A Moment Captured for Life!
Friday, January 20, 2006

It’s time to hire the photographer. It’s an important decision to make when hiring the person who will capture every moment of your day. A couple can plan to spend about 8% of their budget for a photographer – on a $20,000 wedding budget.

There are so many incredibly talented photographers out there. How do you decide on the one? Here are some helpful tips and question to keep in mind on your hunt for the perfect photographer:

Know your style
Wedding photography is now available in a variety of styles, from photojournalistic, to dramatic, to a more traditional look. If your not sure which style fits you best, look around. Ask married friends if you can look at their wedding albums or visit a bookstore and look though wedding publications. An easy way to get a feel for what you like is to search the web for wedding photographers. Many have demo portfolios and samples you can view online.

First there were three….
Once you’ve chosen your style, and flipped through tons of ads, looked at samples online it’s time to decide. I usually recommend narrowing it down to 3 photographers. Each within a different price range – if they provide it online, or after you have requested a brochure. Choose one that meets your budget, one that is just below it and one where the price sounds to good to be true! Make an appointment with each one and take it from there.

Then there was one…
When meeting with each photographer ask lots of questions. I mean lots! Many couples get nervous and just look through their albums without asking the proper questions. Ask them about their specialty, background, years of experience and see if they match your style. Let them know about your wedding, your family and see how they react, can they handle it? Especially once uncle Bob gets a little tipsy and stands in front of the camera for his own photo album. Ask if they will have an assistant present? Ask about their packages, for example, can you substitute 2 or 3 8x10s for that 16x20 you don’t want on your wall? How many photos do they generally take at a wedding your size and time frame? Interact with your photographer and get a feeling for their people skills. And most importantly, do you feel comfortable around them? Once you have narrowed it down to that one, request the contract and take it home to look over carefully before signing and leaving a deposit.

Set your schedule
I recommend calling or meeting with your photographer about 1-2 weeks before your wedding day to go over your wedding day schedule. Make sure he has the proper addresses and times of where he should be. If you don’t have a wedding planner, assign a friend or family member to know your photo schedule and give your photographer that person’s phone number just in case. If you have decided to go to your favorite park for those great photos, be sure to schedule enough photo and driving time. You don’t want to arrive at your own reception late keeping your guests waiting and hungry. Give your photographer a list of special photos you would like taken. During this hectic day, you may not remember if the photographer got a photo of you and your 90 year old grandmother. Giving him a list ahead of time and having someone in your family or your wedding planner assist him in finding those people is a great idea.

The perfect album
Trust your instincts, you hired the right photographer. Have fun on your wedding day. Keep in mind that sometimes the best photographer is the one that snapped a great shot with you realizing he was next to you. Once you see the album, you’ll be amazed!

Here are some more questions to ask:
Do they provide black and white and color photos as part of their package?
What is their back-up plan in case of emergency? (In case your photographer breaks his leg the night before your wedding)
Do you get to keep your proofs?
What type of albums do they provide?
What is the deposit fee?
When is full payment due? (this will help you keep your budget organized)
Ask if they are willing to go to a different location for that special back drop. Is there an additional fee for that?
Will your photos be available online?
How long after the wedding day will your proofs be available for viewing?

Feel free to ask me any questions you may have about hiring a photographer, I’ll do my best to help.

Keep smiling,
Leslie


Please send me your questions and feedback to asktheplanner@southcoastweddingbells.com

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