You’re engaged!!! Oh my goodness!! There are so many emotions that come with this season of life– the excitement and joy as you + your fiance prepare to become one, the eagerness to dive deep into wedding planning, the analysis paralysis of choosing vendors and making a billion decisions for the next several months! Choosing your wedding photographer can be HARD! I get it, so below I walk you through a few things to think about when making the decision!
What is Analysis Paralysis?
Have you ever felt so overwhelmed by all the choices you have when it comes to making decisions? (especially when your decisions have so much effect on how your wedding day plays out) Has that feeling ever made you procrastinate making the decision? Well, that is Analysis Paralysis!
When it comes to choosing a wedding photographer it is so easy to feel this! There are so many photographers in this world, how the heck are you supposed to choose one??
3 things to consider when choosing your wedding photographer
1 | Make sure you love them as a human + y’all’s personalities jive well!
It’s so easy to look at someone’s work + LOVE it! Then when you meet the person behind the camera you just don’t jive well. Nothing against that person, just isn’t your perfect match. For example, if you are a super bubbly + outspoken person, a photographer that is stand-offish probably won’t make you feel very comfortable in front of the camera. OR if you’re a really laid-back bride + the photographer is super type A could make you feel unnecessarily stressed. However, if you are a very type A and your photographer is laid back, this might just be the best combination so you can trust them + they and relieve your stress!
The best way to see if y’all’s personalities work well together is having a consultation call! Meet them on the phone, Zoom, or in-person to see what they’re all about! A question to ask would be, what does booking you look like + let them explain when they’ll be contacting you between now + the wedding day!
2 | Make sure you LOVE their editing style
There are several different base editing styles, but even within each category, every photographer edits so uniquely! The main three types I see are Dark + Moody, Light + Airy, and True to Color. Ask the photographer how they describe their editing style! Anybody can learn how to use a camera, but the art of photography really comes through in editing (and posing.) If you love a photographer, but love someone else’s editing style more, you can either reach out to the photographer with the editing style you love or book the photographer who you love more. If you choose option B please don’t ask them to edit like the other photographer– this is very offensive in the photography world. We would rather you choose someone that you love their work than ask us to replicate someone else.
3 | Client Experience
Some photographers have a very involved client experience from beginning to end. You know exactly where they are + know they are preparing for your wedding! They do check-ins and make sure you have all the answers you need well before your wedding day. Other photographers will show up on the wedding day, do a fantastic job, get you the photos back in a very timely manner.
Both are unique and neither is better than the other! This goes back to personality. If getting check-in emails is going to overwhelm you or stress you out then go with the more laid-back photographer. If you’re worried they won’t show up because you haven’t heard from them since they booked you then go with the photographer who sees you + makes you feel held through the process!
I hope you find this so helpful + give you some guidance when trying to decide on your wedding photographer! There are so many amazing photographers out there + it’s okay to reach out to several but be sure to tell the others you went in a different direction. 🙂 If you think I’m your girl, fill out my contact form here! Hope to hear from you!
With love, McLain
A few of my favorite photographers are:
