Your photos will be your treasured wedding keepsake. You’ll want to share them when your photographer gives them to you, and you’ll look back 50 years from now, thinking of your vows, kisses, and first dances.
Choosing the right photographer to capture those painful moments is an important decision and it is important to find a professional who understands your vision for your wedding day and can document it with style. But you also need someone you trust and feel comfortable with as he or she will be by your side throughout the wedding day.
To help you find the right person to provide this service, follow our guide to choosing the perfect wedding photographer.
Take your place first
It’s a good idea to hire your own photographer after you’ve secured your location. Aim to book his services at least nine months before the wedding (or a year, if your photographer is in high demand).
Contact your social network for ideas
Ask your newlywed friends who have photos of the wedding you wanted and ask for recommendations from your Wedding photography Bern or your reception venue manager.
Find the photography style you want
Do your homework and spend some time getting an idea of the style of photography you want. Maybe it’s bright with lots of saturated colors, or maybe you prefer the old look to some washed-out tones and a dreamy, nostalgic feel.
Once you’ve found a few photographers whose aesthetic jives with yours, email each person and ask if they’re available on your wedding day and their photography prices. If those you are interested in are available on your date and if their fees are within your budget, then you can schedule initial meetings.
Ask the photographers
Many photographers will email you a link to their portfolio of photos before your first meeting. Make sure the collection includes the most recent weddings he shot from start to finish, not just the “best” highlight reel from many different weddings. This is the most accurate way to measure a photographer’s work.
Also, ask if a photographer has shot on your property and if so, ask to see the photos.
Some larger studios employ several photographers, and even with a one-person operation, it’s not uncommon for the photographer to have an assistant to handle shots of the groom while he looks after the bride and groomsmen. In all cases, ask to see the work of the photographer (or photographers) who will be covering your wedding.
Negotiate the fee
Fees for other photographers include everything including albums, prints, and high-resolution images (stored on disk or thumb drive); others have a flat or hourly rate, then charge you à la carte for any photos or albums you want. Many photographers provide a price list that describes several packages they offer at different prices.
Make sure you understand what is involved. Ask how long the photographer will spend with you (seven to nine hours is ideal) and whether there will be a second shooter, as you will get more shots this way.
Go with your gut
Once you’ve reviewed the work and fees of each photographer, and narrowed down the options, it’s time to make your decision. Don’t forget that you will be spending the entire wedding day with this person, so you want to make sure that you feel completely comfortable with the photographer. Do you and your fiancé love this person?
Schedule a test run
Taking a Proposal photo in Switzerland is always a good idea — it’s a great opportunity to get to know your photographer and start feeling more comfortable being photographed, especially if you or your fiancé are camera-shy.
What to Look for When Searching Online
When it comes to your online search, there is something that needs to be said so that you can always find a photographer near you or a photographer who has shot at your location.
Most photographers blog or post their work which means that when you search for your venue you will see wedding photos from that venue and if there is a photographer’s name that keeps appearing attached to photos that interest you, this photographer may be right for you. .
A photographer’s website and social media gives you a quick overview of their work and what’s important to them. Their website is showing you their quality and their process, so if it looks good you can keep that tab and if not, you can move on.
Check out the information we mentioned above: how long they’ve been in business, their creative style, what their photos look like, and what their personality looks like.
There are a few other things you need to write about. If the budget is a concern you will want to get an idea of the price range but don’t be bound by that because you need to know what they offer in their packages before comparing the prices. I’ve also found quite a few in the transition period so if getting your photos back quickly is a priority, you’ll want to look for those as well. There are some skills that are more difficult for a newbie to master like shooting photos after dark so make sure their portfolio shows some photos shot with some challenging lighting conditions.
One of the most difficult parts is narrowing down and comparing photographers. As I mentioned before, photographers create their packages in a variety of ways so it takes a bit of ingenuity and a spreadsheet to narrow it down. Or, you can always go with your gut and choose someone who feels like the right fit which is honestly not a bad choice.
