LaCoursiere’s Wedding Guide Series: How to Choose the Right Photographer [Sponsored Post]

In my previous wedding planning topics we’ve covered everything from bouquets and buffets and by now every wedding couple should be well prepared to tackle their wedding planning process. But before you dive into the whole shebang I want to diverge on yet another important wedding topic, and possibly (okay it is) my most favorite topic … your wedding photography! There are a lot of things to consider when choosing your wedding photographer, and as a wedding photographer myself I want couples to be as knowledgeable and prepared as possible when choosing the right photographer to fit their wedding needs. So take a look at these must know topics about choosing your wedding photographer.

Narrow your selection… What type of photographer are you looking for?

There are basically three types of wedding photographers out there and knowing what type of style you are drawn to will help you when searching.

Traditional.

The first type of photographer is the type of wedding photographer that has been around for decades. This style is traditional and predominantly all posed images. The poses are more traditional and are your typical wedding images people have seen for years in wedding albums. You will have a lot of interaction with your photographer on the wedding day to set up all of your wedding shots. The traditional wedding photographer will still take somewhat candid images of your wedding ceremony, but for the bridal and family portraits all images are posed and traditional.

Illustrative.

The second type of photographer is called the illustrative photographer. An illustrative photographer does a mix of posed and un-posed (candid) images. The illustrative photographer leans towards photojournalism (candid images) type photography. Most of the images are photojournalistic or may even lean towards fashion type of photography. The majority of the wedding day will be captured candidly. Just some images of the illustrative photographer may seem very candid, just the scene and pose is created and then the photographer will catch the moments within that scene and pose. In other images the scene is very posed in a new modern style. This is probably the most popular type of photography out there today and there are many different unique illustrative styles of this type of photographer. When having a illustrative photographer you will have a lot of interaction during your bridal and family portrait time, but during the rest of the wedding day the interaction will be minimal to keep to photojournalistic images.

Photojournalist.

The third type of wedding photographer is a pure photojournalist. With a photojournalist photographer every aspect of your wedding day will be captured candidly. Every image of your wedding day will is captured without the person always knowing and there is absolutely no posing. A photojournalist wedding photographer works to capture every detail of your day in a detailed storybook way and interaction with your photographer will be very minimal to no interaction at all. This style relies on capturing the moment every time and doing so from a distance un-noticed.

So now you may know of what type of wedding photographer you are looking for, what should you think about next?

How important is your wedding photography to you?

After your wedding day, all you will have left is your memories, a wedding dress in need of some dry cleaning, and your wedding images. Your wedding images may be even more important to you than you will realize once your wedding day is over. The let down of bad wedding photography can be huge and there is no way to get that day back as a “do over”. So with those aspects in mind, finding a confident and experienced photographer is very important.

When looking for your wedding photographer look to see that the photographer is able to show a good portfolio of multiple images from different wedding days. Look to see if their images turn out pleasing in all aspects of outdoor and indoor lighting. Does the photographer have backup equipment in case of equipment failure (we are talking about technology after all)? Does the photographer have a plan in place in the case that they have an emergency of their own and can’t photograph your wedding? Remember to ask all of these questions plus some. Be sure of all the details of your wedding package and know the details of your contract. All these aspects are very important and hiring your photographer should not be taken lightly.

Your Photographer Relationship should be like your Peanut Butter and Jelly, not Peanut Butter and Mayo.

Ehh? What I’m talking about here is finding a photographer that you like, that you can deal with and work with before, during, and after your wedding day. A photographer and a wedding couples personality should mesh, communication should be easy, and your goals and wants should be clear to the photographer. If a photographer is going to drive you crazy on the wedding day and heaven forbid even be a tad bit of an annoyance to be around or less than pleasurable to be around then you don’t really want to hire them. Meeting your potential photographer is very important in determining if the photographer/couple relationship will jive.

What’s in a wedding photography package and what it means to you?

Finally, if you’ve already done a little wedding photographer shopping you will have found that wedding packages have a large range in what they include and what they cost. The average wedding package includes hours of coverage, engagement photos, and possibly a second photographer. Wedding packages and their range of offerings from photographer to photographer can make deciding very difficult. My advice… ? Find the photographer you love and stick with them. Don’t worry about what photographer offers what. Find the photographer that fits your style and wants and go with the package from them that fits your needs. When you start comparing different photographers packages you can easily find yourself sacrificing the quality of photography for the money saved. But remember, this is your wedding day, you don’t get it back and you don’t want to regret choosing poor quality photography because they threw in a free CD. Your day is important and should be photographed as so.

In summary.

So with those things in mind you should be well prepared to go out and find your perfect wedding photographer. Remember... find your style of photography and then choose from the list of photographers that specialize in that style. Second, ask a lot of questions and make sure your relationship will jive together in the photographer/clients relationship. Finally, focusing on the wedding package offerings isn't always the best idea when having a good photographer is important to you. Find the photographer you love and stick with them... like peanut butter and jelly.

This post is written and sponsored by LaCoursiere Photography