Finding a good photographer is easy. Finding a great photographer is difficult. Finding a great wedding photographer in your area is next to impossible. Though you may think the advent of internet search engines has made the task easier, nothing is further from the truth. Unless you are willing to sift through hundreds of names and websites, you probably won’t get much from information from a standard search. So, what is the best method for finding a photographer for your wedding?

Short Answer: The Old Fashioned Way, Recommendations
• Family and Friends: Most lives follow typical patterns and milestones. You and your friends will likely get married within a few years of each other. Unless they all used the same photographer, you have a well-spring of resources in your previously married friends. If you are the first of your group to get married, ask your family members and their friends. Do you have an older sibling who was married? Does your cousin have friends who were married recently? You’ll likely find you know more people who were married in the past few years than you thought.
• Your Wedding Planner: This is not a forum for encouraging you to hire a wedding planner. That being said, it is a good investment. A wedding planner has a list of contacts for venues, caterers, and, yes, photographers. Since her recommendations reflect on her and her reputation, they should be the best of the best. Of course, the more experienced your wedding planner, the more contacts she’ll have. Just because your planner might not know the photographer your best friend suggested, doesn’t mean you should discount him. It just means she hasn’t met him yet.
• Local Venues: In every area, there are favorite locales for weddings. The best or most popular wedding photographers in the area should be familiar to their event coordinators. While you are checking the availability of your favorite sights, ask for photographer recommendations. You’ll be killing two birds with one stone, saving time and effort.

Now What?
Once you’ve compiled a list of recommended wedding photographers in your area, it’s time to go back to the internet. Their websites should give you an idea of their photographic styles. If you don’t like any of the pictures showcased on the website, there is no reason to meet the photographer who took them.
If their prices aren’t in your budget, move on. However, your wedding album is going to be the one lasting memento of your wedding. You may want to consider cutting your budget elsewhere. The food will be eaten, the flowers will die, the band will go home, but your photos will be shown to generations to come.
Despite trying to convince you otherwise, style and price are really the only things you can determine from a wedding photographer’s website. They will help you further narrow the playing field, but won’t help make the final decision. To do so, you will have to meet the wedding photographer in person. In that meeting, you should get an idea of what the photographer offers in his various packages and if you like him. As has been said before, your wedding photographer will be sharing one of the most special days of your life, so be sure you have a good rapport.

After the shock of the proposal has subsided, it’s time to consider the details of your wedding and engagement. After calling your family and friends to tell them the good news, you should call a professional wedding photographer to set up an engagement session. An engagement session with a professional wedding photographer has numerous benefits beyond the pictures being taken.

Your engagement session serves as a trial run with your wedding photographer. After the initial interviews are over, your engagement session gives you first hand experience of how your photographer works. You’ll be able to get a feel for him and his professional style. You can see his style and post-production techniques before the big event. You’ll know well in advance if this is the photographer you want entrust with your wedding.

The photos from your engagement session can be used in fun and creative ways before and during the ceremony. They can be used in the save the date mailing, guest book, programs, menus, and decorations. You can use them as a slide presentation during the toasts, or just playing in the background at the reception. Make sure you know what is included in your contract for the engagement session. Some photography studios price the cost of the digital negatives into the session, but most charge for them separately.

These are the photos that allow the world to see the love you feel as a couple. They should express your personalities and your desire to be together. An engagement session with a professional wedding photographer lets your friends and family see you as perfect a couple as you see yourself.


The Perfect Location for Your Engagement Photos

Once you’ve decided to document your love with an engagement session, you need to decide on a location to have the pictures taken. While there is a time and place for portrait photography, the engagement session is not one of them. Your engagement photos should be a fun and creative reflection of you as a couple, not just beautiful pictures.
Tell a story: Let your engagement photos tell the story of how you first met or where you fell in love. If you were at a ball game, take pictures in front of or in the stadium. If you met on-line, you could take them at a wifi hotspot with your laptops. You’ll have fun recreating the moment, and your friends and family will be able to see the moment they’ve heard so much about.Do what you love: If your favorite thing to do as a couple is go for coffee, take pictures in and around your favorite cafe. If you are fond of sailing, rent a yacht for the day. If you both like riding your bikes, think of fun shots on a tandem one. Just make sure that your shots are about what you both enjoy doing together. They’ll display both your love of life and your love for each other.Let nature do the work for you: A beautiful backdrop may be all you need. Choose a park with a flower garden and a playground to get variety in your shots. A beach is one of the most traditionally romantic settings for engagement photos. To add some of your personality, you may want to throw in a few shots with seaweed or a “no dumping” sign. When surrounded by nature, you can forget the scene and just be yourselves.

