Your wedding day will be a beautiful blur of emotions, joy, and fleeting moments, and you’ll want the right photographer by your side to capture it all.
If you don’t know where to start when it comes to choosing a wedding photographer, not to worry. Below, I’m sharing with you my best tips to help guide you.
Keep reading to learn more.
Tips on How to Pick a Wedding Photographer
Here are my top tips on how you can pick the right wedding photographer for your day:
Decide on the style of photography that you want
When evaluating different photographers, there are two important things to consider: their editing and photography style. You’ll want to make sure you’re happy with both before moving forward.
To figure out your preferred style, I’d recommend starting by browsing social media and Pinterest and taking a look at different wedding photographers’ work and how they edit their photos.
I personally suggest using Pinterest to start your search because it’s easy to browse a variety of categories, as Pinterest recommends different search ideas to you. For instance, you can look for things like “light and airy wedding photography”, “film wedding photography”, “cinematic wedding photography”, etc, to get a better idea of what each looks like.
Also, you can create a board on Pinterest and start saving images to it. The more photos you save, the more you’ll begin to notice a common theme emerge of the style you resonate with the most.
What are some of the different photography editing styles?
Here’s a quick overview of some of the different photography styles you’ll likely come across as you begin your search:
Light and airy
With a light and airy editing style, you’ll notice soft, bright, and creamy tones. These photos are also typically overexposed and desaturated, creating an ethereal, romantic vibe.
Dark and moody
Dark and moody contrasts with a light and airy editing style. These photos feature tan and brown tones with muted highlights, as well as greens, and a lower contrast.
True to life color
True to life color doesn’t drastically alter your original photos. Your photos won’t be overexposed or oversaturated. Instead, this editing style is focused on using natural light and color.
What are some of the different photography styles?
Documentary
Documentary-style photography captures candid moments and is about authentic storytelling. These photos preserve the quiet glances, the spontaneous laughter, and the deep emotions of your day. It tells your entire story from start to finish, leaving nothing behind.
Editorial
Editorial style photography draws inspiration from high-fashion magazines to create elevated, glamorous images. This style of editing emphasizes intricate details, resulting in photos with a high-end aesthetic.
Additionally, for this photography style, your photographer will guide you into specific poses and provide direction, whereas documentary style photography is more about capturing moments as they unfold.
Do your research
After you’ve decided on a photography and editing style you love, the next step is to reach out to potential photographers. For any photographer you’re considering, always ask them if they can send over full galleries of their work. When you look through their galleries, you’ll want to check if their editing and photography style are consistent throughout. You can also assess how they photograph different wedding venues, couples, and how they work with other lighting.
Also, don’t forget to read through their reviews too. You can check out what previous couples have to say through testimonials on their website and social media, and you can also look to see if they have any reviews on Google, Facebook, The Knot, or Zola.
Choose a wedding photographer you feel comfortable with
This is probably the MOST important factor. You might love a photographer’s photography style and portfolio, but something you need to seriously consider is how truly comfortable you are with the photographer you’re thinking about hiring. Why? Connecting on a personal level is crucial, as your photographer will be by your side during the most intimate moments of your day.
The more comfortable you feel with your photographer, the more authentic, emotional images you’ll have. You’ll also more than likely be spending more time with them on your wedding day than with your significant other.
Your photographer should match both your energy and aesthetic, not just one or the other. To get to know your photographer better, schedule a consultation call with them so you can both make sure you’re the right match for one another.
Schedule an engagement session
If you’ve looked through a wedding photographer’s galleries, read their reviews, and scheduled a consultation call, and you like the photographer, I would recommend scheduling an engagement session with them. This way, you can be 100% certain you’re a fan of their work before the big day.
Not only will this give you a peek behind the curtain of what their style is and what your wedding photos may look like, but you also get to see how they work and reassure yourselves that you are comfortable being around them.
Important questions to ask the wedding photographer you’re considering
Don’t be afraid to ask any and all of your questions during your consultation with the wedding photographer you’re considering. Here are some questions that I would encourage you to ask to make sure all of your bases are covered and to ensure this is truly the right fit for you:
- Do you have an assistant and/or second photographer?
- What happens if you become ill or have an emergency on our wedding day?
- How long after the wedding will we have to wait to see any photos?
- Do you have any backup equipment?
- What’s your approach to posing and photographing a wedding day?
- Do you have liability insurance?
- How often will we meet prior to the wedding?
Now You’re Ready to Choose Your Wedding Photographer
I hope you found this guide on how to pick a wedding photographer helpful. Your wedding day is one of the most meaningful chapters in your life, and I believe it deserves a photographer who truly values the depth of your story. You shouldn’t settle for anything less.
And…if you are still looking for the perfect wedding photographer in New York to photograph your celebration, I’d love to connect. Your story is one-of-a-kind, and my mission is to preserve it with care, authenticity, and intention. You can click the link here to check out my wedding photography services or get in touch here!
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