Engagement Season is among us! I thought I would take some time to write and help you choose who would be the best photographer for you! If you are reading this, you are a bride or someone important would be the best photographer for you! If you are reading this, you are a bride or someone important that is involved in a wedding and I know how many decisions you must make for everything! I am always trying my best to create the most enjoyable, stress-free experience for all my clients, and I hope that writing this helps you narrow down your choices!

1. Know Your Style

There is one simple way of defining your style, look at your Pinterest board. If you have don’t have a Pinterest board and are using magazines, look at the photos that you love. Do you find that you are Pinterest board and are using magazines, look at the photos that you love. Do you find that you are
matte tones or the bold and edgy tones? Defining your style will help you define what photographer you want.

2. Make a List and Look Through Wedding Portfolios

You have defined your style and how you would like your photos to look, now you need to find photographers that fit that style. This is so important! Every photographer is an artist and they like to produce photos with their own style. A photographer may have great reviews and a social media presence but the question you really need to answer is, do I want my wedding photos to look like what they produce. Ask yourself this question as you go through their portfolio. Look at the way they pose their clients, how the clients faces are in the photos, (genuine smiles, more serious?) The
clients facial expressions can tell you a lot about how the photographer is making them feel in front of the camera. Do you like how they shoot details? The engagements? Once you have found a couple photographers that you like, make a list and email them!

3. Meet the Photographer in Person and Make Sure Your Personalities Mesh

One thing I do with all my clients is take them out for a coffee date and get to know them. I believe this is such an important part of the process. Your wedding photographer will be with you for the majority of your wedding day, the most important day of your life, so it is important that you mesh
well with them. Some photographers won’t offer a meet a greet but I would encourage you to ask to meet with them!

4. Ask about pricing and postproduction details

Every photographer has a different way of showing their prices. This is always the intimidating part of looking for and choosing a photographer. I would encourage you to ask for their pricing before the meeting so that you know if they will be a candidate or not. I personally give my clients my pricing guide before the meeting so that I don’t take time away from wedding planning if I am out their budget. Some photographer’s offer different packages and others just once price, it is important to compare them all and choose which is best. Also, ask how they deliver their photos and if there are any extra costs.

5. Ask What They Have to Offer You

This might seem like an odd question, but photographers are more than just people who take pictures on a wedding day. They have so many more jobs than just taking photos and it is important that they offer you more than that. Do they give you any guides or timelines? Do they offer engagement sessions, or save the dates? This will also help you narrow down who and what you want to invest in.

I hope this short guide helps you make one of the most important wedding planning decisions that you will make. If I can encourage you to do just one of these 5 things it would be to study all of the photographers you are considering and make sure you like the style they offer. Make sure their photos are consistent in style and that they will produce what you are dreaming of! These photos are forever – you can’t re create your wedding day, make the best choice possible! Check out my wedding work here! Also, feel free to email me at hopelinzeephotography@gmail.com .