4 Tips To Help Choose A Wedding Photographer

Here are 4 tips to help you choose a wedding photographer

I’ve seen online that lot of brides and grooms-to-be have been asking how to choose a wedding photographer. I’ve come up with 4 simple tips to help you choose who would make a great fit.

1. Personality - You’re going to be with your photographer more than you are going to be with anyone else that day, even your soon to be significant other. Sorry, you’re stuck with us :P We’ll be photographing from the beginning of the day until the very end and you want to be sure that you have someone there that keeps calm, stays professional, and enjoys the day. I always recommend having conversations and meetups beforehand so you can get to know our personality as well as who we are as a professional. Communication is a big factor in the client | Photographer relationship. Also, engagement sessions are a huge plus, you get gorgeous photos and you can see if you mesh with your photographer before the big day and see how they work! Check out this blog post for more information > Why Do Photographers Recommend Engagement Sessions. <

2. Style - Every photographer has their own style of photography and editing so you’ll have to do your research in regards to what you prefer. The styles range from cinematic, romantic, photojournalistic, light and airy, documentary, dark and moody, etc. I like to describe my style as being vibrant, photojournalist, impactful, and fun.

3. Experience - Time for more research! Isn’t that exciting! At least you have a lot of resources to help you. I love the internet. Experience is going to differ depending on the type of person you hire to be your photographer. Less expensive options might not be as attentive during the time leading up to the wedding, they may offer less communication. More expensive options could offer printed, tangible heirlooms so you have something you can pass down to your children. Find out what the experience is going to be like when you have your initial conversations with your photographer. See if they have that energy you’re looking for. It all comes down to what you value.

4. Portfolio - This is going to be the fun part! Scour the interwebs and find all the profiles you love. I say ‘love’ because you want to love your wedding photos. The best way I found to do this is in a Google Sheet or a tool like that so you can come back to it later. Check their portfolio images but also see an album. A lot of the time, blogs have a bunch of images you can see from a wedding, for example, > Stefanie + Jesse's Bella Collina Wedding. < Stefanie + Jesse’s blog has a bunch of images that aren’t in the portfolio tab of our website. Enjoy this part of the wedding planning journey. Picture you in these images, imagine where you’ll hang them up in your home, and how excited you’ll be to relive your wedding day!

I hope you enjoyed these 4 tips to help choose a wedding photographer!

Frequently Asked Questions...

What is your preferred style?

• Bold. Fun. Classic

How many weddings have you photographed in your career?

• I love weddings so I try to photograph as many as possible. I would say around 100 and always looking forward to photographing the next one. Know anyone that’s engaged? ;)

How many weddings will you photograph on my wedding day?

• Each wedding will have its own primary lead photographer. That way they will be able to focus on your big day!

Have you ever shot at my venue?

• If I have not photographed a wedding at your venue, I will meet with the staff and do a walk through beforehand.

Do you bring your own lighting?

• Absolutely! We work with natural light for most of the day because it’s beautiful but when the time calls for it, or we’re getting creative, we use a variety of different lighting setups depending on what or who is being photographed.

Do you work from a shot list?

• At the beginning of my career I used a printed out shot list but we know the layout of the wedding day and what needs to be photographed.

Can I request certain images are taken at my wedding?

• Absolutely, I know Pinterest has some intriguing photos on it. If you do see something you like, let us know. I do like to say that the more epic images take time to create so keep that in mind when working on your timeline.

How many hours are included in my collection?

• We offer 3 collections. 10 hours, 8 hours, and 6 hours. If you’re having a smaller or larger gathering, give us a call and we’d be happy to put together a custom quote for you.

How much does an additional hour of coverage cost?

• Each additional hour is $299 for the main photographer. For the second shooter, it’s $149.

Do you bring a second shooter?

• The top 2 collections come with a second shooter. I always recommend having a second shooter because you get different angles, another creative thinking process, and a lot more images.

How many images can I expect to see from my wedding?

• Each wedding is unique and different in its own way. We can’t tell you exactly how many images you’ll receive day of. Some of the variables include how many hours you book us for, if you get a second shooter, etc.

Do you have a limit to the number of images you edit?

• Nope, We just delivered a gallery to an awesome couple with 900 images from a 6 hour wedding!

How long does it take to see proofs from my wedding?

• We ask for 6 weeks to go through and edit your images to perfection.

Do I receive a disc of images, or do I order the prints through you?

• You will receive a link from us that will allow you to download the images from your gallery.

How much are the prints?

• Pricing for prints vary, especially with what we can print on nowadays. You do receive a print credit towards an album or wall art and we would be happy to help you find something special for your wall!

Is an album included?

• Albums are not included but you do receive a specified print credit amount that goes towards the purchase of an album or wall art!

Will you use my images in advertising?

• We do reserve the right to use the wedding day images in our advertising but if you don’t feel comfortable with that, please let us know!

Will you request the photography guidelines from the ceremony and reception locations?

• Most venues are good with us having a certain amount of freedom to photograph what we need but we do talk with the coordinators to see if there are any restrictions. We know that churches and more religious venues don’t like us using flash so we absolutely respect that.

What will you and your second shooter wear?

• Depending on the weather and venue, normally a button-down shirt and nice slacks in a dark color

What is your plan if you are ill or there is an emergency and you can't photograph my wedding?

• We will appoint another professional photographer whom of which we have full trust in, to take over the Lead photographic role at your wedding.

How much is the retainer?

• There is a $750 retainer due at the contract signing. We accept Cash, Online payments, and Checks.

When is the balance due?

• A second payment is due 90 (Ninety) days prior to the date of the wedding date. The final payment is due 30 (Thirty) days prior to the date of the wedding date. The Photographer, or their associates, are not officially booked as your wedding photographer until the retainer is paid, and this contract is signed. 

What is your cancellation policy?

• If the Client cancels the Wedding or Photographer’s services 6 months, or more, prior to the wedding date, then any amounts paid by Client will be refunded, withholding the retainer, which is non-refundable. If the Client cancels the wedding or Photographer’s services 6 months or less prior to the date of the wedding, the amount paid is non-refundable, as the Photographer has forgone other means of employment or services to other potential clients. If the Client has rescheduled their wedding date and the Photographer is not available, and the Client has chosen to not proceed with a Sonacity Associate Photographer, any amounts paid by Client will be refunded, withholding the retainer, which is non-refundable.