wedding vendor

3 Considerations You Need to Make Before Choosing Your Wedding Photographer

There a ton of photographers in the world that produce beautiful work. The amazing aspect about this is that each individual has their own style. A certain facet about their artistry that they possess that makes it their own. Each creator has a distinct personality which drives them to that design. A different way of thinking. How their upbringing was. Who taught them, and how they practiced mastering the craft. 

The same goes for the future brides/grooms. You both have certain tastes when it comes to art, music, and photography and getting down on the dance floor. We all know you know how to Walk it Out. With this knowledge, one of the main ingredients to choosing your wedding photographer, is their style.

A photographer molds their style over time. They do so by shooting different subjects, angles, events, and then taking them into a photo editing program and playing around with everything they can touch. They are like a kid in a candy store that just ate everything he could without his mom seeing. This includes the highlights in an image, the shadows, contrast, clarity, how sharp the image looks, how sharp the eyes are, the list goes on and on. I want non-photographers to know this information so they know how to choose and understand what we go through as artists to get to the point we're at. Some photographers go with a light and airy touch while some enjoy a darker direction. My personal style is bold and vibrant with a connection to human emotion. I love when colors stand out in a photograph. To me, it just seems like it's taking a life of its own.   

L'chaiM!

L'chaiM!

The second ingredient to deciding on what photographer you should choose for your wedding is cost. Now, I may be biased but I think you should splurge ;) Seriously though, it's one of the biggest days of your lives and you should kinda remember it. There's going to be an open bar and who knows how much ya'll drank before the ceremony. Make sure you budget properly with your vendors. Your sought after photographer most likely has a tier of sexy looking options that all look good. Their most expensive collection will give you the most bang for your buck and you will remember the hell out of your wedding. I'm not saying spring for that if you don't have the means. Your photos will keep your heart and mind warm and fuzzy but if you are living on the street, it's not a sound investment.  

The last ingredient is a double-header. I'd like to mix these ingredients to finish off the cake. Wow I want cake now. The last two are what they shoot, which goes back to style in a way, and their personality. Would you look at that, we've come full circle! As wedding photographers, we know most of what you want before you do. Each photographer has a different way of going about the day. While some take a more photojournalistic approach, others are more traditional classic and pose each shot. I don't like to limit myself so I lean more towards an illustrative side and do both, photojournalistic and traditional. The photojournalistic style allows photographers to capture those special candid moments. The latter part to this double wammy is your photographer's personality. First ask yourself, what kind of person would I like to spend the entire day with? Are they someone I can grab a drink with? Do they like beer or wine? Shots? I love shots. Are they strong enough to speak out and give people direction? You will say to yourself, "Oh man...my uncle is crazy, I hope he listens." Your uncle isn't going to want to ruin one of the greatest days of your life, so we make him listen. We got your back.

This is why we do it :D

This is why we do it :D

Those are the 3.5ish considerations I feel that any couple getting married should ponder about when deciding on a wedding photographer. I'd like to hear what you have to say, comment down below!

What's the most important aspect on your wedding day?

When I first get a chance to speak with a potential client, I let them know that time is the most important aspect of their wedding day. They are a close second though :P The entire wedding is jam packed with people you haven't seen in a while and small events that need attending to. Events like getting ready, the first look, the ceremony, the reception, all extremely important. Lucky for you, you can spend eternity kissing the bride, but on the big day, you only have a minute. That's why you hire Sonacity to photograph it. :) 

bride

Each of these little events, as wonderful as they are, take time...and it's always longer than you expect. I was talking to a friend of mine (Hi Kare!) who is getting married in the upcoming months, and she brought to me the idea of "cushion time." This concept allows for you or your planner, who will undoubtedly thank you if you do this, extra time for those just in case moments. Sometimes weather goes crazy and all my Florida people know that. Other times, people might be late, or you just might want an extra minute because you're hungover. Whatever the reason, cushion time is there to be your best friend. You don't have to worry about a thing. Your wedding day is exactly that, YOUR wedding day. You should be the happiest you've ever been. You are marrying the love of your life and all is good. So ladies and gentlemen, keep in mind "cushion time." <3

The queen and her king

Tran + Umair

Venue: Costa De Este | Vero Beach

These two are a perfect blend of fun and power, kind of like the Obamas. During the portrait session, Umair was calling himself the king but fellas, we all know who runs the relationship ;) Tran, of course looked beautiful in her wedding dress and the day could not have been more perfect. The green surrounding the venue along with it's white walls made for such elegant images. The colors of the sky, matched with the water, are vibrant and achieves a calming affect. You could tell that these two were smitten with each other, laughing and smiling the throughout the session. 

I hope your honeymoon in Hawaii was wonderful!

Keisha Leigh and Marc Zappia Wedding

Tats, Sarcasm, humor, and Elvis. This wedding couldn't have been any cooler. I got a chance to hang with the groomsmen a bit before the ceremony started, they were a trip. They all were laughing, joking around, and having a couple beers, just enjoying the day. I got some shots of them hanging out as well as their individual portraits then I headed inside to grab some details.

The venue was The Crystal Ballroom in Vernanda Park and the setting was beautiful. Floral table covers, lit candles, and perfectly arranged decorations made the place look fantastic. Silvana was the head of the operation and planned it to the T. Everything ran smoothly, with the exception of a few minor inconveniences that only the world would throw at you on your wedding day. Other than that, smooth sailing.

The ceremony was live! Elvis (orlandoelvis.com) brought fun and dancing into the wedding world. Hands were in the air like they just didn't care, people were laughing, and obviously the camera phones were out capturing every moment. I even caught myself dancing a little bit but I'm mildly uncoordinated so don't tell anyone. 

After the ceremony, there was a cocktail hour and I used some of that time to get some photos of the bridal party and the family. Everyone got portraits with the bride and groom...and Elvis. Then they enjoyed the rest of the cocktail hour hanging out while the dining hall was getting ready. The parties came in dancing to the music of their choice and everyone sat down to listen to some speeches...eager to eat. 

Chicken parm was served in a buffet style for the hosts, their guests, and the amazing vendors. Yes, yes it was delicious. I enjoyed my dinner (#feedyourphotogrpaher), and spent a little more time getting some dancing photos, some beautiful and some embarrassing. We all know the embarrassing ones are the best. The cake was layered and looked really good, two birds holding wings on the top which I thought was really creative and unique. Marc and Keisha had a little trouble cutting into the cake but together, with the force of love, finally got a piece out.

My time was coming to an end so I took a bunch of shots of the bride and groom dancing, the children, and the guests. It was one of the coolest weddings I've been able to photograph and I hope there are more weddings this unique in my future. 

Congratulations Marc and Keisha!