What To Look For When Choosing Your Wedding Photographer

I remember back to when I got married and the sheer frustration of browsing through all the photographers in my area led me to almost give up completely! Of course, that was impossible and seeing as it was the one "task" I had to complete in the planning of my wedding, I decided to make sure I did it right. I want to share my tips on what to look for when choosing your wedding photographer to spare you the frustration I went through and to separate the wheat from the chaff.

1. Transparent Pricing

Yes, pricing is number one on my list! Many photographers like to hide their prices to force you call them. This in turn allows them to start the "hard sell" on you. It's also likely they will have other hidden extras somewhere down the line too... be it extra charges for printing photographs or extra to cover your reception at night. Make sure any photographer you are considering has a transparent pricing structure in place and has a "no hidden extras" clause in his or her contract.

2. A Portfolio From A Full Wedding

Ask your photographer to show you an album from a recent wedding instead of the hand picked "best of the best" you will see on their website. This gives you a great chance to see if the photographer can seamlessly blend all the parts of your big day together to create a set of memories you can cherish forever. It would also be wise to ask to see photographs from weddings where the weather was bad or where the reception hall was particularly dark to ensure the photographer can handle all types of situations.

3. Meet Your Shortlisted Photographers

A big part of wedding photography is personality and how well the photographer and happy couple get on in each other's company. That's why I always advocate meeting your potential photographers in person before you book them on their photographs alone. This allows you to see if you can work together, if your photographer has good "people skills" to be able to manage your wedding party and to see overall if the photographer has what it takes or just talks a good game on his or her website!

4. Word Of Mouth

This is the one time where that constant nattering on the street corner can actually pay off! Most people get married and practically every wedding has a photographer! So ask your friends if they have any recommendations for you or indeed if they know of any photographers to avoid. The industry revolves around word of mouth and if a photographers has a bad reputation in your local area then you can bet that there is a reason for it. Also check on internet forums for reviews of wedding photographers and you'll be sure to find either positive or negative reinforcements.

5. Trust YOUR Gut

You know the wedding photography style you are looking for. You know the types of people you like to be around. You know exactly what you desire from your photography. When you are considering photographers, it's wise to trust your gut and give more thought to those who catch your attention when you reach their website. Only you can make the decision so after all said and done, trust your instincts!

I hope this article has been helpful in your search for a wedding photographer. You are planning for one of the biggest days of your life and you must be so excited! Try to relax and enjoy the process even at those times you feel like calling it all off!