How to Hire Your Perfect Wedding Photographer
Hey! So you are probably here because you just recently got engaged, you toured some wedding venues and (hopefully) booked one or you found a location to elope at, and now you are on the hunt to find the right photographer to capture and document your special day from beginning to end, right? Choosing the right wedding photographer for your big day is no piece of cake and you may have to put some work in on your end to make sure that you do find someone that is fitting for you and your partner. This is a person that will capture the most memorable moments of your life, and you do not pick them lightly. Trust me, I wouldn't either haha Therefore, I am hoping that you can find this guide in searching for the perfect wedding photographer to be super useful and save you a bit of time in the mix.
Before we dive in, just a couple of questions to ask yourself:
1) Do you have a date that you are firm on setting as your wedding date?
This is highly important as wedding photographers tend to get booked out for weddings as little as 6 months to up to a year or even more! Make sure that the photographer that you may be eyeing to have at your wedding is available on your wedding date.
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2) Do you have a venue locked in?
Typically, booking your wedding venue is the first step you would want to take during your wedding planning. If you haven't booked your venue yet and are still on the hunt to find your dream wedding venue, check out my blog on Top Stunning Wedding Venues in Orange County. There are A LOT of stunning venues out there and here are some of my favs!
Below, I have listed a few tips that will ease up your task, and hopefully, you can make your decision quickly!
1) Determine your wedding style
Before you select your wedding photographer, spending some time picking out a style for your bridal photographs is, a must. You want to be satisfied with your turn out so make sure that you do your research on the type of style you like! Tones, color palettes, poses, etc. Search until something catches your eye. When you know what you are looking for, you will be able to narrow down your choices. There are many styles, such as traditional, fine art, editorial, natural, and so on. If you look at photographers that work with each of these, your list will be endless, and your choice will be practically impossible. However, if you just select one of them, then you will quickly find the right person! You can do your research on Pinterest or on Instagram by searching "(City you live in or city you are getting married in) wedding photographer" and I am sure you will have quite a few selections to choose from.
2) Explore the levels of expertise of photographers
The wedding photographer you choose needs to have good technical skills but also a certain level of creativity. You need someone who can make well-lit and exposed photographs, especially when lighting is obstructed. If you know that you are wanting a photographer to capture your reception where natural light is usually very minimal, make sure that your photographer has the right lighting equipment or is comfortable with flash photography. On the other hand, that same person needs to have an artistic vision and capture images from a unique point of view.
Otherwise, you will just end up with a person with a camera. You need someone who will guide you during your wedding portraits. So, consider these features before selecting the photographer for your big day!
3) Find a photographer with a personality
Wedding photography is not just about taking breathtaking images. Interpersonal skills are as important as a photographer’s creative and technical skills. Remember that you will spend a whole day with this person, so you need someone to establish good communication with. Yes you may have a photographer that delivers the most stunning images, but what if they have the most salty attitude or are just plain rude to your guests? Who wants such negative energy around them? Let alone on your wedding day. That is a big no no. Moreover, this professional must be charismatic and honest, so you can achieve the desired effect together. They have experience, so they will guide you through the whole process. Therefore, make sure that you prioritize these skills when making the decision. In the process of finding your photographer, make sure that your consultation calls are through zoom or face-time so you can see them face to face and get a feel for them as a person. This will help you determine if you like their energy or if they're just not the right fit. This does take time, so do not rush on finding your photographer.
4) View or ask to see their testimonials
Your search is narrowed down to a select few and now it's time to dig deeper into selecting your wedding photographer. Reviews play a huge role in helping guide someone into a product. For example, you are wanting to try a new face product but not sure if you should try it or not, so you look at reviews and see nothing but positive reviews from others. By then, you might be sold into buying it and trying it out. Same goes for photography. Make sure that your photographer has a platform where you can see honest reviews from previous clients. Yelp, Google Business or from their website. If you are curious to see the reviews clients have left for me on Google, click here! Great reviews from the photographers past clients will have you feeling more at ease when it comes to having them capture the best day of your life!
