How to Choose a Wedding Photographer
“We don’t know much about wedding photography.”
It’s something we’ve been hearing a LOT lately from our inquiring couples, and therefore is something I decided to address today. Likely, if you’re not wrapped up in the wedding photo sphere, you’re not as aware of the goings-on here, and that’s why we’re here to help!! We might be biased when we say that your wedding photographer is one of the most important vendors you book for your wedding, but hear us out.
Wedding photos are timeless and are the only physical memory you’ll take with you from your wedding day. Hiring a good photographer will allow you to relive those moments as often as you want for the rest of your life together, and also will give your kids and grandkids the chance to experience it for themselves. As we progress in marriage, we’re learning more and more how much these snippets of time really mean, and are beginning to understand our wedding photos and others we’ve had taken throughout our relationship as an investment.
And so this is why your wedding photographer shouldn’t be a box checked on the list of vendors you’ll be hiring. We highly recommend taking the time to make sure you’re making the best investment, and here is how to do so:
Set a Realistic Budget
This may seem like the obvious first step, but is something I feel like I need to address. A good wedding photographer is going to charge what he or she is worth. He or she is also going to charge a similar rate to other photographers in the area. We first recommend researching what this median price range is in the area you’ll be getting married and budgeting yourself accordingly.
For example, San Luis Obispo wedding photographers are going to be a bit more expensive than a wedding photographer in a place like Nebraska, as this region of California is a wedding destination and the cost of living here is much higher. Doing some pricing research before you begin inquiring with photographers will help you avoid being in a pinch when your budget doesn’t match most photographers’ prices.
Photography Style
Here’s where I’m going to get a little more into the nitty gritty of photography. As this is an art, every photographer is going to have a slightly different idea of what they find beautiful, and so they will capture wedding days differently. Modern weddings are often to be captured one of two ways: in a very candid, documentary style, or in a very editorial, straight out of a magazine style. Both are stunning in their own unique ways, but certain styles are not for everyone.
We feel a little more inclined to discuss the candid, documentary style, as this is the way our work leans! Essentially, our approach (and the approach of pretty much every other photographer who shoots this way) to wedding days is to keep things as unposed as possible to create space for genuine emotion to be the star. Fabricated emotion is just not our thing.
Documentary style photographers tend to play a more “fly on the wall” role, but will step in and offer guidance on things like best lighting and posing tips for scenarios like bridal party and family photos. We also tend to prompt our couples for a more natural look in bridal portraits. Galleries end up being full of big smiles, laughter, and, in our opinion, images that make you feel something.
We think it’s best to research a variety of photographers who capture the day differently to understand what your eye is drawn to and learn what you really like. (more on this later!)
Editing Style
The other half of the art form! Photographers spend an incredible amount of time editing your photos once they’re captured, and this is our chance to put even more of an artistic touch on the photos. These days you’ll see wedding photos edited so many different ways: from the timeless light and airy look, to a retro filmy vibe, to the warm boho look, to the modern and adventurous dark and moody look. As a photographer myself, I’m so glad we’re beyond the days of cookie cutter wedding photos that all look the same.
Similarly to what I said above, we believe it’s well worth scouring a bunch of different photographers’ portfolios to discover which editing style is your favorite. It will become pretty clear to you as you look through photos what you like and what you don’t.
Since this is our blog, we’re gonna take the time to describe our editing style here! We love the colors of our photos to be as real as the moments captured. We also love using vibrant color and bright light to convey the happy moments we get to partake in. Our work tends to lean a little bit on the warmer side, but as true toned as possible to give images a timeless look!
Ask Photographers for Full Wedding Galleries
In the name of marketing, us wedding photographers are showcasing our best work on our websites, blogs, and Instagrams. And I’ll be honest with you, full wedding galleries are not made up of 800 of these hero shots. However, you are paying for a full gallery, and we highly recommend seeing what a typical full gallery looks like before you sign a contract.
Wedding photographers will (and should, honestly) provide you with samples of full wedding galleries upon request. A lot of what you see on social media are the ceremony highlights, the golden hour portraits, and other more visually appealing shots, but wedding galleries also include the less aesthetic, but still incredibly important family photos, reception coverage, and other moments throughout the day that don’t always make it to the ‘gram.
Looking through a photographer’s full galleries will give you the chance to ensure your (potential) photographer nails focus on every photo, shoots and edits well in a variety of lighting situations (most ceremonies are when the sun is at a less than ideal angle, for example!), and is able to genuinely capture wedding days like they say they can. Don’t be afraid to ask them for a few full galleries so you can have a little try before you buy moment! You’re making the investment, you want to make sure it’s worth it :)
Can You See Yourself in These Photos?
So now that you’ve looked through a bunch of photographers’ websites and portfolios, it’s time to get real with yourself. In a world where there are thousands of talented wedding photographers, whose photos can you genuinely see yourselves in? Most of our couples come to us saying they’ve never been in front of the camera before, and if you’re reading this, I’ll take a guess and assume you haven’t been either (this is our favorite scenario!!!!).
Being in front of a camera is a vulnerable experience, and I don’t think that’s something most people realize until they’re living it out themselves. Models tend to make posing for photos look completely effortless, so when normal people like us find themselves in these roles, it can be a little shocking to learn how difficult it actually is. There is a reason Joseph and I often find ourselves behind the camera, after all.
Make sure a photographer’s style looks and feels * like you. * These are your one and only set of wedding photos you will have, and taking the time to select a photographer you can genuinely see yourself working with will make a world of a difference, trust us!!!
Do You Connect Well With the Photographer?
And lastly, on the topic of feeling like yourself in photos, we bring you to what we believe to be the most important consideration in choosing your wedding photographer. It is dang near imperative you connect well with them. Around here, we take this so seriously. After living out our own wedding day (with our rockstar photographer Stefanie) and photographing almost a hundred more, we deeply understand how important this connection is.
We say this a lot, but because it’s so important, we’ll say it again. Other than your new husband/wife, the person you will be spending the most time with on your wedding day is your photographer. You’re basically paying us to follow you around on the best day of your life, and I think it’s safe to say that personalities that don’t click have potential to cause any “best day ever” to become the worst.
Just because a person can take pretty photos does not mean you’re going to get along well. Most modern wedding photographers want you to have the best day of your life, too, which is why it’s become industry standard at this point to hop on a call with potential couples before they choose to book. Please make sure you do this.
When you’re on the call, be invested. We’re not just here to sell you our biggest package or talk about your plans for your decor. We want to know who you are, what you value, and your big picture vision behind your wedding day. Take the time to be intentional and really figure out who you want to and would be comfortable with spending the entirety of the biggest day of your life with. This is another step that will make a world of a difference if done right, we promise!
Book Them Before it’s Too Late!!!
While we encourage our couples to take the time to be intentional with their wedding photographer decision, we also live during a time when good photographers are in high demand. Once you’ve decided he or she is the one, don’t sit on booking your photographer. Chances are, they’re receiving inquiries from other couples for your date, especially if it’s a popular one (hello, October on the Central Coast!). Make sure you lock them down so you can focus on getting excited for your big day with your dream photographer!
We’re Poppy and Vine, Arizona Wedding Photographers
We are big fans of documenting wedding days in an unposed, raw, genuine, and honest way that allows our couples to maximize their experience on their day while also receiving a gallery full of stunning images that communicate how it felt to be there.
Though we’re based in Phoenix, we’ll travel anywhere (like our second home of SLO!) for a good love story (and dance party). We invite you to follow the links below to learn more about us and our services, and to get in contact with us!
Hannah and Tom have spent much of their relationship living in an RV and travelling the country, and so it felt almost natural to have a national park themed wedding in one of their favorite destinations, Arizona.