How to Choose The Wedding Photographer That’s Right For You

From the Perspective from a Wedding Photographer

Choosing your wedding photographer is a big decision. Your wedding photos will be the primary way you relive your wedding in the years to come, and they will be on display at your home to be seen every day. There are many options for wedding photographers today–many more than in our parents’ generation. I want to make your life a little easier with this guide to help you sift through the options and find the wedding photographer that’s best for you. Let’s get you another vendor checked off your list!

When it comes to choosing your wedding photographer, there are three key factors to keep in mind:

1. Style
2. Budget
3. Personality

Read on to learn about each of these steps in more depth!

Step 1: Decide What Style of Wedding Photography You’re Looking For

Wedding photography styles can be broken down into two separate categories. First, you have editing style, which affects colors and brightness of the images. Secondly, you have the photographer’s approach to shooting. I’ll address editing style first, as this is what many brides have in mind when it comes to style.

Every wedding photographer has a unique editing style, and we don’t all fit into a perfect box. However, in order to try to keep things simple, here are the main categories of editing styles that you can find today in wedding photography:

True-to-color/Natural

True-to-color/natural editing styles can be more vibrant or more subtle, but the main idea is that the colors look realistic. The photos don’t give the impression of having a “filter” as many would say. I consider my own editing style to fall into this category.

Light and Airy

Light and airy editing styles are just as they sound: the images are overall lighter and softer. They tend to have less contrast. You can expect plenty of creamy, pastel tones. They give an air of romance and brightness.

Filmy & Cinematic

The filmy and cinematic editing style has risen in popularity over the past couple of years. Photographers with this editing style try to recreate the feel of 35 mm film, with softer, reduced sharpness and desaturated tones. They often add a little grain into the photos as well. Wedding photography with this style feels like it came from a 20th century movie. Trendy elements such as intentionally blurry images and tilted camera angles are also popular with this style (though that has more to do with the shooting style than the editing).

Dark and Moody

Dark and moody wedding photography often has deep, rich shadows. Often, though not always, the photos have a warmer tone. It is pretty much the opposite of light and airy.

Shooting Style

After you’ve chosen what editing style you like, you’ll need to think about the photographer’s shooting style. All wedding photographers fall somewhere on a scale between the posed and the documentary style approach. 

The term “documentary style” is thrown around a lot these days, so I’ll explain it first. Documentary style wedding photography in its truest form approaches the day as an observer there to document the events as they unfold. The photographer does not step in to make suggestions or to offer directions or poses. They are just there to document. In reality, most “documentary style” wedding photographers aren’t this extreme! Most photographers offer some assistance when it comes time to portraits. For example, they may give you prompts to do something together (i.e., whisper something funny in her ear as you walk down the path) rather than true “poses”.

On the other hand, some photographers offer much more guidance and direction throughout the day. Not only will they pose you for portraits, but they will tell you where to stand for key moments such as putting on your dress. They may also ask to re-do or stage certain moments such as putting your shoes on in order to capture the best image.

As a wedding photographer, I approach the day in between these two sides of the scale. I like to say that I offer you assistance where you need it (i.e. during your portraits) and candids where you don’t. You can read more about my approach on my page here: Megan’s approach to wedding photography

Step 2: Know Your Budget

After you’ve decided what style of photographer you like, you’ll need to consider your budget. A good rule of thumb is to set aside 7-9% of your total wedding budget for photography, or 12-15% for photography and videography combined. Wedding budget percentages are guidelines, and you can always adjust them based upon your own personal priorities. 

I want to make clear that there is NO SHAME in having to have a smaller wedding budget. You should not go into extreme debt for your wedding. However, I would caution those of you with a lower budget as you choose your photographer. Often lower priced photographers are a lower price for a reason. They likely have less experience, and therefore less consistency or reliability. All photographers have to start somewhere (me included back in the beginning of my business!) but as a photographer’s skill and reliability grows, so does their price. If quality photography matters to you, you may want to consider cutting costs in other areas of your budget in order to spend a higher percentage on photography. 

I’m not giving set prices to look out for here, as every state/city has a slightly different typical price range, and different photographers offer different items in their packages. If you’re getting married in North Carolina, Heart of NC Weddings has a great breakdown of average wedding costs: Wedding Budget Breakdown: Average Costs of Weddings in NC

Step 3: Make Sure Your Personalities Are a Good Fit

This last step actually involves meeting with prospective photographers. While it takes time, it is so important, so please don’t skip it! You will likely be spending eight hours or more with your photographer on your wedding day. You also may be meeting with him/her for an engagement session or bridal portraits too. That’s a lot of time together! In order to truly enjoy your wedding day, you want to make sure you actually like being around this person. While a one hour meeting over video chat or at a coffee shop may not be enough to fully get to know a person, it is enough to get a sense of whether you will get along.

Bonus: Check Your Photographers Reviews!

Here’s a little bonus step for you! As you look through options for wedding photographers, make sure to check their reviews and full body of work. Many photographers post their best reviews on their website, but make sure you check their Google reviews too. This will often have the most honest and balanced reviews. (No photographer is going to post a bad review on their website!)

Make sure you also comb through their website. Look at their portfolio page, recent weddings they’ve shot in the “blog” or “journal” section. You can even ask them for links to full galleries to review. It’s easy to have a few good images on Instagram. It’s harder to have consistent work across a full wedding day. Wedding photography is an important decision. Do your due diligence!

Now that you’re equipped with all this knowledge, it’s time to go out there and find the wedding photographer that’s right for you! If you’re getting married in the Raleigh-Durham area and think we may be a good fit, I’d love to hear from you! Head over to my contact page here and let’s chat!