Choose your wedding photographer with ease – Part 2

10 Tips on how to chose your wedding photographer

Your photographer is responsible for capturing your most precious wedding moments. Choosing the right photographer ensures that your wedding photo collection is one that you can be proud of and enjoy showing off to your loved ones.

Your wedding day is such an important day and, so it is important that everything goes as well as possible. Each aspect of your wedding planning needs careful consideration to ensure the best possible outcome, and that includes your photographer.

Last week, we discussed a few tips to help you choose your photographer with ease, and this week, we have a few more tips to assist you, so be sure to continue reading to learn more:

• Do you know who your photographer will be?

  There are plenty of photographer companies that will assign you one of their photographers that they feel will best fit your big day, and then send you their written bio. However, this takes all the personalization out of your service. Your wedding photographer is a very important part to your big day, and you have the right to meet them and decide for yourself whether or not they will be a good match for you and your wedding day. It is important to take the time to meet your photographer and form a professional relationship, and having an engagement photo shoot beforehand will allow this to happen.

• How long have they been in business?

  Experience is always a must when hiring any professional service. Years of experience and maintaining their business shows that your photographer has extensive knowledge in the wedding field and holds a good rapport with their clients. When choosing between potential photographers, doing your research is key to making an informed decision that you can be happy with when your wedding day comes around.

  

• Do they have backup equipment? What about a backup plan?

  Having a backup plan or a plan B can help you avoid major issues that can hinder your big day. From your cake to your dress, you should always have a backup plan, and this includes your photographer too! Asking your photographer whether they have other fantastic photographers to cover weddings should anything happen, is a great way to ensure that you are not left high and dry if your photographer should fall ill or be unable to attend for any reason. It is also important that your photographer has a healthy supply of camera equipment, so that you receive the best picture quality no matter the situation, and if that equipment should break, a backup should be on standby.

• Do they back up your files online?

  Keeping a backup of your photos is also a crucial piece of information that will ensure, no matter what technical issues should arise due to fickle and unreliable electronics, or unfortunate situations such as a flood or fire, your photographer will still have every precious photo from your big day. I cannot stress this enough, backup plans are crucial to your wedding day.

• Are they able to produce good quality photos if the venue is dark?

  While lighting is key to your wedding day, not every moment will be well lit. Precious moments, such as your first dance, may call for dimmed lights and unconventional lighting techniques. The moment you join hands for that romantic newlywed dance, you will surely want your photographer to capture this beautiful moment. With the poor lighting, it is important to ensure that your photographer has the ability to capture every precious moment, even if the venue lighting is not up to par.

• Will they capture your entire wedding day?

  There are so many different events that will happen on your big day, from the moment you wake up to the moment you and your partner drive off, headed for your honeymoon. While capturing the main event of a wedding is expected, it is important to ensure that your photographer is not only skilled in that specific moment. Taking a look at your photographer’s previous wedding photography can give you an outlook on their capabilities and help you to decide whether they are up to the task of shooting in every condition.

• Do they do any editing?

  When you pay for a photography service, you may expect your photographer to turn out beautifully edited photos. It is important to talk with your photographer to see what their service fully covers. If they do offer photo editing, ensuring that they have a calibrated monitor will allow you to see what your prints will look like when printed, at any lab.

• Do they offer an engagement session?

  An engagement photo session is the perfect time for you and your partner to start building your professional relationship with your photographer. You will experience their helpful guiding techniques before the big day and learn what to expect when your wedding day arrives. You will be able to bond on a personal level and learn how to work well with each other for your wedding day. Inquiring about an engagement photo shoot is a great way to start your photography process.

• Are you comfortable with the photographer’s work and communication style?

  It is very important that you enjoy working with your photographer and that you have an open line of communication, or your wedding photos could suffer. Unfortunately, your photos are not the only aspect that could suffer at the hands of poor communication and being uncomfortable with your photographer. Remember, your wedding guests are going to be interacting with your photographer as well, and if they are off-putting or difficult to work with, it can cause tension on your wedding day, and that is the last thing you would want to happen. Communication and a good rapport with your photographer are key to a successful wedding photo collection.

• Do they have insurance in case something breaks at your venue?

  All of your closest loved ones will be attending your big day. From your darling nephews and nieces, to your sweet grandparents, there will a wide variety of people at your wedding. Your wedding day is going to be a little chaotic with so many people gathered in one place, especially with the children and rowdy young adults in your life. Accidents are prone to happen, and your photographer is not immune from accidents. Whether directly responsible or partially at fault, it is important to make sure that your photographer has insurance so you are not left with a bill when something breaks. This is a great way to ensure that you and your partner are safe, and you can maintain a professional relationship with your photographer.

There are many aspects that will help you choose the photographer that is right for your big day. From first impressions to professional demeanor, choosing your photographer should take a lot of consideration. Here at H Photography, we provide quality wedding photos that couples absolutely adore. If you are ready to start planning your Illinois wedding photography, be sure to contact us today.