5) Referrals
Word of mouth is THE BEST way to refer someone to you. Ask any family or friends for any referrals. You might actually want to consider this as one of your first steps. If your family member or friend had a wedding photographer at their wedding and had the best experience with them, ask them for that photographers information. Who knows, you might even be booking that same photographer to be at your wedding too! It is always so nice to hear great personal experiences from people you know versus a strangers review online. Not that a strangers review is bad, but it definitely takes a lot of weight off of your shoulders knowing that someone you know personally had a great experience with their photographer that they had on their special day! You might be able to get all of your questions answered this way since they worked with the photographer. It's definitely worth a shot!
6) Portfolio
Look for consistency! Pay attention to the photographers work and make sure their style isn't changing left and right. Sure, photographers can change their style, but when looking for a great photographer that has your taste in that style, just be aware that that is always not the case. Browse their website, stalk their instagram history posts. Is it consistent? Do you like what you see from their post from yesterday all the way to a year ago? Look at their blogs for featured weddings if they have any. You might also find out if they have photographed at your wedding venue by doing a search on their website. If you like their consistency, then you should have no problem in considering to have them as your wedding photographer.
Ok so now we're getting to the booking! You love their work and you have done all the extra duties, like finding the reviews, etc… it’s time to book. The one last thing to check is that they have a written contract for you to sign. This is to protect you and your photographer. Is everything in your package offered stated in the contract? Is the price stated clearly? You need to make sure you are happy with everything so read it and if everything looks good to you and your partner, sign that baby and breath a sigh of relief! You just booked your wedding photographer and that is one less thing you have to worry about! You can now obsess about something else on your wedding planning list woohoo!!
Ok so hopefully by now, you noticed all of my little hints and you have realized and came to the conclusion that it is I, Mikey Mora that was destined to be your wedding photographer all along!! HAHA . Joking aside, enjoy your journey on finding the right wedding photographer for you, and I hope this guide helps you doing just that. I completely understand that looking for a wedding photographer requires certain guidelines that need to be considered. So, if you take into account things that are important to you, you will have a narrowed-down list & this way you can surely make the right decision and be happy with your choice!
For information about my wedding photography services, feel free to get in touch.
Before we dive in, just a couple of questions to ask yourself:
1) Do you have a date that you are firm on setting as your wedding date?
This is highly important as wedding photographers tend to get booked out for weddings as little as 6 months to up to a year or even more! Make sure that the photographer that you may be eyeing to have at your wedding is available on your wedding date.
&
2) Do you have a venue locked in?
Typically, booking your wedding venue is the first step you would want to take during your wedding planning. If you haven't booked your venue yet and are still on the hunt to find your dream wedding venue, check out my blog on Top Stunning Wedding Venues in Orange County. There are A LOT of stunning venues out there and here are some of my favs!
Below, I have listed a few tips that will ease up your task, and hopefully, you can make your decision quickly!
1) Determine your wedding style
Before you select your wedding photographer, spending some time picking out a style for your bridal photographs is, a must. You want to be satisfied with your turn out so make sure that you do your research on the type of style you like! Tones, color palettes, poses, etc. Search until something catches your eye. When you know what you are looking for, you will be able to narrow down your choices. There are many styles, such as traditional, fine art, editorial, natural, and so on. If you look at photographers that work with each of these, your list will be endless, and your choice will be practically impossible. However, if you just select one of them, then you will quickly find the right person! You can do your research on Pinterest or on Instagram by searching "(City you live in or city you are getting married in) wedding photographer" and I am sure you will have quite a few selections to choose from.
2) Explore the levels of expertise of photographers
The wedding photographer you choose needs to have good technical skills but also a certain level of creativity. You need someone who can make well-lit and exposed photographs, especially when lighting is obstructed. If you know that you are wanting a photographer to capture your reception where natural light is usually very minimal, make sure that your photographer has the right lighting equipment or is comfortable with flash photography. On the other hand, that same person needs to have an artistic vision and capture images from a unique point of view.
