There are SO many decisions that must be made before your big day – the date, the venue, the bridesmaids, etc! One of those decisions is who your photographer will be. There are tons of photographers out there with various styles, personalities, and price points. How do you narrow it down and decide who is the best for you? Not every photographer will be that perfect fit! Much more goes into this relationship than just if you like their pictures and prices. Today I’m going to lay out a few things to look for when searching for your perfect photog fit!

Style

There are many different styles of photographers out there. Some are classic and traditional, and some are more whimsical and modern! It’s totally up to you what you prefer but make sure you do your research! How I like to think of it is that there are two categories in terms of style: “light and airy” or “dark and moody”. Within these categories there are ranges of styles with different warmth/color tones. However, if you just want to keep it simple, start by looking at those two styles. For reference – I’m what you would call a “light and airy” photographer! My images are bright, colorful, and full of light!

You can find other examples of these styles on Pinterest or Instagram and see how you like the photos. Once you narrow it down to one of those two categories then you can start to look at specific photographers in your area to see how their style compares to one another and what you like and don’t like about those styles. I recommend finding 5-10 photographers who are potentials for you and following them on Instagram for a few weeks. See if any particular photographs stick out. Really let yourself evaluate what style you absolutely love, and then only look at photographers that have your style!

Personality

You’ll be spending a lot of time with your photographer on one of the best days of your life – so you want to like them!! You can start evaluating potential photographer’s personalities by checking their “About Me” page on their website. You can see if there’s anything you have in common and just generally the tone of their writing and whether or not you think they would be easy to get along with. Another thing you can do is read through some of their Instagram captions! Photographers usually put a lot of personality into captions and you can usually tell from these captions if the photographer is sweet and loves her job.

However, before you book any wedding photographer, please make sure you talk with them either in person or over the phone! While you can probably tell their personality from how they respond to your email, it is so important to really get to know them before booking. When I’m booking a wedding, I make sure to schedule a coffee date to explain my wedding process, the details, and answer any questions the bride has. I want to make sure we’re a good fit and that coffee consultation is the best way to do that. I want brides to book me with the confidence that I will serve them well on their wedding day and be a friendly face throughout the day!

Recent Work

Another thing you want to check for is recent work. You can find examples of photographers recent work in their portfolios or blogs but social media accounts like Instagram are usually updated much more frequently. If you’ve been reading so far you can probably tell that Instagram is your best friend when it comes to photographers! Go through some of their recent images and see if the style is consistent with what you wanted, if the images look sharp, and if the couple seems relaxed in the photos.

Reviews

By now you’ve narrowed it down to photographers who you click with and who have beautiful images. The next step is to check for their reviews! Not all clients will leave reviews so I wouldn’t count someone out for only having a few, but you do want to look at what the clients are saying. Are they pleased with the image quality and quantity? Did they have a good experience working with the photographer? Were there any negatives they pointed out? Don’t feel the need to only look at 5-star reviewed photographers, but definitely do your research and see if there are any red flags. If you see multiple negative reviews, that might be a reason to look elsewhere!

Price Point

Finally we have the price point. Photography can be a huge investment on your wedding day and it can be complicated to sort through different photographers and their prices. I have seen wedding photography packages ranging from $800 – $10,000! There is no secret to what prices you should pick. Highly priced photographers are not necessarily better than lower priced ones and visa versa. Some of the reason for this variance is what is offered. Wedding packages include various hours of photography on the wedding day and could include an engagement session, bridal session, or photo products. When you inquire with different photographers, they will most likely send you a pricing guide that lays out exactly what you will be getting for your money. Look through those, evaluate the quality of the photographers images, and really think about how much you clicked with their personality. Then you can determine what is going to be worth it for you from a price standpoint.

I hope these tips are helpful to all you brides to be out there who are in the midst of this crazy season! While it may seem like a ton to think about, try to have fun while you look through the different galleries and Instagram accounts. Take note of anything that you may want to include in your own wedding day besides just the photographer! You could get some amazing inspiration! If you’d like to know more about my wedding packages just head on over to my contact page and I’d love to meet with you about your special day!

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