There are so many different wedding photographers, and choosing a wedding photographer isn’t always an easy decision to make – after all, your wedding is one of the most significant days of your life, and these are the photos you’re going to be looking back at for years and years to come.
As a documentary-style wedding photographer, I know how important it is to choose your wedding photographer. You want to choose a photographer who you trust and whose images deliver what they promise, so how do you do just that?
Let’s dive into how you can choose a wedding photographer and some important things to take into consideration so you can find the perfect wedding photographer for your celebration.
How to Choose a Wedding Photographer
Decide on your vision
When it comes to figuring out your wedding vision, start by thinking about your dream wedding vibe. You can begin by coming up with a list of adjectives you would want to use to describe your wedding, such as “vintage”, “glam”, “boho”, or “whimsical,” just to give you a list of ideas where you can start.
Then, you’ll want to think about what style of photography best matches your vision. If you want a whimsical vibe, then maybe you want a non-traditional wedding photographer.
If you want an elegant and classic wedding, an editorial photographer might be the answer. Spend some time looking at different photography styles to get a better feel for what you love and the style you want for your wedding.
Do your research
Once you’ve decided on a style and vision for your wedding, it’s time to start researching to find the best photographer. As you’re doing your research, make sure you are looking at everything (and I mean everything), from testimonials, reviews, years of experience, what is and isn’t included in their pricing, their galleries, etc.
Don’t just base their skill and style off of a few pretty pictures they have on their social media or website.
You LOVE their style
With whoever you decide to hire as your wedding photographer I can’t emphasize enough how important it is that you love their particular style and how their work looks. For instance, if you want high-end, glamorous editorial-style photos, then you’re not going to want to hire someone who specializes in candid photography.
You want to work with someone who aligns with your vision and expectations from the beginning.
Schedule a consultation
After you narrow down your list of photographers, make sure to book a consultation with them. This is your time to ensure that they are the right fit for your wedding and can help make your wedding vision a reality.
During your consultation, you can even ask them if they know your venue and if they have photographed a wedding there before. If their answer is ‘yes’, you can also ask them to send you over the gallery (or galleries) from previous weddings they’ve shot at your wedding venue.
Book an engagement session with them
This isn’t an absolute necessity, but if you do book an engagement session with the photographer you want to work with for your wedding, you’ll get a better idea of what working with them is like and their personality.
How to Choose a Documentary-Style Wedding Photographer
If you know that you want a documentary-style wedding photographer, here are my best tips on how to find your dream photographer:
Look at their full galleries
I encourage you to spend some time perusing and looking at the photographers you’re considering full galleries to get a better idea of what you love about them, as well as to get a better picture of how your own wedding images will look!
As you’re doing your research, you can ask yourself these important questions to know that this is the photographer you want to work with:
- Is their style consistent across their images?
- Do you like how they edit their photos?
- Do you love the different candid moments they capture?
You can also look at the different moments they feature throughout the wedding and see if they capture them in a way that you love. These can include things like:
- Getting ready moments
- Couple portraits
- First look, walking down the aisle, reception entrances
- Detail photos
- Night photos of the couple/dancing photos
By looking at these specific moments in their galleries, you’ll be able to see how they can consistently capture weddings. Remember, documentary photography isn’t about just capturing a few beautiful moments or portraits—it’s about capturing and telling your entire wedding story.
Make sure you really get to know them and that you vibe
You’ll be spending a lot of time with your photographer on your wedding day. They will be there with you to capture all the emotional and intimate moments or by your side for any challenges that may come up.
You want to work with someone you don’t just tolerate but also enjoy spending time with and feel comfortable with. Do you really want to feel like you’re working with a stranger all day on your wedding who is taking up close, personal, and emotional photos? My guess is no.
Being comfortable with your photographer will allow you to be your authentic self and show your real emotions. Capturing genuine, candid moments will not happen if you feel uncomfortable or awkward around your photographer.
So, how can you better get to know the photographer you’re considering working with? You can get a strong idea of who they are, their personality, and their energy based on your consultation call.
If they are local, you can even see if they want to meet up and grab a quick coffee or drink to get to know each other better before your wedding day.
Understand what their priorities are when photographing
One of the most important questions you can ask on your consultation call with the documentary-style photographer you’re considering is asking them what their priorities are when photographing.
For example, my priorities are candids of you enjoying your wedding and not 45 minutes of traditional posed photos. However, every photographer is going to be different, so also think about what you want your day to look like.
Do you want to spend time taking portraits and group photos and fit this into your wedding timeline? Or is that not something you want at all?
Now You Know How to Choose a Wedding Photographer
At the end of the day, when it comes to how to choose a wedding photographer, make sure that it’s someone that you and your partner are happy with. You don’t have to settle for just anyone – you deserve to work with someone who aligns with your expectations and who is going to give you the best wedding experience possible.
And, if you are still looking for the perfect documentary wedding photographer for your big day, I would love to chat. Capturing these moments for you and your partner to cherish forever is one of my favorite things about being a wedding photographer.
You can click here to learn all about my wedding photography services and my process, or you can head over here to get in touch and start planning your own dream wedding!
