HOW DO YOU CHOOSE THE PHOTOGRAPHER FOR YOUR WEDDING!?

3 Tips for Choosing Your Wedding Photographer

The time has come! You’re planning your wedding and now you need to choose a photographer. Where do you even start? How do you figure out which photographers are going to provide the best service and even better photos? That’s what we’re going to help you figure out! As super-rad, professional wedding and elopement photogs ourselves, we know all the aspects that go into finding your perfect match. Let’s dive in.

Determine your budget 

Let’s start by addressing one of the most important aspects of choosing your wedding photographer: your budget. We’re likely not the first to tell you that weddings can come with major sticker shock. And if you have limited to no experience working with professional photographers, this might seem like a hefty investment.

By this point in your planning process, you probably have a general idea of your budget for photography. Naturally, you’ll want to find someone that fits into that budget. For reference, Brides.com reported most couples spend between $3,000 – $4700 on a wedding photographer. The more experience, the higher the price!

Photographers come in a range of prices. However, we strongly encourage you to NOT go for the cheap option here. Sure, there’s a chance that you might find a diamond in the rough or have an amazing photographer friend who’s willing to give you a deal (that’s a good wedding gift idea…), but those chances are slim for most couples.

One thing we’ve heard over and over from our clients is the importance of investing in their wedding photos. The memories of your day will come and go, but your photos will document that special moment forever.

Keep within a budget that’s reasonable for you, but know that some of the best photographers (with the most experience) will be charging more for their services. Keep an eye out for what they include in their prices like photo hours, curated albums, travel costs, etc. so you can get the biggest bang for your buck.

Browse ALL the galleries 

Now that you’ve determined a photography budget you’re comfortable with, discover the photography style you love and seek out some top contenders within your investment range. Scroll through wedding photographer tags on Instagram and create a Pinterest board full of inspirational photos that exemplify what you’re looking for. Browse photographer galleries and compare different styles to see what vibe you gravitate toward. Do you like dark and moody? Light and airy? Or natural, journalistic-style photos (that’s us!). Every photographer has their own unique style when it comes to wedding photos. Find the one that matches the vision you have for your special day. 

There’s nothing worse than ending up with photos you’re not fond of simply because your photographer had a different creative vision than what you had in mind. This is YOUR special day, and your photos will be the one thing you can continue to revisit and adore for a lifetime. Find a photographer who’s going to capture exactly what you’re looking for (and then some).

Do not hesitate to ask for a full gallery or a few from the photographer! They should be able to send you a few similar to your location. This is a massive help to see how they capture and edit a whole wedding! Here are some of our sample galleries!

Meet them first!

Finally, you’ve found a photographer within your price range with a style you love. Book them immediately, sight unseen? Nope! Though it’s important to hire your photographer early in the wedding planning process, make sure you click with them before you book.

At the end of the day, the most important thing is that you and your photographer get along. They might seem perfect in every way and then, when they show up on your wedding day, they’re really hard to talk to, they don’t share your sense of humor, and they make you feel totally uncomfortable in front of the camera. That’s a surefire way to ruin the memories created by their photos. 

Whether it’s in-person with a quick cup of coffee or over Zoom, schedule a meet and greet with your potential photographer. This will resolve any doubts you may have about hiring them and ensure you’re comfortable with how they provide their service. Who knows, you might even have so much in common that you make a new friend along the way!

A recent review from a couple:

” There are no words. You made our day seamless and stress-free. We were never uncomfortable posing or anything, and I never had to doubt if one shot was a good picture or not because I knew they all were good! There was an unspoken trust that I think is very hard to find! “

Let’s make it happen!

With all those things in mind, it’s time to go out and find that perfect photographer! A little bit of work on the front end like this will save you hours and potentially years of headaches. 

As awesome professionals ourselves, it would be silly not to mention that we do weddings, elopements, and even destination versions of those events as well! Check out our awesome gallery of beautiful couples and get in touch with us today to see how we can help to both capture your day and make it AMAZING. Let’s do this!

We’re Natural Intuition Photography –

A down-to-earth photography duo with over a decade of professional experience. Whether you’re booking an epic elopement adventure or a brand photography session, our ethos is the same: authentic photos happen when you feel like your best self. And it’s our job to make sure you do!

Interested in learning more about what it’s like to work with us?

Get in touch today! We can’t wait to chat!