It’s not everyday that you would be booking a wedding photographer so I never ever expect you to know what to ask and what to even expect!

Choosing your wedding photographer can be so daunting, stressful, and even overwhelming at times. They will be the one by your side the whole day. Running the timeline, interacting with your whole family, posing the bridal party so you want to make sure you hire a good one. One that vibes with your personality, understands your vision, and will guide you through the whole day.

So, here’s some things I would personally look out for and keep in mind when it comes to choosing your wedding photographer – or any vendor for that matter. This is in no particular order.

Make sure you like their style

Every photographer has a different style. Some are bright and airy, some are dark and moody, some lean to a more true to life color, other – like me – like to stay very warm and golden. A photographer’s style is such a huge factor. It could really make or break the final results so make sure you love how they photograph and edit!

Figure out your budget

If there’s one thing I can guarantee, it’s that wedding photography ain’t cheap and it’s totally your call on how much you’re willing to spend. Now, there are some amazing affordable photographers out there and I will never suggest going into debt for a wedding photographer, but do keep in mind that we charge what we charge due to experience, knowledge, and equipment. Find out what your budget is and try to find someone in that range. Depending on the area, there are beginners who will do it for experience and there are high end photographers that have a $10,000 starting rate.

Get a sense of their personality

I know you’re probably taking 100 meetings a day for all of your vendors, but if there’s one person you should vibe with – it’s your wedding photographer. Seriously, I’m with my clients the whole day and it’s so important for me to understand their connection and personality both as a couple and as individuals. I even offer a complimentary engagement session so I could get to know them better! It’s so important to be comfortable in front of your photographer and getting on a call with them to feel for their personality is important.

Ask to see full galleries

Everyday is not the same and you need to know that you have a photographer who can handle different lighting scenarios. Some days are so overcast and the colors can be so dull. Some rooms have dark walls and it’s difficult to get any kind of natural light in there. There are so many scenarios that could pop up any second and you should be confident that your photographer knows how to handle all of it. Seeing a full gallery will give you an idea of what they’re truly capable of.

Ask about their backup system

When I’m talking about back ups, I’m thinking of two things. One, who is their backup if they aren’t able to make it to the wedding? What’s their policy like? Make sure they have a plan just in case an emergency comes up and they’re not able to attend!

The second back up system I’m talking about it their SD cards and hard drives. Weddings are a once in a lifetime moment and it would be really difficult, or even impossible to redo it all. Wedding photographers should be shooting with a camera that has two SD cards and they are shooting redundantly. That means they have two copies of every photo they take! SD cards can corrupt any time and you want to make sure that your photographer has their bases covered. Also, ask about their hard drives. Will they be saving the RAW files and keeping copies of them?

Personally, I always shoot with two cameras just in case one fails on me. Both of these cameras have two SD card slots that way I have two copies of your wedding photos. Once I get home, I copy all of these photos to two different hard drives. This means by the time I finish uploading all of those files, I’ll have four separate copies of your unedited photos. Once I finish up the gallery, I’ll upload the final photos into gallery delivery and keep another copy archived in my hard drive along with the RAW files! I also don’t format any SD cards until the final gallery is delivered. All of these redundant copying and storing the photos into different places assures me that even if an SD card corrupts, I’ll have another copy. If there’s one thing I can stress, it’s making sure your photographer has a good backup system.

Those points are really just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to looking for a reliable wedding photographer! There’s so many out there and please find one that matches your style and personality! You won’t regret taking the time to get to know them!

All the love

xoxo

Ronnie Mae