By Andrea
After choosing our reception venue, the next most important thing that my fiance’ and I selected was our photographer. Selecting a good photographer was important to us because photos are the only physical memorabilia from our wedding that we can look back and reminisce upon of our big day. Many times the biggest regret I hear friends say was that they wish they had more pictures or selected a better photographer. In many cases, the photographer is the next biggest wedding expense after the reception – so it is a big decision! There are so many photographers out there and it is a hard process deciding which one to go with. Here are some tips that I thought were particularly helpful during our selection process:
- Consider photographic style – do you prefer a photojournalistic approach or a posed style or a combination of the two? This is the first step in deciding who to interview.
- Make sure you meet and interview the photographer in person before making your final choice - You may like the pictures you see online or in brochures, but meeting the photographer will reveal a lot about him/her. Is he/she pushy? Do you get along with his/her personality? Is the person fun to work with? The photographer will be following you around the whole day, so these are all things that need to be considered. For example, do you prefer a photographer that will direct you where to go/what to do on the big day for pictures, or do you prefer a more laid back approach?
- During the meeting, make sure you ask to view the photographer’s albums – There are a huge variety of albums that are available today! For example there are flush mount albums and there are albums where the photos are matted inside the pages. Make sure that the photographer offers the type of album that you like.
- Getting the photographer to fit within your budget – many times photographers already have pre-selected packages available. However, if your budget does not allow for these pre-selected packages, you can ask the photographer to work with you and develop a customized package for you. Many times they are more than happy to have your business (especially in today’s economy) and will help you get what you what at the price you need.
- Lastly, make sure that you are getting all you want before signing the contract. Are you going to be getting the negatives of the proofs or is that going to be an extra charge? Will you be able to reproduce the images at another store, or will it all have to be done through the photographer? Will the hours you sign for cover your wedding day from start to finish? These may be all be obvious, but it is important not to overlook any of these little details because these extra costs can add up at the end.
You will have one big weight off your shoulders once you select the photographer of your dreams and know that your memories will be captured forever!
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