If you’re a bride who values photography, the task of picking a wedding photographer can be a tiny bit terrifying. After all, there are no do-overs. You’re only going to get married once, and you only have one shot to pick the right person or team! You’re investing SO much money into this day, and you’re putting all your eggs in one basket, without even seeing the final product in advance. Yikes! It really is scary! (And believe me, I get it. I was actually someone who made a rash decision with my wedding photographer and I’ve regretted it ever since!… but that’s a song for another time!) 

Ever since I had my experience as a bride, I have tried to put myself in my clients’ shoes when meeting to talk about their photography needs! I know the fear and trepidation that couples feel when approaching completely unfamiliar photographers. In addition to this, I’ve heard FAR TOO MANY horror stories involving wedding photographers not delivering, and newlyweds being left disappointed or heartbroken. I vowed from that day forward (no pun intended) to strive to NEVER give a couple an experience they regret. 

So, from a photographer’s point of view, I thought I’d share a few tips on making this huge decision. I know it may seem that I’m a little biased (pick me! pick me!) but I honestly don’t think every bride out there is right for me! I know, darn well, that I am not everyone’s photographer. So how do you find the best wedding photographer for you?

#1- Make sure that when you view their photos, you FEEL something.

You are hiring an artist with a specific eye and heart for business. They curate their portfolio to communicate their personal photography style and point of view. You want to resonate with how they see and capture the world around them — specifically relationships! And if you feel something when you look through their portfolio at a bunch of strangers’ wedding photos, you are guaranteed to love your own photos all the more!

#2 – Be sure to view an entire wedding worth of photos — a full blog recap or even as much as a full gallery of their images! 

Any photographer can show you a slideshow of their best 25 photos they’ve ever taken and you’ll be impressed. But that won’t give you a good sense for what YOUR wedding photos will look like! You want to make sure they have amazing quality photos throughout the course of one entire wedding. The style, light, and quality should be consistent and cohesive! 

#3- Make sure you like them as a human being.

This is arguably the most impactful and important piece of advice, in my humble opinion. Whoever you pick to be your photographer is going to be around you and your family for SO many hours on the best day of your life! You will probably hang out with them equally as much, if not MORE, than your spouse on the wedding day! You want to feel comfortable with them and most of all, be able to TRUST them. Be sure to ask yourself: “Do I LIKE this person?” before even considering moving forward. If you cannot answer that “ yes” whole-heartedly, you may need to invest more time into getting to know them! If the answer is “no,” it could ruin the entire experience for you and your fiancé!  Make sure you truly like them!!! 

#4- Ask yourself: Are they giving me the photographic experience I deserve?

I was going to end this blog at #3, but I decided I HAD to throw this last point on for good measure. Before booking a photographer, PLEASE make sure you read their reviews, ask about their client experience, or ensure that you’ve seen it exemplified in their information packets, communication and so forth!!! Our job as wedding photographers is to SERVE and LOVE couples to the best of our ability. If we aren’t providing more than just pretty images, we aren’t doing our job; it’s simple as that. Your photographer should be an invaluable resource amidst planning for your big day. Make sure they exemplify attributes that make you feel valued and loved! This is a big investment on your part and they should not take that lightly.

If you make your choice for a photographer based on the above four criteria MORE than price alone, you GREATLY increase your chances of being thrilled with the result of this once-in-a-lifetime decision!