5 Things to Think about when Hiring your Wedding Photographer

There are so, so many things to think about when hiring your photographer. And if we’re being honest, our list of suggested things to think about could realistically go on for pages. But, we’re not going to drag this post on that long. Instead, we’ll hope that you find some helpful information in it. We know there are lists upon lists of questions to ask your potential photographer, and some of those questions are great. But most of them leave off a few key things. These, my friends, are those key things.

5 Things to Think about when Hiring your Wedding Photographer

Do they fit the style you want to see from your wedding day?

Sure, their pictures are beautiful. BUT if you’re not a light and airy, outdoorsy fields and barns type of person and that’s all they show? They might not be the right fit for you. And that’s okay. It’s always better to be honest about what you really want than to try to fit what you want into a photographer’s style.

What’s the real value of your wedding photos?

What return will you get from your photos? Really, think about it. When your wedding day has come and gone, what will you have left, and what will be most valuable to you? Sure, you’ll have some cake leftover. And probably some favors. Your gown will get cleaned and preserved. You’ll put a copy of your invitations in a memory box. But your photos? Those are going to follow you around for the rest of your life. It’s what you’ll display in your home for your family to see. You’ll share your album with your kids as they plan their weddings. In fact, your wedding photos may even impact your kids’ wedding photos. If we could tell you the number of times we’ve recreate photo for a bride and groom that had been taken at her parents’ wedding, well, we would run out of fingers and toes. And in the big scheme of things, to invest a little bit now to get such a return day after day, year after year, for generations to come, well, you’ll see a pretty big return on those photos.

What are your expectations for your photographer?

Do you just want pretty pictures? Do you want ALL the pretty, styled detail pictures? Or maybe a picture of each table at your reception? Maybe just having somebody there to capture all of the moments is what’s most important to you. Think about what you really, truly want to see from your wedding photos. Make a list with your partner of your absolute must haves. Then, take a minute to think about what it might mean to not get those images from your wedding photographer. If you just shrug at something chances are it’s not that important. But if the idea of not having a certain photo makes you a little nauseas, you have your answer. Take your list of must-haves and make sure they’re things your photographer can confidently take care of. Now we’re not saying to give them a shot list (pros will have one they work with already). But be sure to emphasize that those are your must-haves. If your photographer doesn’t take it seriously, it may be time to move on.  

What are your photographer’s expectations of you?

Say what?! They have expectations about you hiring them? Yep, absolutely. They may be as small as respecting business hours and work/life balance to something as big as knowing exactly how many family members and photos are coming at them on your wedding day. Most photographers will have certain policies or guidelines and suggestions in place for their clients. Trust us when we say that those are there for a reason. We operate and run our business with a very open and honest, no bullsh*t policy, and we expect our clients to treat us the same way. We also expect to be treated like human beings, and to be able to take a 5 minute break every now and again on a 16 hour wedding day to grab a drink of water or quick snack. Outside of that, for us, communication is key. Always, always. So don’t be afraid to ask your photographer what they expect of you. We think they’ll be very open and honest with you, and glad that you brought it up!

Are you hiring an employee, or a friend?

Are you hiring a photographer to just who up and take pictures, or are you hiring them for the experience? It’s one thing to hire a photographer to just show up and take pictures. But if we’re being honest? Most of our clients also hire us for the experience. Because we build a relationship. They know that we’re going to spend all day together on their wedding day. And that we’re going to spend hours and hours together before their wedding day. So much so, that come wedding day, we’re more like friends with cameras. This is part of our magic in catching those emotional, up-close, open arms images. If those are the types of photos you want, you’ll need to build a relationship with your photographer and not just meet them on the morning of your wedding. So we encourage you to really think about the experience you want from your photographer.

So there you have it. 5 Things you should consider when hiring your wedding photographer. Hopefully this has been helpful, and if you have any questions about more of our opinion or approach we’re more than happy to share those with you – just let us know!