9 Tips to Find the Perfect Photographer for Your Wedding

Every wedding is full of memories and wedding photographs allow you to relive those memories any time you want. That is why it is so important to hire the perfect photographer for your wedding. You want every little and special moment captured in a photograph and only a professional wedding photographer has a knack of capturing every little detail of your special day. So how do you find that perfect photographer? Just follow these tips and you will have that perfect photographer standing with you on the D-day. Ask Around Your search for a photographer can start with your friends and acquaintances.  Ask your friends and acquaintances if they know a good photographer. Maybe your friend or someone he/she knows recently got married and he/she can recommend you their photographer like The Wed Café who are well-known for candid wedding photography. Remember to find out what kind of experience they had, what kind of style was used, and what kind of personal rapport they had with their photographer. In the event that your friends are not able to recommend you any photographer, you can start your search on the net. What Type of Style Do You Prefer The key to finding the perfect photographer is to first decide on the type of style that you prefer for your wedding photos. Do you prefer portrait style, documentary style, or photojournalistic style? If you are not really sure about the style, you can check out wedding albums of the photographers and see what clicks for you. Once you have zeroed in on the style, you need to focus your search on photographers who deal with that style. Check Out Their Portfolio and Website To get an idea of the quality of their work, it is best to check out their portfolio and websites. Check out the photos that they have shot. Pay close attention to how they have captured key moments in the wedding. Make sure that you note how the people in the photographs are feeling. Do they look comfortable, are their smiles forced, or are they posing? Are the images crisp or blurry? Also, read the testimonials and see what exactly people are saying about the photographer. This will give you a pretty good idea about whether to pursue this photographer or not. Meet Face to Face Setting up an interview is an absolute critical step in finding that perfect photographer for your wedding. The face to face meeting will help you determine whether you get along or not. It is absolutely imperative that you feel comfortable around your photographer and that you trust him to deliver the best. The bonding that you have with your photographer will be reflected in your wedding photos and you definitely do not want to look uncomfortable in them. Face to face meeting will also give you a chance to review their complete wedding albums. Most photographers display their best photos on their websites. While this will give you a fairly good idea of the quality of their work, but will not give you a complete picture. A detailed review of their wedding albums will help you determine whether the photographer is apt at handling the style that you prefer and the type of wedding that you are having. For example, if you are having an indoor wedding, does the photographer have experience with indoor weddings? You should also request the photographer to give you contact details of some of his clients so that you can get feedback about his work from them directly. Discuss Your Budget Your final wedding album will definitely depend on your budget. Therefore, you need to find out how much different packages will cost. Do you want the photographer for the D-day only or do you want him to cover other functions also? If you request special effects, how much would the charges be? Do you want one or two shooter? Find out if there are any extra charges? A candid discussion of your budget will give a clear cut idea about the kind of wedding album that you will get. A good photographer offers multiple packages to suit the client’s needs and requirements. Check Out Experience It is not a rule set in stone that those with experience will deliver you the best service; however, in most cases it is true. The photographer of your choice needs to have experience dealing with the style of photography that you prefer and the type of wedding (beach wedding, indoor wedding, moonlight wedding, etc.) that you are having). It is possible that you come across a photographer who does not have so much experience, but his portfolio is so impressive that you might decide to hire him. Do Not Leave the Details Out In a rush to finalize their photographers, many people forget to discuss the minute details. For example, have you discussed with your photographer when the final album will be delivered? Find out if the images will be high or low resolution and will there be any special effects? Will you have the rights to the final images? If you do not have the rights to the images, you will not be able to post them. You might have to shell out extra to buy the rights. Book Early Do not wait for the last minute to book your wedding photographer. Most of the experienced wedding photographers are booked at least a year or two in advance. So if you wait for the last minute, you might not be able to find a good photographer for your wedding. Your search for a wedding photographer should start as soon as you have a tentative date for your wedding and the booking should follow soon thereafter. Sign a Contract A contract spells out your rights, how much you will pay, the services that are going to be offered, and other minute details in clear terms. A contract will ensure that your photographer will not back out of the deal and will deliver what was promised. These tips are not in any random order, but they are important aspects of finding a perfect wedding photographer. Remember that you cannot redo your wedding, so it is important to find a professional photographer to catch the perfect moments. For more such interesting tips, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Download our magazine Spunky Indian for exclusive stories.