4 Tips for Getting the Most Out of Your Meeting with a Perspective Photographer

It’s full-on engagement season, which means a lot of newly engaged couples will be heading out to meet with perspective vendors to begin assembling their dream-team of weddings professionals - and one of those key vendors will be your photographer.

I’ve met with a lot of couples over the years and wanted to share four simple tips to help you get the most out of our meeting and to make sure that your potential photographer is a good fit for you!

So, here we go!

Tip #1

Be yourself!  Sounds kinda silly, but the best way to see if you jive with your perspective photographer is to show your personality! Your wedding photographer will have an all access pass to the most intimate moments on your wedding day and it’s really important that you feel comfortable with them. Unlike your other vendors, your wedding photographer will be with you all day, from before you get into your dress to while you’re having your first dance; and it’s important to choose a photographer that not only photographs in a style that you like, but that you’ll feel comfortable spending all day with.

Tip #2

Ask to see complete wedding galleries! Not all wedding photographers are created equal.  Some photographers take the most breathtakingly beautiful wedding portraits you’ll ever see – you know, the kind that you secretly gush over while looking at Pinterest, but that’s where their awesomeness may end.   It’s really important to see how your perspective photographer handles all facets of your wedding day, from getting ready to your ceremony through the reception.  There are lots of challenges to be faced when photographing a wedding and you’ll want to make sure that your potential photog has the requisite skill set to handle them.

Tip #3

Find the right photographer for you.  Love light and airy photographs? Or perhaps you dig more of a moody vibe.  Pick photographers that photograph in a style that you like and reach out to them.  Most wedding photographers can adapt to match a style of imagery that you like but honestly, you’d be better off going with a photographer who already shoots in that style.  They’re going to be the experts in that particular image-making methodology and you’re going to be much happier with the final result if you pick a photographer that does the work you love!

Tip #4

Be willing to stretch your budget. Weddings are expensive and even the simplest affair can have a relatively high-price tag so it’s really important to spend your hard-earned money wisely.  Every couple has a budget that they feel comfortable spending on putting their wedding together, but if you had to stretch your budget anywhere, do it on your photographer.  Your photographs will be the only thing that you actually take with you from your wedding day so you want to make sure that you’re going to love them.