| The Educated Bride Vol. 1-4 |

When I began planning my wedding, the most important thing to me was choosing my wedding photographer.  I wanted to vividly remember every detail and moment of my wedding long after it was over.  Finding the right photographer to document my wedding the way I hoped for was no easy task though.  I’ll spare you the details for now of planning an international destination wedding with more than 50 guests in attendance.  That will be a post for another day.

I knew exactly what I wanted from my photographer, being a wedding photographer myself. I am well versed in weddings, photography styles, etc.  But I wanted to take a step back from how I would approach finding a wedding photographer and put myself in your shoes.  In my potential Bride’s shoes.

With the digital world we live in we are exposed to hundreds if not thousands of images a day.  You’ve probably seen the evolving styles of photography on Pinterest or on some of the top wedding blogs.  Whether you have a pretty good idea of what you are looking for in a photographer or not, and you are trying to choose your wedding photographer as we speak, this post may help make that process a little easier.

How to Choose Your Wedding Photographer

Find a Photography Style You Like

Start looking at wedding photo inspiration via Instagram or Pinterest and do so with the following in mind:

Pay attention to the aesthetic of the photos you are drawn to. Do you feel like the images that are light and airy appeal to you more?  Or are you drawn to darker and moodier images? Perhaps your right in the middle, true to color with normal contrast and exposure?

Next, look into the photos you have found for inspiration and see the way the couple is posed or unposed.  Are you drawn to the photos that seem emotive and real to life’s natural happenings or are you more of the traditional type that likes photos where you are looking and smiling at the camera?

What I want you to do now is visualize you and your fiancé in one of the photographs you love.

What I have just described above are the two key components of a “photographers style”; editing styles and photographic shooting styles.  There are so many variations of the ways different photographers will capture and tell your story and limitless editing styles to correspond with their shooting styles.  The important thing is to be aware of what you like and then start looking for a photographer with a style in mind.

Make sure to check your potential photographer’s Instagram feed and their website. Keep in mind the word consistency, while you look through their portfolio.  The images should have a consistent and similar editing style and feeling to them.

Check Reviews

Whether your photographer is local or far away from you, make sure to do your homework and see if anyone you know has worked with them.  Ask about their experience as well as their photographs.  If your photographer is not local, research them online and see what their clients are saying.

Browse Their Blog

If your potential photographer has a blog, take some time to look around and see what content they’re sharing.  This may give some light into how much experience they have by the topics they discuss and also give you a better feel of who they are.  This brings me to my last suggestion.

Make Sure You Like Them on a Personal Level

Follow along on their Instagram or Facebook to get a peek into their lives, behind the scenes.  With the integration of “stories” and Facebook Live, people have more ways than ever to connect with the people they follow and potentially hire.  If you want to take it one step further, reach out as ask to meet up for coffee or a Skype call so you can get a chance to see if your personalities mesh and they would be someone you would like to work with and have capture your Wedding Day.

 

Hope you enjoyed reading this post. Want to be an Educated Bride? Click HERE for more articles about Planning Your Wedding!

-Andrea Linn