6 Mistakes To Avoid When Choosing A Wedding Photographer

Tips for Choosing a Wedding Photographer

6 Mistakes To Avoid When Choosing A Wedding Photographer

All dating couples look forward to walking down the aisle. The culmination of the journey of love presents pleasant moments the couples will live to remember. It’s the wedding photographer’s duty to ensure every moment is brilliantly captured and well documented in form of good photos. But here are some mistakes to avoid when choosing a wedding photographer.

It goes without saying, you need to get a good wedding a photographer. Finding one in this day and age when everybody is a photographer is not that easy. Nonetheless, as you go about searching, these are the pitfalls you need to keep away from:

Pitfall #1: Taking photography lightly.

Some couples don’t give much thought to their wedding photography. Sadly so. They go about planning all other aspects of the wedding to perfection, photography coming as a by the way.

What they do not realize is how important wedding photos are. While many other elements of a wedding rarely go past the D-day, your wedding photos and videos do. They precisely capture the moments, pleasantries and emotions of the day. Collections you will enjoy reviewing in the years to come.

Pitfall #2: Considering price above other factors.

Well, we understand you have to cut your coat according to your size. You have a fixed budget and want to stick to it at all costs.

But you know what, you get what you pay for. A general observation is that quality is expensive. So if you desire to get quality be willing to dig deeper into your pocket.

There is a grave danger in looking at price alone. You may get a very cheap photographer but wait until the wedding day. You get pathetic, poorly shot photos you don’t want to look at.

So what’s the ‘saving’ for if the pleasant memories are lost? The wedding only happens once in a lifetime, invest in good quality photography, even though it may cost you slightly more.

Pitfall #3: Not booking on time.

You will be mistaken to assume the photographer you want will always be available. Excellent photographers operate very busy calendars, being fully booked most of the time. Don’t think you are the only customer who can smell quality from a far.

Therefore, once you are sure of your dates do your booking. Do it well in advance so that you even have time to go through other details with your photographer.

Avoid the last minute rush.

Pitfall #4: Not ascertaining the competence of the photographer.

Whether the photographer has been recommended to you or you have searched for one, you must ascertain competence. You need to be sure they can take the photos as they claim.

Log in to their websites and check the latest photos of the weddings they did. But don’t trust those photos so much, schedule a one-on-one meeting with the said photographer. It will give you the chance to seek further clarification.

A rule of thumb, do not hire a wedding photographer you haven’t seen physically.

Pitfall #5: Failing to discuss style.

Different photographers apply different photography styles. Traditional, artistic, reportage and photojournalism are some of the most common styles.

Talk to them and let him/her know what you want. Most photographers are flexible and will do it as you want it done. If they appear rigid and want to do it their way you may have to think otherwise.

Pitfall #6: Not being clear.

Please, do not assume your photographer will just know what you want if you don’t tell them. Tell them clearly what you expect. If you want anything included tell them. If anything is not clear, no matter how silly it may look, ask. If you need advice of certain aspects, be humble enough to ask.

Do you have any other tips  for choosing a wedding photographer? We would love to hear them in the comments below. Read more tips on planning your wedding here!

Article by Florin, a freelance copy writer, editor and a social networking fan.

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Choosing a Wedding Photographer

Jennifer Sitko Skarakis, a graphic designer and design enthusiast, is the founder of Sendo Invitations and editor of The Sendo Blog.

Comments

  • March 14, 2018

    Lucy Smith

    Hello Jennifer, thank you for sharing this valuable information. Your tips are really helpful.

    reply
  • April 19, 2018

    Marcus Coons

    I agree with you in that it is always important to book your photographer as soon as you know your dates. It is important to remember that doing this can help you avoid stress at the last minute. My daughter is looking for a good photographer for her high school senior photography, so I wanted to do some research for her.

    reply
  • April 27, 2018

    Jordan Miner

    I’ve been wanting to help my sister with her wedding planning, and she needs to find a photographer. I’m glad you talked about how booking a wedding photographer sooner than later is the smarter choice. I’m going to have to look for a few good wedding photographers and see which one she wants to go with!

    reply
  • May 7, 2018

    Hannah Neilson

    Thanks for the tip about going onto a wedding photographer’s website in order to check their latest photos. It would be good to consider this because it would show that they are qualified and experienced as well as showing the type of photography they usually work on. I’m planning my wedding for September, so I’ll have to consider a photographer’s style before I hire them.

    reply
  • May 17, 2018

    Derek Dewitt

    My cousin is getting married at the end of this year, so thanks for the tips on choosing a wedding photographer. I like your point about not just looking at price alone when evaluating the photographer. I’ll be sure to recommend that he pay more for higher quality photos since your wedding day only happens once.

    reply
  • June 14, 2018

    Pedro Bellido

    I agree with you in everything, but mostly with “quality is expensive”. The thing is that it is not expensive, you get what you pay for, a good picture needs time, so you are paying hours of work. It is important to have that in mind. Thanks for sharing!

    reply
  • June 27, 2018

    Bethany Birchridge

    I like how you mentioned that you’ll want to book a wedding photographer promptly, as it will help make sure you have a photographer for your wedding. My friend is getting married, so she’s been looking for a photographer. These tips will really help her hire one, so I’ll totally share them with her.

    reply
  • October 16, 2018

    Stephen Davison

    Nice post.

    I agree with 3rd and 5th points. These points play a very important role while choosing a suitable wedding photographer.

    reply
  • December 5, 2018

    Kit Hannigan

    I like what you said about how couples should book their wedding photographers in advance to avoid any hassles since their calendars can be a bit busy. My son is about to be wed next summer. I would imagine that that time would be peak season, so I will be happy to advise them to book a photographer as early as now.

    reply
  • May 15, 2020

    Fotograf Nunta

    Excellent article & a good read. Thanks for sharing!

    reply
  • March 2, 2021

    John Gillooley

    Pretty good advice!

    reply

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