The right photographer & vendors will immediately PUT YOU at ease
Now that you've found your soul mate, you're ready to find a photographer to capture you both making it official.
Many couples begin their wedding photographer search with no previous knowledge of hiring a professional photographer – maybe you posted in a facebook group and quickly learned that finding people willing to photograph your wedding isn’t difficult. Depending on the location, it's common to receive 10 - 200 inquiries from wedding photographers keen to capture your special day in these groups which can be overwhelming.
As you begin to explore photographer's websites, you might quickly discover a range of styles and pricing or none at all. No two couples are the same, and many vendors including photographers develop tailored and custom quotes and coverage recommendations based on what your unique needs are for your wedding day coverage. With that said, most couples ultimately want to feel the same way about their wedding photos and experience: to feel beautiful, confident, and have wonderful memories they'll cherish for a lifetime. There are a diversity of roads to take, to arrive at the end goal, which is to cherish these photos as a part of your legacy.
If you’re now wondering how to choose a professional wedding photographer that will be a great fit for this journey, the following are some important insights into how to approach your inquiry process. Ultimately, the goal is to develop a short list of talent that make your feel fully confident in – and excited for – your wedding day coverage.
The information in this complimentary guide is intended to offer recommendations and insights into things to look for, what to anticipate, and what questions to ask as you explore the galleries and portfolios of potential wedding photographers. It's largely based on my own expertise as a wedding photographer (and research writer), and a few great resources I've quoted throughout the guide.
Ultimately, finding the right photographer is a practice of your own artistic preferences, knowledge about what to look for, and heart/gut feeling following a consultation and interview process with those lucky enough to make your short list.
With that said, unless you're a wedding photographer yourself, there are some great resources out there to help you with your journey! It's my hope that this guide will be one of them – and one of the many helpful tools in your journey towards booking the best possible vendors for your day.
Best of luck with your search and this next chapter of your love story!
Warmly,
Kate Tutty
Photographer & Editor
Things to look for in a wedding photographer
HOW TO UNDERSTAND VALUE
Weddings are highly technical and premium events. To cover them well and deliver outstanding imagery they require significant client care and consultation, high end photography gear, composition and technical mastery, in these ever changing environments. If you're curious why the costs of wedding photographers vary significantly, something to keep in mind is the following – a small UK study (2020) recently found that wedding photographers typically spend around 4% of their time actually taking photos of weddings and the rest on editing, album and product design, and communication with clients and business administration.
Photographers, like most small business owners, must account for overhead and taxes with their pricing. It's not uncommon for their take home to be 1/3 of what's quoted, and for them to then take 40 or more hours to edit 1,000 images.
Here are some significant factors that shape a wedding photographer's pricing:
- Whose on their team.
All small businesses are unique in how they operate – some wedding photographers prefer to oversee every aspect of the process, while others subcontract to associates to cover weddings and potentially editors as well. - Deliverables included.
Preserving and displaying your memories is the most important part of the investment. While some photographers provide digital galleries, others also include heirloom albums, wall art, folio boxes, slide shows and other prints or gift cards in their packages. - Experience and education.
Training, developing and enhancing our capacity to care for clients and deliver incredible art work is a significant investment. Career photographers typically operate as small business owners and contractors, who then must regularly invest in workshops, education, and mentoring opportunities to keep their portfolio and professional capacities relevant and inspiring. - Limited availability.
Given that many weddings occur on weekends, every photographer is inherently limited in which dates they can take during peak season. - Pre and post production time.
Consultation and meeting time, location scouting, editing, album artwork and ordering represents a number of essential tasks that occur beyond the wedding day itself. This can often represent 40+ hours of work outside of the wedding day. - Tools and depreciation costs.
It's not uncommon for a photographer to take 500 photos during a session and 4,000+ photos during a wedding. Some pro models of Canon camera bodies (valued at 3k USD) commonly have a shutter lifespan of 150,000 articulations before repairs are required. It's also not uncommon for professional photographers to have 5 - 30k worth of equipment. My own kit is valued at and insured for 20k CAD. - Overhead, software, marketing, insurance, licensing, and taxes.
No business can operate without these costs, unfortunately.
Common approaches to booking
Consultation.
After completing an inquiry form, many photographers will either send some pricing options right away or reach out personally to arrange a consultation to learn the details of your ceremony and coverage needs. During an initial meeting you may chat about your unique love story, what you loved about the venue you booked, travel logistics, how the planning process is going, other vendors you're looking for, what's most important to capture, and any challenges or needs that require a solution. Remember, this person is the one getting a front row seat to all your wedding day feelings. I highly recommend you connect on a personal level, and confirm they're someone you can be yourselves around.
The Numbers.
No two ceremonies are exactly the same. Some photographers will provide their standard price sheet upon contact, and others will provide a custom quote and proposal most relevant to your coverage needs. I prefer the latter approach, and you can learn more about my approach and rates here.
Scheduling.
Many photographers will ask you to review and complete a contract and booking questionnaire, and provide a 20% - 50% non-refundable retainer to secure your dates. The remaining balance is typically due a minimum of two - four weeks prior to your session. As mentioned, wedding photographers can book 12 to 24 months in advance! If you've got your heart set on a specific photographer, contact them as soon as you've secured your venue dates to avoid disappointment. Some vendors will have greater availability and alternative pricing options for weekday dates; this can be a good option for elopement coverage planned within shorter timelines.
If you need anything, I'm here to help
I really adore guiding and helping couples on their wedding photography journey. Before returning to photography as a career path, I was a hospitality manager for 4 years and believe that the experience is as valuable as the outcome. Wedding photos are heirlooms that are a part of your legacy and it's my wish that you find an invest in artwork that you'll cherish for years to come.
If I can help you in any way, please book yourself in for a free discovery call if you'd like to chat about booking me to cover your special day.
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