Choosing a Wedding Photographer: What to ask and expect

Welcome to wedding planning! Choosing your top vendors can be a daunting task when you’re newly engaged and ready to dive into planning. I’m finding lately that more and more engaged couples are choosing their most important vendors before even setting a date – one of those vendors being the photographer.

So what can you expect when searching for the best wedding photographer for your day?

1. A solid online presence.

A potential photographer should have various venues online where you can view their work and these should be updated regularly. Not to say that they need to be listing on social media every single day, but they have a website and are posting current work on a regular basis in at least one area of social media.

2. A way to get in touch with them.

Whether that is by contact form on their website or a DM on instagram, a photographer should be responsive to your initial inquiry within 1-2 business days. Maybe this is a personal preference, but I feel like vendors should not wait long to reply to potential clients and should set the precedent early that they are available to their clients.

3. Clear pricing

A photographer should be able to give you one of a two different things: 1. their set pricing for hourly wedding packages, or 2. A personalized quote based on your needs. Make sure you state your needs clearly and ask for pricing based on those needs.

4. Full galleries

Providing full wedding galleries of days that are similar to what your own wedding day will look like are the best way to see a photographer’s finished product abc know what to expect as far as number of images delivered and style. If this isn’t offered right out, ask for it explicitly.

5. A personality that feels good to be around

Technical and business things aside, you should vibe well with your photographer. They will be with you throughout your wedding day and a lot of the planning process. Making sure you actually get along with your photographer makes your time with them so much more valuable. Don’t be afraid to ask questions!

Are there other things you’re looking for in your photographer? What is important to you? I’d love to hear!