- Taste/Desires: What is your taste when it comes to wedding photos? Do you like classically posed pictures, mostly candid shots, or does having an abstract/unique point of view take precedence? Take some time to visit wedding websites and look at different styles of photos. Figure out what you are drawn to and what is most important for you to have captured. Use Pinterest - I wish I had had that luxury when I was planning!
- Recommendations: Does the photographer come highly recommended from someone you trust? If you have a wedding planner, with whom has he/she enjoyed successful collaboration? Does the person making the recommendation understand your taste and what you want?
- Experience: The photographer MUST have wedding experience. Although it may be tempting to hire your friend's friend who likes to upload their "photography" on Facebook for cheap, it won't be worth the money saved. Think about everything that goes into it - getting into the right positions, knowing where to be to get the best shots, knowing what shots are the most crucial, being efficient and quick, blending into the surroundings, having a calm demeanor even when things get stressful, being able to shoot for the entire day, etc. Only an experienced photographer can know how to effectively do all of these things!
- Budget: Yes, photographers are pricey. If you do have a wedding planner, he/she can help you find some photographers in your price range. If not, you need to figure out a price range AFTER you see how much photographers actually cost. If you don't prepare yourself, you might be surprised. But remember that the pictures are what will last - what you will show your grandchildren! :)
Here are some things I personally considered when choosing our photographer:
- Comfort: Was I going to be comfortable around this person? Do our personalities clash or work well together? I knew I was going to be around the photographer a lot, so this was important! I wanted pictures of me and my girls getting ready, and knew I would be more comfortable if a fellow female was the one taking pictures of that. Which I'm now glad of, because I was basically naked as my dress was being put on, haha. She got to know me more than she wanted to, I'm sure!
- Team: I knew that I wanted more than one photographer at the wedding. And I didn't mean someone who barely knew what they were doing - another actual photographer. That way one could be shooting Jordan rubbing cake all over my face while the other could be shooting my little cousin with the garter on his head.
- Experience with Location: This was huge for me - my location at the Grand Marquise Ballroom was a setting with all kinds of lighting - including lights that changed color every few seconds while we were dancing. It wasn't going to be constantly bright in there. But since my photographer had experience shooting weddings in that ballroom, she already knew how to handle the lighting or lack thereof. Someone who had only shot outside weddings would not have been a good fit for us.
- Package: How long could we have the photographers? Were we going to get the edited photos on a disk? Were we allowed to put them online? Was an album included? Were prints included? These are all questions that were important when figuring out what package we went with. It all depends on what you want and how much you want to pay.
- Extra Sessions: In the package I knew I wanted an engagement photo shoot and a bridal portrait shoot. And the bridal portrait shoot needed to be in their studio since it was in February and there was no way I was going to look good in pictures if I was freezing in my dress!
Sooo what photographer did we use? Neil Boyd Photography from Raleigh, NC!
Neil Boyd shot my bridal portrait session, while Bridget Daily (on their team of photographers) did the engagement shoot and the wedding. LOVED them!
And because of them, Jordan and I are going to be on the cover of The Bride's Book magazine - yay! :)
Here are some examples of the excellent job they did.
Engagement
This is the only bridal portrait I have on my computer for some reason - I'll try to find more later!
The Wedding
(warning - lots of pics!)
 |
| flowers by Expressions of Love |
 |
| flowers by Expressions of Love |
| by Expressions of Love |
| by Expressions of Love |
 |
| by Cinda's Creative Cakes |
| by Cinda's Creative Cakes |
