As a Windsor wedding photographer, the warmer months are now upon us, which means one thing! Wedding season! I am so ready to get out there with our 2017 brides and grooms and capture their amazing wedding days! We have so many wonderful couples we will be photographing this year, but we are still booking weddings for 2018 couples and I though a good blog post would be to offer some advice from a photographer and from a previous bride! So this blog post is going to give you some tips for choosing the right wedding photographer for you! There are a couple things that you do first when first planning a wedding….picking a venue and date are obviously amongst the most important, and choosing a photographer usually comes in a close second in regards to booking! Most wedding photographers book up a year in advance if you are getting married in high season ( windsor weddings, that usually means May – October). So my advice is if you know which photographer you want for your wedding, book them as soon as possible! You don’t want to miss out by waiting too long! Most brides and grooms see several vendors before booking, to compare styles, prices, and even the personality of the photographer. If you follow these tips you are sure to get the wedding photographer that is just right for you!.jpg)
BOOK AN APPOINTMENT FOR A CONSULTATION
The first thing couple do when looking for a photographer is to google wedding photographers in the area! For example, they may google Windsor Wedding Photographer. This is a great place to start, however it is so important to actually book a consultation with a photographer and not just communicate with them via email or on the phone. Book consultations with photographers whose online portfolios wow you! Even if they photographer sends you all their information or it is on their website or blog, meeting with a professional in the business can help you to see and understand aspects of photographer for your wedding on a whole other level. Consultations should be done at no cost to you so it is a great opportunity to see the photographers studio and products they have on display in their studio. Meeting in a professional environment also allows you to see how the photographer presents their services. They can show you slideshows, full wedding galleries, products they offer and any specialty services they may offer, for example a photo booth as an additional service. A consultation usually takes approximately an hour of your time and the photographer will go through a typical wedding day with you, ask you questions about your day and what you envision for your wedding photos and also go over budget and packages with you. Meeting with a photographer also allows you to get to know them as as a person, after all you will be spending the whole day with the person you choose to capture your wedding.
MAKE SURE YOU CONNECT WITH YOUR PHOTOGRAPHER
I always tell my clients when they come in for a consultation that it is important that they “click” with their photographer. Your photographer is with you for an average of 12 hours on your wedding day. You want to make sure that your photographer has a working style and personality that is going to fit with you and your family and friends personalities. You want to hire someone that is going to get the job done, but make sure you have fun while doing so. I highly recommend making sure your photographer is comfortable directing people and taking charge of situations as this often falls on the photographer. A good wedding photographer will help you stay on schedule and organize family and friends for photos as well as make sure your wish list is complete.
ASK YOUR PHOTOGRAPHER TO SEE LOTS OF DIFFERENT GALLERIES
As a photographer and a creative person we love to show you what we can do! So don’t be afraid to ask to see lots of work and a full portfolio. Photographers often only post so many photos on their websites, but more so than often many, many more images and galleries are available upon request. Most wedding photographers run a blog as well and often post sneak peeks of weddings they have shot. Asking a photographer for their blog is a great way to see lots of different galleries. Do not hire a photographer based on a few photographs. You want a seasoned professional that can show you consistency, quality and a knowledge of composition, exposure and working in all types of lighting situations ( ex church weddings in low light compared to an outdoor wedding at a winery). An experienced wedding photographer will be more that happy to spend the time with you showing lots and lots of images.
CONSIDER VALUE WHEN COMPARING PHOTOGRAPHERS AND QUOTES
Remember…..you get what you pay for! One of the biggest regrets brides and grooms have is they wished they had hired a better wedding photographer. Yes an experienced professional photographer will cost more, but you are paying for their experience, expertise and of course amazing images. Remember, your wedding images are the only thing you get to take home after the wedding ( besides your spouse.lol ), the decorations go back to the decorator, the cake is eaten, the limo drives away. So what about the cheaper photographer offering the deal of a lifetime? Well they may be offering a lower price point, but they may be focusing on quantity of clients compared to providing a quality experience for their clients. You will never regret hiring a professional to capture your memories. Professional photographers often offer several packages in a range of pricing. Also don’t be afraid to ask for a custom package if you don’t see one that meets your needs!
