I know choosing a wedding photographer can seem like a daunting task, but I promise if you follow these few tips you will find your perfect match!
1) Choose someone you like! Sounds easy right?t But honestly take into account that you like their work but mostly that you like them as a person. Ask yourself if this is a person you see yourself hanging out with? Is this someone that will get along with your wedding party, family and friends? I made this #1 because I truly think it is the most important. If you don’t like your photographer and he/she does not get along with your wedding party you will be able to tell in the photos. When you like a person your smile is much more genuine and natural then if you have to force it. If you feel like your photographer likes you personally, and you like them, you will be more at ease when taking photos and those effortless looking photos you love will happen naturally. So find a match for you not just in the photo style but in the person as well.
2) Go outside the box. Keep in mind most wedding photographers travel so you are not bound to just photographers in your own city. Depending on the state you live in it is sometimes less expensive to hire a destination wedding photographer from another state. So when choosing a wedding photographer there really are no real limits anymore with Skype and Gmail chat (these are the two I use) you can meet with photographers from all over the world who have work that would mesh well with your wedding. So get out your wedding magazines and look through your favorite blogs and take note of the photographers who produce the work you love and contact them. Note that some photographers charge for travel.
3) Who did your friend use? A great way to find the right photographer is by asking your friends who are already married who they used and if they LOVED them. Yes not liked them LOVED them why why why settle for less then I LOVE THEM on your wedding day! Chances are if your friend loved them you will too and they will fit in well with your wedding party.
4) Choose someone with experience. Now we all know with experience comes cost so get as much experience as you can afford. In regards to wedding photography, nothing beats experience. We have all heard the horror stories of someone using a friend or someone with little to no wedding experience so, if you choose someone new, try to choose someone with photography experience or background. Just like anything else in the world you get what you pay for so they don’t have to be the most expensive but I recommend they be experienced. When your wedding day is over, all that’s left is your photos, video (and memories) so documenting these memories should be a big part of your wedding budget.
If you choose a wedding photographer you can relate to, has work you love and that you like personally, I promise you will LOVE your wedding photos.