Your professional wedding photographer can help you brainstorm for your engagement session, as well. Make sure to discuss all your options and requests such as multiple locations or outfits. If you want to be outdoors, make sure you have a rain date or alternate location. Always spell out exactly what you want ahead of time so your photographer can include it in the contract. There may be a few surprises on the day of your engagement session; but by planning ahead, they should all be good ones.

Not Just Any Photographer Will Do For Your Wedding

We’ve covered choosing your wedding photographer, and even delved into the benefits of professional photography studios. However, not just any photography studio will suffice for your big day. Just as you’ll likely choose a professional wedding coordinator over a general party planner, you should choose a photography studio which specializes in weddings.

Weddings pose distinct challenges for photographers. A professional photographer who specializes in weddings is more prepared to get you the shots you want - and a few you never considered! Though you’ll never forget your wedding day, you can’t be everywhere at once. A professional wedding photographer is able to get all the wedding day images pertinent to tell the story of one of the most important days in your lives. Each image will definitely tell a story of its self. From small details of capturing a photo of your “something blue”, you be able to share the whole story of why you chose it that special blue. To candid photos of when you saw your fiancé for the first time, you will be able to share the deep, unreal emotions that were experienced.

In addition, a photography studio specializing in weddings has professionals on staff who know how to get the images you want without disturbing the celebration. They think of details other photographers might forget or ignore. True wedding photographers also instinctively know the special moments of the wedding when they are about to happen, just like that special kiss that will forever be remembered. They know when it is appropriate to move during your ceremony to get varied angles for your wedding album. Since professional wedding photographers have attended many ceremonies, they are more able to recognize the shots unique to your wedding. These are the pictures you’ll likely treasure most over the years.

Other Benefits of Hiring a Specialized Wedding Photographer:
• Planning: They will discuss exactly what shots you want and help you create your shot list. They scout the location to know ahead of time which angles will result in the best photos. Your wedding photographer will provide you with a contract that spells out all of your expectations and costs.
• Preparedness: Your wedding photographer will have multiple cameras and equipment. They will be ready for your ceremony no matter the weather or unforeseen circumstances.
• Putting your album together: After the celebration, your photographer can enhance the shots as you discussed. Depending on your contract, they will put together a virtual or physical album and specialty photos.

Make sure to interview multiple photographers before choosing one. Just as you had to kiss a few frogs before finding your Prince Charming, you’ll have to interview a few photographers before finding the right one to shoot your wedding. You’ll see for yourself that the one who specializes in weddings makes all the difference in the end.

When first engaged, couples have some big questions to answer: Will our perfect date be available at our perfect venue? Should we hire a wedding planner? Will the bride find her perfect dress?

However, most couples don’t contemplate the person who will capture their wedding day memories for all eternity - their wedding photographer - until much later. While the photographer or videographer is a last thought for some couples, it should really be the first.

Advantages of Interviewing Wedding Photographers Early:

You’ll be able to view various photographic styles from different photographers. You may not know if you like contemporary, traditional, black and white, artistic or photo-journalistic until you view all the options.You’ll have time to meet the photographer who will actually attend your ceremony, and in some cases his assistant. Not only will you want to make sure you like his photographs, you should also like him. Think of your photographer as a guest at your wedding. You will want someone with whom you click! If you begin early enough, you can hire your photographer to document your engagement. While seeing a portfolio will give you an idea of his style and finished product, you may want to know how your photographer works before the big day.
Wedding Photography Experience is of Particular Importance:

A photographer who specializes in weddings learns how to capture the most important moments throughout the day while not distracting you or your guests from them. They learn to be discreet, while capturing the mood, emotion, sentiment and details of your wedding day. Just as important, they will dress appropriately and act professionally.

Benefits of Professional Wedding Photography Studios:

A professional photography studio specializing in weddings has quite a few benefits over the individual photographer.
With multiple photographers on staff, you are more likely to secure your date.Professional wedding photography studios provide the latest equipment and software. Not only will the photographer capture your wedding in spectacular detail, they can enhance the images after the event.Professional photography studios carry insurance/general liability, enabling them to work any venue with these requirements for vendors. Professional wedding photography studios provide binding written contracts. Your contract details include: the actual photographer shooting the wedding, guaranteed pricing, deposit and cancellation fees, any additional charges for extra services.Professional wedding photography studios will be able to provide references from multiple clients, detailing their experiences.
Of course, you don’t have to take our word for it. The BBB has more information and tips on choosing a professional wedding photographer at www.bbb.org/us/article/tips-on-choosing-a-wedding-photographer-627.