Getting married is one of the most exciting times of your life. Selecting the venue, choosing the date, and selecting the colors of your wedding is the first initial important decisions aside from choosing your wedding party. Your wedding day will be filled with a whirlwind of emotions. Overwhelmed by the love that fills the room, as you realize, all of the stress and anxiety you had up until that moment was worth it all. Living in that exact moment is priceless, and it is essential to have someone who can capture it all for keepsake memories.
Having a photographer present at your wedding is imperative, and selecting the perfect vendor to render services is even more critical. I am no pro or professional at this wedding planning thing. I depend a lot on my wedding planner. I can only give the little tips that have worked for me, so let us get into the things you should consider before hiring a photographer. Personality Matters I am huge on personality, I am an extrovert and feed off of people who have similar characters such as my own. No, I'm not saying your photographer has to be just like you. However, you do want to take into account the type of person they are and the vibes they give off while interacting. Having a wedding consultation, be prepared to ask questions. Scout their social media and website, do you think they can positively alter your mood? Can they make this a joyous occasion for you and your family? How did they make you feel meeting them for the first time? Were they warm and inviting?
Experience For me choosing my wedding photographer luckily came pretty easy. I have worked closely with Wooten Photography on several occasions. The dynamic duo of Wooten Photography includes Jo and her husband, Jordan. Joann specializes in wedding and lifestyle photography. Wooten Photography has an extensive portfolio. A valid website has a social media presence, are members of the Bridal Suite Wedding Collective 2020, and featured on Wedding Wire, etc. Joann has shot many of the celebratory things in my life, the launch of my blog, graduation, engagement, and other lifestyle sessions. Her work is fantastic. She's upbeat, always professional, and strives to make each client vision their reality. Our relationship began after she was recommended by one of our mutual friends Jasmine. Our relationship has blossomed, and I consider her to be one of my amazing friends. We get each other, she sees my vision, and I trust her recommendations. I give her the free realm to work creatively, and we connect on an artistic level.
Pricing & Packages Weddings are not cheap, so the goal is to ensure that whatever the cost is that you are getting a bang for your buck. Typically photography can have a starting cost at $1,500, and the average price is $2,000. The cost of your photography takes up about 12% of your wedding budget. Reading the fine print and ensuring all questions are answered before signing a contract is vital. You want to know in detail what you will be getting, the number of hours that will be worked, how many people on the team working your wedding if engagement photos included, a wedding book, etc. Whatever the cost you decide on, you always want to make sure you are satisfied with the particular package and what it all includes.
Wooten Photography shared several packages with Dwayne and me, I read through each of them and understood what they included. Me, being me, opted for the more expensive package, with Dwayne agreeing. Selecting a photographer who may have relationships with other vendors can be beneficial. Jo will have a videographer shoot footage of our wedding, and that is factored into the cost of her package. It's a win-win situation for me, being able to have both included. I want to stress the importance of trust during this process. Because I trust Joanne and her recommendations, I didn't feel the need to speak with the videographers and ask tons of questions. However, I would suggest doing your thorough research on any vendor recommendation that may be given by your photographer.
All in all, the process of selecting a great photographer doesn't have to be extremely hard. Use your social media to your advantage, use wedding websites such as The Knot and Zola. Ask your friends and family, search for local photography hashtags. Once you've curated a list of potentials, begin the vetting process. Set up wedding consultations build rapport. Ask lots of questions, share your expectations in the beginning, look at their portfolio, read reviews, and, most of all, stick to your budget. I hope this helps. As always with nothing but lots of love, CarrieSierra
Comments