The person that you hire to photograph your wedding has a special responsibility. Not only is this person going to capture one of the most important events of your life, but they will also have to capture the moments and people that mean the most to you. In an event where there are no do-overs, you are trusting your photographer to capture images right the first time, and to bring out the spirit and personalities of the day.
Here are five things to consider as you shop for a wedding photographer:
1. How much time will the photographer spend with you before the wedding date?
By the time your wedding day comes, your photographer should have spent some time with you to learn a little bit about you, and to make sure they are absolutely clear about what you want. By establishing a relationship with you, your photographer will be able to bring your personality out in your wedding photos.
2. Is your photographer willing to work with your wedding coordinator and other vendors?
Along with spending the time to determine what you want, your photographer should be willing to contact your wedding coordinator ahead of time to arrange a reasonable amount of time for any special photos that you may want taken. Everyone who provides a service for your wedding shares you as a client, and should be willing to work together to keep the day on-schedule and running smoothly.
3. What knowledge or experience does your photographer have with your religion or culture? Many weddings involve important religious or cultural traditions that must be captured. Make sure that your photographer either knows of these traditions or is willing to learn about them. More importantly, make sure that they are just as important to your photographer as they are to you. At the end of the day, it is about what is important to you, and religious and cultural traditions should always be respected by your photographer.
4. How long does the photographer preserve your images after the wedding date?
Every photographer handles this differently, and it is important to know if and how your wedding images will be preserved. In the world of digital photography, preserving images long term is not a simple matter of burning a CD and holding onto it forever. Properly preserving images requires a well thought out storage plan.
5. What kind of input will you have in the album design process?
Every photographer approaches albums differently. Some prefer to select images and design an album themselves, and others will wait for your input. Options for on-line album proofing can be a plus, allowing you to make fewer visits to the photographer’s studio to review the album. Gaining an understanding of how that process will work ahead of time is an important part of making sure that you will get what you want in an album.
These are just a few important things to consider before hiring a photographer for your wedding. Of course, along with these considerations should be the most important one…how much do you like their work?