Otherwise, you will just end up with a person with a camera. You need someone who will guide you during your wedding portraits. So, consider these features before selecting the photographer for your big day!
3) Find a photographer with a personality
Wedding photography is not just about taking breathtaking images. Interpersonal skills are as important as a photographer’s creative and technical skills. Remember that you will spend a whole day with this person, so you need someone to establish good communication with. Yes you may have a photographer that delivers the most stunning images, but what if they have the most salty attitude or are just plain rude to your guests? Who wants such negative energy around them? Let alone on your wedding day. That is a big no no. Moreover, this professional must be charismatic and honest, so you can achieve the desired effect together. They have experience, so they will guide you through the whole process. Therefore, make sure that you prioritize these skills when making the decision. In the process of finding your photographer, make sure that your consultation calls are through zoom or face-time so you can see them face to face and get a feel for them as a person. This will help you determine if you like their energy or if they're just not the right fit. This does take time, so do not rush on finding your photographer.
4) View or ask to see their testimonials
Your search is narrowed down to a select few and now it's time to dig deeper into selecting your wedding photographer. Reviews play a huge role in helping guide someone into a product. For example, you are wanting to try a new face product but not sure if you should try it or not, so you look at reviews and see nothing but positive reviews from others. By then, you might be sold into buying it and trying it out. Same goes for photography. Make sure that your photographer has a platform where you can see honest reviews from previous clients. Yelp, Google Business or from their website. If you are curious to see the reviews clients have left for me on Google, click here! Great reviews from the photographers past clients will have you feeling more at ease when it comes to having them capture the best day of your life!
5) Referrals
Word of mouth is THE BEST way to refer someone to you. Ask any family or friends for any referrals. You might actually want to consider this as one of your first steps. If your family member or friend had a wedding photographer at their wedding and had the best experience with them, ask them for that photographers information. Who knows, you might even be booking that same photographer to be at your wedding too! It is always so nice to hear great personal experiences from people you know versus a strangers review online. Not that a strangers review is bad, but it definitely takes a lot of weight off of your shoulders knowing that someone you know personally had a great experience with their photographer that they had on their special day! You might be able to get all of your questions answered this way since they worked with the photographer. It's definitely worth a shot!
6) Portfolio
Look for consistency! Pay attention to the photographers work and make sure their style isn't changing left and right. Sure, photographers can change their style, but when looking for a great photographer that has your taste in that style, just be aware that that is always not the case. Browse their website, stalk their instagram history posts. Is it consistent? Do you like what you see from their post from yesterday all the way to a year ago? Look at their blogs for featured weddings if they have any. You might also find out if they have photographed at your wedding venue by doing a search on their website. If you like their consistency, then you should have no problem in considering to have them as your wedding photographer.
Ok so now we're getting to the booking! You love their work and you have done all the extra duties, like finding the reviews, etc… it’s time to book. The one last thing to check is that they have a written contract for you to sign. This is to protect you and your photographer. Is everything in your package offered stated in the contract? Is the price stated clearly? You need to make sure you are happy with everything so read it and if everything looks good to you and your partner, sign that baby and breath a sigh of relief! You just booked your wedding photographer and that is one less thing you have to worry about! You can now obsess about something else on your wedding planning list woohoo!!
Ok so hopefully by now, you noticed all of my little hints and you have realized and came to the conclusion that it is I, Mikey Mora that was destined to be your wedding photographer all along!! HAHA . Joking aside, enjoy your journey on finding the right wedding photographer for you, and I hope this guide helps you doing just that. I completely understand that looking for a wedding photographer requires certain guidelines that need to be considered. So, if you take into account things that are important to you, you will have a narrowed-down list & this way you can surely make the right decision and be happy with your choice!
For information about my wedding photography services, feel free to get in touch.
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