How to Fall in Love with the Right Wedding Photographer

posted February 28, 2013 in Client Resources

Falling in love with the right wedding photographer should never be a hard sell. One thing matters most: 100% Trust.

At the end of a wedding day, a bride and groom should look back knowing they trusted the right photographer to shape wedding memories for the good. And the wedding experience is full of positive feelings from start to finish. Even better than acing a test on a Friday afternoon in high school. Whoot whoot!

I offer a few items for consideration when it comes searching for the “right” wedding photographer for you.

Tips for finding your best wedding photographer

Dear Future Brides & Grooms, while friend with a nice digital camera might offer you a great deal on your wedding photography on the cheap. This open doors to further questions: What do the completed albums look like? Do they have a solid-contract? Do they have business and liability insurance? Do they have back-up equipment? Do they have a solid Game Day plan? What about rapport? These questions are among the most important to ask in the interview process.

Photographing a wedding is more than just showing up with a camera. It’s all about offering a remarkable experience with images that will stand the test of time in happy dances, squared. Let’s not forget the post-production, album design, customer service, and day-of logistics coordination that represent at least 4 times the time than actual day of wedding shooting. I figure an 8 hour wedding is a full 48-hour work week, without travel.

A few other questions to ask yourself when choosing a wedding photographer:

1. Personality

How do they make you feel?
Do they seem interested in getting to know you?
Are they easy to get ahold of? Do they return calls/messages promptly?
Are they “present” when they meet/talk on the phone/email with you?
Do they seem ‘real?’
Do they offer client testimonials and encourage you to call them?
Do they treat you fairly, with professionalism and courteousness you deserve?
Do they offer you security and peace of mind?
Do they seem to lead a balanced work/life?
Do they make things simpler & easier or complicated and more stressful?

2. Art

Do you like their style and approach to wedding photography?
Does their work reflect consistent creativity?
Do they seem enthusiastic about the process of creating a single photograph?
Do they value and make time for personal photography work?
Can you see their personality and enthusiasm reflected in their work?

3. Business

Do they treat clients with consistent & fair business practices?
Do they have appropriate tax licenses and insurance?
Do they have duplicate-quality back-up equipment?
Do they have a professional contracts?
Do they have a professional network of other wedding vendors that can speak about their work?
If they fail to show up at a wedding, can they assure you someone will be there?
Look at their online portfolio, but keep in mind a digital photo online isn’t a finished print. Ask to see prints or completed albums.
Are they involved in any professional photography communities?
Do they attend seminars, conferences, and workshops on a consistent basis?

This infographic tells the rest of the story (kudos to Sara Lancaster for the editorial assistance!):

wpid-how-to-fall-in-love-right-wedding-photographer-2013-02-28-20-15.png

Use this graphic on your website - click below

For My Fellow Photographer Friends:

I share my tips for finding *perfect* wedding photography clients:

Show the work you love. Love Wins.
Be yourself. Nothing more. Nothing less. No one else can be you.
There is a *right* person out there that value your talents. Not everyone is your perfect client.
Don’t try to hard to sell yourself, if you do, you might be doing yourself a disadvantage. I had a creative writing teacher once tell me, “Show, don’t tell.” It is one thing to show you best work, but another to “show” your personality and style in your branding, marketing, correspondence, and your appearance, and how you choose to spend your time away from work.
If a client is willing to make deliberate sacrifices to work with you, show them that you are willing to do the same.
Be engaged in a community by sharing your passion and care. One way I like to give back to my competition is through my 100+ blog posts to help other photographers succeed.
Don’t be afraid to say no. Be willing to sacrifice losing customers to win customers.

I hope you enjoyed this blog post. I enjoy reading & responding to comments below!
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You might also like:
What’s in a good wedding contract?
25 Tips for your Best Wedding Photography
Planning A Wedding Through The Eyes of A Wedding Photographer