Congratulations on your recent engagement. I’m sure when you are looking at photographers, you’ve started to realize planning the perfect wedding seems a full-time job and the options can be slightly overwhelming. This little system on choosing the perfect wedding photographer for your wedding event is foolproof. If you follow it exactly, you know exactly what you’re gonna be get from your wedding photos. It’s applicable to all budget levels, so take a minute to read it and you’ll be a measure ahead in at least one aspect of your planning.
This may seem obvious, but competency should be your number one criteria in choosing a wedding photographer. Everything else is secondary. Almost be the nicest person in the world, but if your photos aren’t very good, who cares about you? You’re not looking for a friend, you’re in search of great photos of one’s wedding. But gauging competency is sometimes difficult. The work we all rubbed on our websites and in our sample albums is our best product. And, unfortunately, which may sometimes be misleading.
Imagine if precisely what people go to another wedding, in your pajamas, and walk around and take a the work of the prospective vendors. If you can see what the flowers look like after 5 hours, taste the food and cake and watch the dj or band as they engage the crowd – all getting seen. You have that option with your photographer. You only need to know the right way to ask.
Start your search by gathering names from friends, family and vendors and by searching websites of local wedding photographers. Spend some time on websites, read reviews and imagine yourself in the photos you see. Narrow your search on your 3-5 favorites.
Contact the photographers by email come up with one simple request: If you have my date available, please show me 2-3 full weddings from the past year, preferably from the time of day’s your wedding. A full wedding is the gallery they have for the clients, not just a selection of images in an album or on a website. There must be hundreds of photos in a full gallery. Why email, why not agent them? By nature, photographers have great people skills and as a result, many photographers are great salespeople. They need to meet you before they demonstrate the galleries. They’ll say things like, “I’m happy display you that, no problem, but let’s meet and is essential we’re compatible before we get fot it part.” That translates into, “Come allow me to sell you in my little services and organic beef never even have to get to the pesky full wedding thing.” Stick to your guns. Don’t skip the initial explore. 2-3 full weddings will give you you a great overall picture of their style, coverage and skills.
If the photographer doesn’t want showing you full galleries, move on. They could very well be hiding something and who wants try that risk? Don’t fall for the privacy response (“I’m very considerate of my client’s privacy, so I can’t show you your.”) I’ve seen that response given to newbies in forums get a when they you wouldn’t like to have showing their full weddings. You’re not asking for specific weddings, just 2-3 of the photographer’s choice. They will show weddings at their website, then may have be willing display you full marriages.
After looking through several full wedding galleries of images (don’t worry, you will move quickly, what you will be looking for will be apparent as you go), narrow down your list to 2 or 3 photography. Phone or email your narrowed down prospects and set up appointments. Pay awareness to how quickly they respond. Ask various question in a separate email and continue to monitor response efforts. This is not to waste their time (don’t send a listing of of questions), but to gauge whether they’ll get back to you on honest review of basis. One of the biggest complaints couples have of the vendors after their wedding is un-returned calls or email addresses. Don’t expect minutes – good photographers are busy people – but you should hear back above the day, unless a person emailing on the weekend, when they might be shooting or taking a precious off day. Whether or not it’s a weekend, a Monday morning response is more than acceptable.
At the actual meeting, you begin to differentiate by personality and match. Because at this point, you should basically be meeting with individuals who are very talented, shoot the style of photos you like and respond to you in a timely manner. Now, simply pick the person you like the best, who offers albums and packages you like and who fits inside budget.
Captured Ingenuity
7707 NW 113th Pl, Oklahoma City, OK 73162
(405) 256-4737