Deciding to hire a Wedding Photographer: 3 things no one tells you

Hi there! This week’s blog is about selecting a wedding photographer. Last year I decided I wanted to photograph small, intimate weddings. These small, intimate weddings can be an elopement at the courthouse, a backyard ceremony with close family and friends, or a more traditional wedding with a smaller guest list.

I wanted to make sure brides knew that no matter the size of their wedding, it is still important that they hire a photographer to capture those special moments. Over the last year and a half, I have had the pleasure of working with so many brides and grooms. Here are top three things that no one will tell you when you are considering which wedding photographer to hire for your wedding.

1. The Photographer will follow you around, ALL DAY!
   • When you are deciding to hire a photographer, don’t just look at price. You want to make sure you find a photographer who specializes in wedding photography and someone who fits your style. You will also want to make sure you talk to the photographer so you have a feel for their personality. They will be following you around all day asking you to smile, look here, look there, put your arm here, head tilt, etc.
   • I try to always meet with a bride in person and schedule multiple pre-wedding chats. I love to hear about the details of the wedding, how they met, the dress, etc. This helps me to get a feel for who the bride and groom are and it gets them comfortable with me. If you don’t like your photographer or have a personality conflict, you will be in for a long day!
2. You might feel shy or awkward in front of the camera
   • Once you pick a photographer you feel comfortable with, you will still feel shy or awkward in front of the camera. Or with all the excitement of the day, you may not feel like standing in front of the camera. This is normal and if you hired a good photographer, they will work to make you feel comfortable, move at your pace and even try to make you laugh.
   • One of my tricks is to ask the bride or groom to whisper a funny joke, their favorite cereal, something they love about the other. This gets the other person to give a genuine laugh or smile and I’m there to capture it. Some of my favorite images have come from the bride and groom whispering something to each other while they forget I’m taking their picture.
3. Consider upping your budget for photography
   • Having photos of your wedding day is more important than you might realize. You may think that you don’t need photos of your wedding or that Uncle Bob can take some pictures for you with his fancy iPhone. These might be great options if that is what you want but everyone deserves to have professional photos of their wedding day. A professional photographer will capture images you might never have thought to ask for that end up being the image you hang above your couch.
   • When planning your budge for your wedding, I suggest putting a little more than you think in the photography bucket. This will ensure you are able to hire the photographer that you want – the one that makes you feel comfortable. You don’t have to hire the most expensive, but don’t just hire the one who is the cheapest. A good photographer will provide you much more value than just snapping some photos.
   • One of many things that I do for each of my brides is providing project management like services. I sit down with them and help them with their timeline of the day and then I help to keep the day on track. This is important when you want to have getting ready photos, first look photos, ceremony, portraits, reception, and exit images. There are a lot of images to capture on your special day and I want to make sure I capture everything you want so that you still smile 20,30,50,70 years down the road when you look through your album.

Getting married or know someone getting married?

Let me know, I would love to capture all of the special moments.

Contact me today! email: gretchen@gcicconephotography.com

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This post is part of a photography blog circle featuring photographers specializing in a variety of niches. To see what the next photographer is sharing for our weekly theme, “Three things no one tells you” check out Amy Tedrow with Believe, Create, Inspire and Amy Tedrow Photography, sharing three things no one tells you as you start out in photography.