3 Atypical Tips for Choosing A Wedding Photographer
(…even if it’s not CLP!)
When I started planning my own wedding back in 2011, I was halfway through my MFA program, and living roughly 800 miles (give or take) from where my partner and I had decided to have our wedding. Yikes. I’m getting hives just remembering that time!
As much as I loved my partner and felt giddy at the prospect of creating an authentic, badass, and creative wedding for us and our community, at times I also felt totally overwhelmed. How was I going to connect with the right venues and vendors in NYC while living in Chicago? How were my partner and I going to navigate through the bullsh*t of overarching wedding narratives that just did not appeal to us, and actually create something that felt authentic to us and our partnership (AND how would our parents + community respond?!)
How would all of this additional legwork fit into our already hectic everyday lives?
I have always loved research and ideation and planning (still do!), so I was surprised by how challenged I was during those initial stages of the process. Now, headed into my 8th season as a wedding vendor, I know how common this experience truly is- wedding planning is a huge learning curve for most couples, even those of us who consider ourselves type A humans (or type A- as I like to identify myself, the slightly more laidback version of Type A 😂)
If you’re reading this, you’re probably someone who is looking for information and answers beyond the obvious reasons to choose a wedding photographer.
You’re not just looking for a checklist of the same 5 questions you’ve seen on every wedding blog a million times.
You’re really excited about photography, about having your celebration + partnership documented in this way, and you know you only get once chance to make the best possible decision, so you’re hoping to dive a little deeper to get to the core of what you should be asking potential photographers.
In my experience, wedding photography fit is all about connecting across three factors: style, personal connection, and offerings. All three should feel like a hell yeah, when you connect with your best fit photographer. Here are 3 atypical tips and some questions to consider to help you figure out which photog is the best for you:
1) Start With You: My #1 tip for choosing a wedding photographer AND for wedding planning in general is always to start by having a conversation between the two of you about what is most important to you when it comes to your celebration. Make it a date night, pop open a bottle of wine or some fancy Italian seltzer, sit down, and each make a list of your priorities when it comes to each aspect of your wedding.
Ask yourselves, “Where does each aspect of a wedding- including photography- fall in our list of wedding priorities?”
Then compare lists, collaborate, and compromise- no doubt you’re already solid partners, and your wedding planning process is an awesome testament to your ability to be a kickass team. Once you’ve done this exercise, you’ll have a way better idea of where certain vendors, like photographers, fall for you. Once you know this, and can stick to this priorities plan, it becomes a lot easier to navigate the more challenging aspects of planning when you have to make tough decisions later on.
2) Think Ahead: Style is totally subjective, and to be honest, even the words you’ll read like “fine art” and “editorial” and “candid” don’t have solid, consistent definitions. One photographer’s “modern” might be another photographer’s “classic,” and we all identify our work in different ways (I’m no exception!)
So rather than relying on the slipperiness of words to define the style you’re looking for in your photography, ask yourselves “In 10 years, will this photographer’s style truly reflect how I want to remember my wedding?”
It’s a bit of a brain bender, but ultimately this is the investment you’re making: photography is the visual preservation of your wedding day, the photos you’ll look back on year after year, the ones you’ll share with loved ones who were there and some who aren’t even born yet to attend.
Don’t worry about buzzwords, or technical terms, or the latest “first look” approach. Focus on how the visual style of the photographer makes you feel, and try to imagine looking back on your own day in the future. Building up your visual intuition in this manner will go a long way to helping you make sense of photography that will matter to you, no fancy arts education required.
3) Communication + Trust Are Key: If you’ve read this far, photography is probably a high priority for you and your partner. You’re looking to know how to choose a professional photographer who is really going to understand you two + your community, fit into your overall wedding ethos, and deliver photos that are way beyond your expectations after your wedding day.
More than any other wedding vendor, even planners, when couples hire a professional wedding photographer, you are hiring someone who is going to be involved in your life for potentially at least 1.5+ years, through some incredibly emotional highs, and also realistically some lows. Open + honest communication and trust are absolutely key to any relationship, and your connection with your wedding photographer is no exception.
As you’re looking through portfolios, understanding collections and pricing, keep in mind that clicking on a personal level goes beyond the surface. I have been in some truly tight circumstances with my couples and their communities, and I still marvel at the strange fact that on the other side of each and every one of their wedding photos is me, standing there with my camera, witnessing them and visually recording the moment, the gesture, the bonds they share.
Ask yourselves, “Is this someone with whom I could see myself developing trust? Can I be open and honest with them about my concerns? Can I really see them with us throughout all of the intimate moments of our wedding day (and on the dance floor, too?!)”
I hope that taking these questions into consideration as you dive into the deep research phase of your wedding planning process can help you feel way more grounded as you approach wedding photographers. Planning can be a wild ride, but staying true to your priorities and creating a wedding that is meaningful, heartfelt, and a really freakin fun time makes the time spent ultimately all worthwhile.
Also, remember: your vendors know that most of you are planning a wedding for the first time, so please don’t be afraid to ask us questions. We’re here to help educate, inform, and guide you as you navigate the wedding planning process.
Interested in learning more about what it’s like to work together?
Peruse the main page to check out some wedding, elopement, and engagement galleries,
or connect with me over at the Inquire page!
xo,
Alexis with City Love Photography