography blog. You nailed the basics to make every blog a success and I have followed them. Keep up the great work.

  3. Great insight! Thanks for sharing this Juliette!

  4. Thanks for the advice for getting a wedding photographer. I didn’t know it could be good to reach out to some of your favorite photographers and ask them some questions. That said, it sounds important to really look through their portfolio to maybe see if they’ve had experience photographing a wedding.

  5. Thanks so much for taking the time to create some great tips about how to choose your wedding photographer. You nailed the basics to make every blog a success and I have followed them. Keep up the great work.I am also a Wedding Photographer. Check my Website Daniela Cardili..

    Thanks.

  6. Thanks so much for taking the time to create an informative blog about how to choose your wedding photographer. Exactly what I was looking for.

  7. I appreciate the advice on setting up interviews with photographers that you are considering interviewing. My fiance and I will be getting married soon. These tips will be very helpful when we start looking for a photographer to hire.

  8. Thanks for mentioning that you should include questions about availability, pricing, contracts, and references in your first email to a photographer. My fiance and I are getting married this upcoming May. We’re hoping to have an outdoor venue with beautiful, natural lighting. I will keep your tips in mind as I start searching for and reaching out to various local photographers.

  9. Thanks for explaining that you should ask about availability, pricing, and references in your first email to a wedding photographer. My fiance and I are planning to have a beautiful summer wedding in the mountains. I will start reaching out to photographers as soon as I can to book them in advance.

  10. A really great guide with practical advice, as a photographer it makes a nice change to see practical and useful information for couples on things to consider and check!

    Paul

  11. You made a great point when you explained that it is important to browse a photographer’s portfolio before you hire them. My sister is getting married in a couple of months and she has been asking me if I could just take their pictures. I think it would be well worth their money to hire a photographer.

  12. Wow, amazing tips and amazing.
    Thanks for sharing.

  13. Excellent article! It looks so beautiful. Thanks for sharing!!

  14. Thanks for explaining the different styles of wedding photography. I like the idea of the photojournalistic style you mentioned since it provides an authentic look of the event while it was happening and is less manufactured. My fiance and I are planning to have a somewhat casual wedding outside. Journalistic wedding photos seem like a great choice for us.

  15. Yes, it’s very important like how we can plan our wedding photographer because we don’t want to compromise on our life event.

  16. Thanks for sharing this beautiful blog. I like all the pics

  17. I like that you said that it’s smart to look at a photographer’s portfolio to get an idea of their style and what type of weddings they like to produce. My sister is going to get married this fall, and she wants to make sure that she chooses the perfect photographer to help capture everything on that day. I’ll have to tell her to look at portfolios not only so that she can get a feel for their style but also so she can maybe get some ideas of what kind of pictures she wants of her wedding too.

    • That’s great! We’re so glad to hear that this information was helpful.

  18. Thankyou so much for sharing this blog

  19. I like that you said I should do thorough research on each wedding photographer I am considering hiring by checking their websites, reading their reviews, and looking through their portfolios. My sister would benefit from this advice because she plans to get married by the end of the year. I’ll share these tips with her to help her find the right wedding photographer. Thanks.

  20. They have helped me a lot. Really, thank you very much for your articles, I am a very habitual reader of this page and I love it.

  21. Thank you such a lot . I even have learn something………

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  23. Hi,
    Really appreciate this article. I’ve spent many hours today and read many articles. This one was by far the best, and most comprehensive one. I was impressed!
    Photography is getting very much complex day by day. Thanks for putting top-notch content.

  24. As a wedding planner and photographer, I appreciate your work. Thanks for sharing such an informative article. This really helps people a lot in choosing the photographer for their event.

    • Hi there, we’re so glad to hear that! We’re here to help.

  25. This is all such great advice. Your blog is so helpful for eloping couples looking to be guided in the right direction. I look forward to reading more.

  26. I appreciate the tip about checking a photographer’s portfolio. My brother wants to propose to his girlfriend. He is hoping to find a photographer that can catch the special moment.

  27. I just got engaged last week and my fiancé and I are starting to make photography for the wedding. Thanks for the tip to interview a photographer and pay attention to how the interaction is with them. I want to make sure we get a photographer who understands the kinds of photos we want and who has the experience to pull it off.

  28. I appreciate the tip to look through a photographer’s portfolio. I just got engaged and am planning the wedding. It would be a good idea for me to consult a few different photographers in my area so I can choose one that will be best for our event.

  29. Its nice that you mentioned to look out for blogs when hiring a wedding photographer and make sure they are recently updated and actively booking clients. ! My wedding is coming up next month and I want to hire a wedding photographer to take some awesome photos of me and my wife. I will need to speak to a professional to help us decide which wedding photographer would be the nearest and best for us on our special day. Thanks for the article!

  30. You shared nice tip for hiring a wedding photographer. I’m getting married next month and this gonna help me.

  31. This is super well written! and has probably been a blessing to so many!
    I love finding articles like this that break down the bigger picture in the writers perspective.
    inspiring stuff. I love it!

  32. Very good tips. I am also a wedding photographer and the perspective of bride’s and groom’s approach is really valuable to get prepared for working with them.

  33. Hey Dear, You have provided us a very helpful content. It will help those who are looking to hire a wedding photographer. These tips will help us a lot. Thanks for sharing your valuable experience with us.

  34. I liked that you said that interviewing wedding photographers could allow you to determine how comfortable you could be with them. This is something that I will share with my sister who is planning to get married in July. She wanted to ensure that posing in front of the camera is not going to be too awkward for her, so I will ask her to consider your tips.

  35. I liked that you suggested checking the portfolio of a wedding photographer to get an overall feel about their style. My fiance and I are interested in hiring a professional that can capture the best moments of our elopement next month. Since we want our elopement photos to look the way we envisioned them to be, so we will consider your tips.

  36. Thanks so much for listing photography styles and how they each work. My friend is getting married soon and they’ve been looking at hiring photographers and videographers. They’ll definitely have to take style and theme into consideration when choosing someone. Also, I absolutely love the representation in your photos!

  37. Thank you for your article on how to choose a wedding photographer. Over the years I have discovered that most of my new clients have seen me photographing friends or a family members wedding day. Recommendations are highly powerful

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