In the last five years the wedding industry has seen a huge increase in wedding photographers. While that may sound overwhelming, it truly means you will be able to find a photographer that is a perfect fit on every level. Our tips below will help you find, review and narrow down the best photographer for your vision and your values.

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FIND YOUR STYLE. KNOW YOUR VISION

Wedding photography is a beautiful art medium. Photographers have different approaches to their shooting style, editing, equipment and the telling of your story. Spend some time envisioning your day and what you value.

First and foremost, narrow down the editing style you resonate with most. Our preferred vendor list includes an array of different styles. Warm, darker and moody, vibrant and true to colour, and lastly, bright and airy with low shadows and bright whites.

What imagery makes your heart sing? Photos of your wedding day details like your bouquet and stationery? Candid imagery of yourselves and your loved ones? Stunning editorial-style portraits? Okay! This will help you later when reviewing potential photographer’s full galleries.

Now, with a better understanding of what you’re drawn to, narrow down your list of who you will inquire with.

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CONSIDER YOUR BUDGET

There are a few elements that we recommend considering when finalizing your photography budget. There is typically an average starting price point for photographers in the area. Packages are based on hours of coverage and package add-ons, like an engagement session or a wedding album. For a traditional wedding day a great starting place is 8 hours with the option to add on hours later. If you’re day is likely to start earlier to include a tea ceremony, for example, a 10-11 hour package is probably better suited for you. If your photographer is a film photographer or shoots hybrid [film & digital], the investment will be higher, naturally.

If you choose to inquire within a range of price points, you can revisit your budget to accomodate for the photographer that is right for you. It’s always a question of where do we pull from to accomodate this priority – or do we increase our budget.

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CONNECT. ASK QUESTIONS.

We often find that our couples have an idea of who they want to hire based on their portfolio but end up choosing a photographer that they connect with most. We suggest meeting with prospective photographers, in-person when possible, but a meeting nonetheless.

Here are a list of questions to consider asking!

How would you describe your style, and how would others describe it?

Is there any part of the day you don’t or prefer not to photograph?

Can our guests have cameras at the wedding?

Are any parts of your package negotiable?

Our wedding will be at the beach/in a dark room/at sunset. Do you have experience with this?

Can we see an entire client gallery?

Do you set aside time to photograph our wedding details?

Do you prefer portraits or candid photos?

What is your favorite part of a wedding?

What’s your approach to stressful parts of the day?

What vendors do you most recommend we hire to help the day run smoothly?

What is the turnaround time for our photos?

What rights will we have to the photos? What publication rights does the photographer retain?

POST CONSULTATIONS

After you’ve met with potential photographers it’s usually a pretty seamless decision based on who you connected the most with, vs. vision and values, vs. budget. Reach out to the photographers to let them know you appreciated them taking the time to meet with you, loved their work but have decided to go with another option.