Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Wedding Planning Part 1b: Choosing a Photographer



One of my friends was recalling details about her wedding & the one thing she wishes she had been more insistent on was choosing the photographer she wanted. They went with her husband's choice- a fine photographer who has probably won many awards but a very modern, artistic, model-esque style. They paid a pretty penny, but in the end, the pictures weren't what they wanted.

Let me explain, this is a couple that is bright like sunshine! They love to smile and laugh and have fun and be silly. But throughout their wedding, the photographer had them stand at certain angles, and pose a certain way, and to NOT SMILE. NOT SMILE? This is their wedding day & they're happy & they're not models that have practiced their "blue steel" look. Needless to say, the bride felt awkward about this & I probably would have too. In the end, this photographer wasn't able to capture the essence of this couple the way someone else might have.

SO, I know this might sound obvious, but some people need reminding... but pick a photographer with YOUR style. Look through their pictures. Look at the people in it. Can you picture yourself in those pictures? Is this the type of memory you want to capture to show to your future family, future kids? Is this really you?

When I got engaged, I looked through blog after blog to figure out the style of photography I wanted. I wanted bright, happy photos. I didn't care for anything too artsy, but I didn't mind a few artsy shots as well. I wanted a flexible photographer who was OK with my crazy demands (like having a whole group shot of the 200+ people at the wedding) and who had a good temperament. Overall, we worked really well together.



That is probably the most important part of choosing a photographer. Everything else is details.

Other considerations:

  • Photographer personality
    • Are they strong willed? Flexible? Bossy? Meek? Organized? Responsive? Professional? Casual? 
    • If you know people who have previously worked with them, feel free to ask them about their experience. 
    • All of these things will affect your experience the day-of the wedding. Outspoken photographers are good at getting group photos and family photos in a timely fashion while less outspoken photographers may need your help doing so. Strong-willed photographers may be good if you're not sure what you want & you trust the pictures they take. If you have strong opinions that may conflict with the photographer's vision, this arrangement may not work so well. Communicate with them to see what they are like & think about what would work well for you & your fiance. 
  • Is there a second photographer present? 
    • I highly recommend one if your wedding is anything more than 50 people. 
    • Ask to see their work as well.
  • Will you have the rights to the pictures?
    • No, not all photographers automatically give you the rights to their pictures. Sometimes, buying those pictures costs an extra fee. 
    • Ask about this! Make sure you know what is included & what isn't
  • How many edited photos can they guarantee in the end?
    • A photographer may take X number of photos but only edit a certain percentage of them. The edited photos are typically the ones you want, so ask about this. 
  • Hours of photography?
  • Packages
    • Engagement pictures
    • Bridal portraits
    • Trash the dress pictures
  • Costs? Any extra fees? 
    • Fees for traveling between sites 
    • Fees for having pictures given by DVD/CD
    • Fees for extra time in case your wedding goes longer than expected
  • Cancellation policy? In case of emergencies, what is their policy?
  • Other options:
    • Photobook?
    • Prints?
If you have a tight budget, ways to save on wedding photography:
  • Find a local photographer in the city your wedding is located in. Travel fees add up quickly, so it's best to find a local photographer.
  • Look for photographers that are talented but not popular yet. When I was looking for my photographer, I asked friends & just browsed through many pages. I tried my best not to look using wedding websites because I found that the very popular photographers were way out of my budget. This process does take a while. After browsing for weeks, I found my photographer who didn't have a huge name yet but had pictures that I loved. He was exactly the style I was looking for & had enough pictures on his blog to show his skill/talent. His prices were about half of the other popular photographers that some of my friends had used. 
  • Limit the hours of wedding photography needed 
    • I was blessed with a few talented friends & family members who helped take pictures of us in the early morning (getting ready) and late night (family dinner) so we could shave off a few hours of professional photography. 
  • Limit the extra options you pay for: photobook, prints, etc tend to be more expensive going through a professional photographer. True, what you get will likely be higher quality, but you can always buy these things after the wedding & after saving some $. 
    • I printed our wedding album via My Publisher with a promo code & was very happy with the results. Took a few days to put the album together, but it was actually fun for me. 
In the end, your wedding pictures are VERY important. If it means you may need to splurge, maybe that's something that your close family or friends can pitch in to help "gift" it to you for your wedding gift. 

Make sure that you go with someone you trust with a style that you love. Also, make sure that you both sign a contract to guarantee everything that was discussed so there are no surprises the day-of the wedding.  

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