Three Tips We Recommend for Selecting a Wedding Photographer
The market today is significantly oversaturated with photographers trying to get their foot on the door. It's not a bad thing, everyone has to start somewhere. But if you value photography as one of the most important parts of your wedding or elopement, it can get tricky trying to decide the best one when there are so many options to compare to. That's why we've compiled a short list of simple qualities to look for in a Wedding Photographer.
Find a Budget
This is a big one! We know weddings can get super expensive. Our suggestion is to research the market before selecting a photographer. Photographers in Oklahoma average $1500 while a photographer in California can cost upwards of $6000. Have a time when you and your fiancé can sit down and research the average rate of weddings and come to a decision on the budget. Many photographers are budget friendly and honestly are frequently willing to come to a middle ground with your budget! Our bonus tip: if you live out West where weddings cost you an arm and a leg, look for photographers from regions where weddings are significantly cheaper and consider flying a photographer out. Often doing this will save you big time on your spending for your wedding day!
Find a Style
Another tip we recommend is discovering the style you love most! Every photographer has a different vibe. Some photographers could have an editing style that tones down all the highlights in photos while others have one that focuses on recreating a film look. Ultimately you get to decide which you like best! Start by finding photographers on social media or Pinterest and save the photos you want the most! Ultimately this helps you to determine a style you like most and even helps your photographer, once you book them, to capture the photos you love most. We have a couple of extra tips in this area. First, go more for a film look. Editing styles tend to go through trends, and frequently trends go out of style. Photos that are shot in film or edited to have more of a film look, offers a more luxurious and timeless feel that still has yet to go out of style. These are photos that will ultimately be a style you can love throughout your marriage. Next, look for genuine emotion in photos. We get not everyone is a model, but it's our role as a photographer to help you loosen up, make you laugh, and help capture as much of that joy from your wedding day! Look through the portfolio of photographers you're researching and find photos that display genuine joy and not stiff forced smiles.
Find a Connection
You're about to spend your entire wedding day with a photographer, and ultimately your photographer is going to be there during many special moments throughout your day! It is so important to find a photographer you can relate with and who will help make your wedding day fun and free of stress! All photographers will be willing to sit down with you over coffee or over a zoom call! You are about to make an investment for your wedding day, it's okay to interview and get a feel for who you'll be working with and investing in. No one wants to dread awkward interactions with a stranger on their wedding day. It's part of the photographer's job to capture genuine joy and emotion during your day so find one you can trust that can help guide you through poses that naturally incorporate that emotion and show your personality.
A lot of thought should go into deciding who you select as your wedding photographer. If you find a photographer that you are able to vibe with and fits the style you are looking for you should be all set for your wedding day. When you have a genuine connection with your photographer they will naturally do a better job at capturing your emotion and in the end will make your day the best one yet.
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