MAKE SURE THEY ARE A REPUTABLE BUSINESS
Wedding Photographers are usually a small, sole proprietor owned business. However, just because they are a small business doesn’t mean they should skimp on the necessities of running a successful business. Make sure that your photographer has the level of experience and equipment required to shoot a wedding. For example, make sure the photographer has back up equipment in case of a dropped lens or camera, or if perhaps if someone knocks over a light stand dancing up a storm at a reception. It is vital to ensure that all scenarios are thought about prior to the day and the photographer has a back up plan for all of those scenarios! Also make sure your photographer is a licensed, insured business. A lot of venues are now asking for photographers liability insurance before they shoot at the venue.
WORD OF MOUTH IS GOLDEN – ASK FOR REFERRALS
People love to give recommendations based on their own personal experiences. Consider hiring a photographer that you have heard from your friends or family, is simply amazing. Perhaps you have stood in a wedding and the photographer that shot it was so fun and you loved the image, give them a call and set up a meeting. Getting a referral will give you someones own personal experience with that photographer. They will tell you all the goods and bads….hopefully not too many bads! lol. Don’t be afraid to ask the photographer for referrals as well. A seasoned pro should be able to put you in touch with former clients who will most likely sing their praises:) Also a lot of amazing photographers do not do a whole lot of advertising and may just go on referrals from word of mouth. Some of the most amazing photographers may be found on page ten of your google search, so make sure to ask around and not just rely on what you find on google!
LOVE THE WORK
Whoever you hire, you should love the images. Many photographers have a specific style, some are more versatile. Just make sure what you envision is what the photographer does. You may see images online that require a lot of fancy lighting techniques…..don’t hire a photographer that only shoots with natural light. You will disappointed in the end. Some photographers are more versatile and willing to adjust their style depending on what type of wedding they are shooting…this is great but make sure you love what you are seeing. Most photographers will be very honest with you upfront if what you are showing them on pinterest is something they just don’t do. The last thing we want is to disappoint a client, so if it isn’t a style we are exceptional at, we often direct you to someone who can. You also don’t want to micromanage your photographer. This will make both you and the photographer on edge. If you love their images, trust them, they will deliver.
WHAT NOT TO DO WHEN HIRING A PHOTOGRAPHER
Okay so I gave you lots of tips for hiring the wedding photographer of your dreams, but these tips are equally as important!
~Do not hire the studio that shoots 200 weddings a year! These studios are not basing their services on quality, just quantity. You may view it as they are super experienced but they are most likely subcontracting photographers out and you are not going to get the personalized experience you will with a smaller studio.
~ Do not hire a friend! Although this seems like sometimes a great and cheaper idea, you will regret it. You cannot just hand someone a camera, who has no experience shooting weddings, and expect professional images. Wedding photographers are not only experts at exposure, but they are filled with the whole experience of organizing people at a wedding, keeping a timeline and making sure no detail is missed.
~Do not hire the photographer or studio offering a crazy sale. Remember again you get what you pay for. Seasoned professionals cost don’t change much because they want to consistently offer a quality service and product.
~They are first on google so they must be the best photographer in the city. This is not necessarily true. As mentioned previously many photographers rely on word of mouth or perhaps don’t blog a lot or pay for google ads so they may come up on page 10 of a google search.
Well I hope these tips lead you to the wedding photographer of your dreams. Remember you only get to do this day once and having incredible images to display in your home and show your children are invaluable. Please make sure to check our our archives of wedding galleries as well as our newborn and children’s galleries. As a Windsor wedding photographer we also photograph families, children and newborns
~ Jill Real Image Photography
Windsor Wedding Photographer

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