4 Tips to find Your wedding photographer
As an Arizona based Wedding Photographer with over 80 weddings and numerous years of photography experience I have under my belt… I want to give you some tips when searching for your wedding photographer. There are many ways to go about your research but I think these 4 tips are a great place to start!
#1 | BUDGET.
Everyone’s income circumstances are different but you should always start with a budget in mind. I would say the average price for a skilled wedding photographer is anywhere from $2500-$5000+. Of course you can still hire somebody under that price range and they could still be very capable of providing quality wedding photos. Or you could hire somebody over that price range and they would likely do the same! That is just the average for experienced wedding photographers.
My wedding packages vary depending on your needs. I love to get on an initial call with my couples to understand which items to include for their special day and all events leading up to it!
#2 | STYLE.
In order to start researching photographers, you need to figure out your favorite style of wedding photography. Meaning the way the photos are edited, the way they compose their photos, the coloration, the style of imagery, things of that nature.
To define this style, I strongly recommend creating a vision board and doing research on styles before looking at photographer. Many people create Pinterest boards of poses that they want and also the look of editing they like.
Once that is done, you will have to scavenge through many portfolios. Make sure you not only fall in love with their social media but dig into their website and see what they’re about just a little bit more.
If you aren’t seeing exactly what you are looking for on their website highlights, reach out! An experienced photographer will have full galleries that they can send you a link to view.
#3 | Personality.
This is a big one… A lot of times people finally feel like they have found the perfect photographer for their wedding day. They email or text each other back and fourth, get all the details figured out, get the contract signed, send payment over, all with never actually talking to the photographer in person or over a zoom call. Wedding day arrives and the photographer is not the type of person you like to be around at all…
You want to not only be comfortable with the person behind the camera but you also want them to bring out the authentic YOU! We only stand for true and genuine smiles, especially on your wedding day.
ALWAYS plan to meet your photographer in person or over zoom once you have one picked out. Energy is huge, so being able to see them, talk to them, ask them questions and get a feel for how you guys get along is going to play a huge role on the smoothness of your wedding day.
This is one of the main reasons I like to schedule an initial phone call before I book a wedding!
#4 | Details
Be extra thorough on your hunt for a wedding photographer. Go through all their reviews and let their past clientele paint a picture for you about that photographer.
Make sure they have a contract for you to both sign and make sure you go through the contract in depth.
Look through their packages and if they don’t fit your needs exactly ask if they are able to be modified to better fit what you’re looking for.
In the end, just go with your gut. Just make sure you both feel comfortable with the photographer so you have full confidence going into your wedding day knowing that its going to be captured beautifully.
