5 Tips for choosing a wedding photographer

Your wedding day is one of the most important and days of your life (so I’ve heard), you spend a lot of money to make it just right, so naturally finding a photographer to document it properly is a priority.

The following is a list of things to look at when hiring a wedding photographer.

Availability

The first obvious one is the photographer’s availability. Are they free for your wedding date? The traditional wedding months (summer months) get booked a year in advance, so it is wise to book early.

Style

Some photographers shoot formally. They focus on thought out and composed pictures, with external lighting. Others take a photojournalist’s approach and will capture all the spontaneous action. However most wedding photographers these days tend to blend these two styles so you end up with a nice mix.

Personality

This is one of the most important things to know when booking a photographer. Do you get along with them? He/she is going to be following you around all day, and if you can’t stand the person it’s going to be a loooonng day. Set up a face-to-face interview with him/her before you book, and get to know them better.

Products

Your wedding photos are nothing if you don’t get them in a physical form. Learning what the photographer offers may help to narrow your choices.

A few examples of products you may want are:

- CD with your images on it

- Custom album (who doesn’t like custom things)

- Prints and canvases

Price

In a perfect world we would get whatever we like best, but clearly that’s not the case for everyone, so a budget must be made. Your wedding photography should be no different. There is a large range in prices, generally it ranges from $1000 to $10,000 or even more. Finding one that suits your style, budget, and offer’s all the products and services you want should be the goal.