Planning a wedding can be a daunting task. Choosing your photographer can also be quite a task! There are tons of photographers out there with all different styles, levels of experience, prices, products, packages… the list goes on an on… So to help you sift through the slews of photographers that pop up on Google, here are a few things to keep in mind!

Style & Medium

This may seem obvious, but it is so important to find a photographer whose style resonates with you. You will have these photos for the rest of your life. I recommend selecting a photographer that has a classic and timeless look. There are a lot of trendy and hip photographers out there but you don’t want to look at your wedding photos and think, “oh that was so 2015!”

I’m a fine art photographer and I primarily shoot film. Film has been used by photographers for over 100 years, and you can bet it will be around for 100 more! I also feel that I have a clean and enduring style. Classic photos will never go out of style. Just imagine going through your wedding photos with your children one day…

Digital Files

It has become the industry standard that wedding photographers hand over the digital files, but not all do! Don’t assume that your wedding photographer includes the digital files in their wedding collections. Some still consider this an add-on and will charge around $1000 (or more) for a copy of the files.

I not only give you one copy, but two copies of your digital files! The first copy will be Web-Ready files that I deliver via an online viewing/ordering gallery. These files have been sized perfectly for you to easily share on the web. The only problem is that they are too small to print from. So I give you a second copy of your digital files. These are called Digital Negatives and they are delivered on a beautiful USB drive along with a print release. These are much, much larger files and are specifically designed for reprinting and are your main copy. On the USB I also include instructions on the best way to back-up and protect your files. 

Editing

Another great question to ask is if editing is included in the price. Some photographers hand over untouched, unedited photos and then charge extra for editing. Sometimes these photographers will edit the photos that go into your album (if an album is included in your package). But don’t just assume that all photographers edit!

It is my policy that I only hand over edited images to clients. My edits are natural and appropriate for wedding photos. Things like blemish touch-ups and hair fly-aways are a part of my standard workflow. Any special requests for further editing is invoiced as additional editing. But I can proudly say that all of my clients have been extremely happy with their photos and I’ve never had a client request further editing.

Albums

If you are interested in having a wedding album designed from your wedding photos, make sure the photographers you are looking at offer this service. Ask for photos of the albums they offer, or if you plan to meet in person ask to see a sample album. Pay attention to the quality, size, design, and selection of photos in the album. Also note the layout of the album. Are there tons of photos on each page (which can be overwhelming to look at)? Or do they have a clean layout that shows off the photos in a non-distracting way?

The albums I offer to my clients are hand-made in the USA and are celebrated by top-notch photographers worldwide. They come in a variety of sizes and materials to fit the needs of each couple. I assist my clients in selecting a well-rounded mix of photos to tell the complete story of their day. I also strive to design albums with a lot of white space and plenty of room for your photos to “breathe.” You never want to see more than 4 or 5 photos on a page. A crowded album won’t show off your photos in the best way possible. 

Engagement Sessions

Ask if engagement sessions are included! Engagement sessions are not only a great opportunity to get some casual photos of you two, but it also allows you to work with the photographer prior to the wedding day! This is huge as it eliminates a lot of wedding day stress. If you do an engagement session, your photos on the wedding day should be a breeze and you won’t feel like a total stranger is taking your pictures.

            I always include an engagement session with my complete wedding collections. I love the opportunity to get to know my clients before the wedding date. But sometimes things prevent my clients from taking advantage of this awesome perk. If this is the case I work with the couple to figure out a substitution that will fit their unique needs, such as an extra hour of wedding coverage.

Personality

I highly recommend meeting with photographers in person before hiring them. If meeting in person isn’t possible ask to Skype or (at the very least) chat on the phone. Your wedding photographer will be ever-present on your wedding day and it’s so important that your personalities don’t clash. This is likely the biggest day of your lives so far and the last thing you want is to have personality conflicts with the person who is documenting this special day for you.

I always try to arrange in-person meeting with clients. Often times my clients have very busy schedules, so I’m happy to arrange Skype chats with them. Just like I encourage them to be picky when choosing their photographer, I’m also selective with the clients I agree to work with. It’s important that our vision for your day is in sync. If we don’t have the same end goals, we will all be disappointed. Having a good conversation about your ideas for your wedding (either in person, Skype, or on the phone) will really help to figure out if we’d be a great fit for each other!

Licensed & Insured

There are a lot of “fauxtographers” out there. By that, I mean there are many people out there who have all of the professional gear, talk the professional talk, and can even take pro-quality photos, but on the legal end they’re a loose canon. Many venues require all outside vendors to carry their own business license, equipment insurance, and general liability insurance. The last thing you want is to loose a deposit because you found out you can’t bring your photographer to your venue!

I am a licensed and insured business. I carry my own equipment and general liability insurance and I never leave the house without a copy of my papers… just in case! I also belong to a couple of professional photography organizations like PPA and WPPI.

References

I’ve heard so many horror stories about people posing as photographers that just run off with no trace left behind. A contract may or may not be signed, but when it comes time to photographing the wedding the photographers can not be reached and have dropped off the face of the earth. I’ve even heard of stories where they show up at the wedding, take photos, but then after the wedding they just disappear and no photos are ever delivered! So now the poor couple is out of their investment AND their wedding photos. I can’t think of a more heart-breaking situation. And if you don’t know what to look for when interviewing photographers, how would anyone know!?

Meet in person! This is in-line with the last tip I gave. One thing you can do is check into their work. See if their work has been published anywhere (wedding blogs, magazines, etc). Also look on their website for things like client reviews. Also check on places like Google Plus, Wedding Wire, Facebook, etc. for client reviews. You can also ask for a reference! I collect all of my client reviews on Google Plus. I also post some of them on my website. I’ve also been published in several online and print wedding publications. I try to be as transparent as possible with clients so that they can trust me. I want all of my clients to feel at ease that they have a great photographer for their special day. Weddings carry enough other stressors, I feel that your photographer shouldn’t be one of them.

Extras

What other goodies to they offer that you might be interested in? Don’t think that wedding albums are the only “goods” available to you!

I offer several add-on options. One of my favorites is an engagement and wedding website that I design for each client (that requests it) at no additional charge. I design a custom website for the couple, featuring their favorite 15-20 engagement photos in a gallery, along with great information like the couple’s wedding information. It’s like those free sites with TheKnot.com but they look WAY better and are totally customizable based on what each couple wants to use their site for!

Looking for a wedding photographer? Fill out a contact form here, or send me a note at kristen@kristenlynne.com. I’d love to hear about your wedding!