It probably comes as no surprise that couples spend the biggest chunk of their wedding budget on their reception, but did you know that they spend the second largest chunk of their budget on their photography and videography? When you thing about it, this makes sense, because most brides and grooms first want to have a memorable occasion with lots of great food, drink and dancing, but they also want to preserve these memories so that they can relive the experience via pictures and videos.
I must admit that we completely cheated at our wedding and didn’t hire either a photographer or videographer, instead opting for putting digital cameras on everyone’s tables and having them all snap photos as the night went on (with my wife’s cousin doing the more formal wedding photos). However, hiring a professional photographer is a great move if you want someone at the wedding dedicated to capturing the night on film and who is great at what they do.
With that said, here are a few things to look out for when making a decision on photography for your big day.
1. Experience – Look for photographers who not only have a decent book of business but who have also shot weddings before. There are lots of rookies out there, and although they may be talented, there’s no substitute for experience.
2. A viable business – Would you feel more comfortable hiring an established photography studio that’s a stable, ongoing business or a freelancer/part-timer who operates out of their basement? Put it this way … I’d feel more comfortable that the established photography studio will still be in business on my wedding day than a fly-by-night operation.
3. A style that fits you – Some wedding photographers excel at more formal portraiture and poses. Other photographers are great at documentary/photojournalistic style. Still others have a certain way of shooting or whimsy that might fit what you’re looking for. Make sure to review a photographer’s book and see if there’s anything that catches your eye, and if there’s isn’t ask them if they can accomplish what you are looking for.
4. Excellence at a fair price – Bargain shopping for decorations or a dress is fine, but you shouldn’t be bargain shopping if you want decent photography for your wedding. With photography, you get what you pay for, and you only have once chance to get this right, so make sure you hire a talented, accomplished photographer who will capture your big day like you want.
5. The right personality – Your photographer will be all over your wedding – in the aisle of your ceremony, in front of your families, dealing with kids and adults, talking with people at the reception, etc. – so you want them to have the right personality that gels with you and your guests.
These are some good tips for getting started in your search. In addition, some photographers use photography studio management software to help manage all their details. This photography studio software can help them keep their business completely organized and manage all their details much more easily. Some photographers also use photography management software to manage all their photos as well as their business. Something you can keep you eye out for is a photographer that uses such photography studio management software tools to help them better coordinate and collaborate with you, keep you in the loop and provide you with online tools to help you better plan the photography for your big day.
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