Trying to choose a wedding photographer for your rustic wedding can be a daunting task. Here are 8 easy-peasy steps to choosing the wedding photographer that’s right for you.
KNOW YOUR STYLE
Figuring out what you like and don’t like can be the most fun part of the process, but it can also be the most overwhelming! Generally this is the part where you will spend some time obsessively pinning carefully curating your “My Wedding” Pinterest Board.
My recommendation is to make several boards when you first start trying to discover your style (Read all about my Pinterest strategy in THIS POST about how to plan a Pinterest worthy wedding). First make one board that you dump any and everything that you are inspired by – colors, florals, venues, poses – whatever gives you the feeling that you want for your wedding.
Once you have spent a week or so collecting inspiration take a few minutes to look for the broad strokes. Are there certain poses that you posted again and again? Are the couples in your pins looking at the camera? Are your pins focused on details or people shots? Do you favor dramatically lit photos or a softer less contrasty look?
Different photographers approach a wedding day in different ways based on the style that they like to use to shoot weddings. (Stay tuned for a post outlining different wedding photography styles next week!)
A more traditional photographer will have the majority of their images with the couple looking at the camera and smiling while an editorial photographer will have more images of the couple looking out of the frame or interacting with one another.
A photographer who uses a dramatic style will utilize off-camera flash to create high contrast lighting while a natural light photographer will use the existing light to create softer, more natural looking images.
A photographer who shoots in a documentary style does not stage details or scenes but rather captures the day exactly as it unfolds – good, bad, ugly. They focus on recording and will not put as much emphasis on creating curated vignettes for detail shots.
You have to decide what you want captured and the look and feel that you would like your images to achieve before you can choose your photograher.
DO A REALITY CHECK
Are all of the photos that you found in your research of ocean front vineyards in Southern California at sunset? Do you have visions of table length floral garlands of peonies but are on a DIY budget?
A good photographer can make even a community center wedding look great, but even a great photographer can only capture what you put in front of them. You aren’t going to get elaborate detail photos of a vintage ring in a velvet box perched atop beautiful gold calligraphy invitations if you don’t have a ring box and you printed your own programs.
Before you start looking at photographers try to get an idea of what your wedding will likely include and get real on what you can afford with your budget, which leads us to…
DEFINE YOUR BUDGET
It is absolutely essential to have a budget that is both achievable for you and in line with your expectations for your wedding.
This photo was taken while second shooting for Candice Adelle Photography.
As you set your budget, start by getting an idea of what a standard rate is for the services that you will need.
In Northern Virginia the average rate for a good wedding photographer will be anywhere from $2,500 to $5,000.
You can certainly find those who will do a wedding for less, but if you are dealing with a photographer in this range you can feel safe that they are established, have proper insurance and equipment, and will be prepared to deal with the unexpected things that always pop up on a wedding day.
The moments that make up your wedding day will literally change your life forever. It is worth investing in the security of those memories.
SET YOUR PRIORITIES
Most wedding photographers offer collections that feature digital files, a wedding album, or some combination of both. Before you start looking at photographers you need to decide the pros and cons of each and decide what is most important to you.
You can read my opinion about the digital versus album debate HERE.
Think about how you want to live with your images after the wedding. Do you want to see them everyday? Consider some canvases for your walls. Do you want to start a ritual of looking back through your wedding album every anniversary? Invest in an album.
Also think about whether or not you would like an engagement session (I highly recommend one!), a bridal session, or a second phototgrapher and decide how important these things are to you. If you do not know why you would want to have an engagement session or whether or not you need a second photographer, make a note to discuss these issues at your consultations.
GET SPECIFIC WITH YOUR SEARCH
Type “Photographers” into Google and let me know what happens. You get roughly 3.4 billions results, few of which are relevant to what you are looking for. Most of us use the internet to research planning our wedding.
Here is a tip that will make your searching so much easier – embrace long-tail keywords to do your searching. That’s fancy computer talk for “be as specific with your searches as possible”.
Instead of searching for “wedding photographers”, try searching for “rustic winery wedding photographers in Culpeper, Virginia”. Your search will narrow from 69 million results to about 3,500 results in five seconds flat and those results will be much more relevant to what you are actually looking for.
Choose 3-5 different variations of long-tail keywords and you should be on track to creating your short list. (Use keywords tha you discovered while researching your style in step one.)
SET UP CONSULTATIONS
After you have narrowed your list of potential photographers to around 3-5 go ahead and contact them to get information about their collections and set up consultations.
In person consultations are always best because you will be able to see how you interact and if there is chemistry between you and your potential photographer. You can’t judge how well you will get along over email or text. You really need to look a person in the eye and spend a little time getting to know each other.
Having a photographer who you get along with and that your personalities mesh well is vital.
You will spend more time with your wedding photographer on your wedding day than almost anyone else so you need someone you trust and who puts you at ease.
Make sure that you get a chance to look at some sample albums during your consultation and this is the time to bring out those questions that you have been jotting down.
COMMUNICATE
I get a lot of brides who are embarrassed because they feel like they have no idea what they are doing when it comes to planning their wedding or choosing their wedding photographer. Nobody does! Do not be embarassed to ask questions of your photographer!
Asking questions also lets you get a good feel for each photographers unique philosophy and personality. Everyone views weddings in a unique way and everyone works differently. We each have our own style, ways of working, and things that we most enjoy photographing.
You can find lists of questions to ask your photographer online, but I find that many of those lists don’t really cover the things that will be most important to you in practice.
Here are things that you need to know:
What is included in your collection and what is not.
How much time should you schedule for photos throughout the day?
Have them describe a typical wedding day.
Is the photographer familiar with your venue and will they do a site visit?
When is payment expected?
What are the lead times for viewing your images after the wedding? Albums to arrive after ordering?
What does the album design/ordering process look like?
What information does the photographer need from you and when is it needed?
TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS
Once you have had consultations with the wedding photographers on your short list you should have a pretty good feel for their photography style, personality, and have a good understanding of how they like to operate.
Now is the time to refer back to the priorities that you set in step four and decide who fits with those priorities most closely.
Ultimately though, you need to trust your instincts and go with your gut. Choose the person who you feel a connection with them personally and with their work. The images of your wedding day will be one of the few things that will last into the future. Do not make the mistake of choosing someone that you think is just “OK”.
You want to look back at the photos from your wedding day and feel all of the love and excitement – those butterflies in your stomach – for years to come.
