6 Steps to Choosing the Perfect Wedding Photographer in Colorado
You’re officially engaged! These next few months will be full of excitement as you plan one of the biggest events of your life. Choosing your vendors can feel overwhelming, especially when it comes to photography. Unlike cakes, flowers, and even makeup and hair, you can’t really try out photography before it happens. Yet, it’s one of the only things you get to keep after your wedding. The food, cocktails, flowers, decorations, these will all be gone when it’s over. You likely will never wear the dress again. What you get is your loved ones, your ring, and your photographs. That’s why photography is so important. So how do vet the options? Here are 6 steps to help you find the perfect wedding photographer for your big day:
1. Find Your Style
A simple glance at a few of your friends’ wedding photos will tell you there are a LOT of different styles out there. There’s Fine Art photography, Traditional, Film, Editorial/Fashion, Light and Airy, Aerial, Vintage, and many more. Perhaps you’ve never considered this, and don’t worry, many people haven’t. But take some time reviewing these different styles and note what catches your eye. Since you’re here, there’s likely something about our style that you enjoy. Here’s how we describe it:
JMGant Photography has an aesthetic and style founded in photojournalism. It emphasizes a deep, creative flair using bold colors and expert lighting techniques. We are artists capturing the moments as they actually happen, as creatively as possible.
2. Research Your Prospective Photographers
Once you’ve found your style, you’re likely to find a few photographers who fit the bill. Don’t stop there. Start your research by looking through their websites and searching their names independently from their websites. What else do they have going on? Look at reviews on Google, The Knot, etc. Take some time to scroll through their Facebook and Instagram pages. How do they interact with their followers? Is the feedback you’re seeing positive? How long have they been in business? Are they busy? These and similar questions should start to give you a good feel for how they interact with their clients.
3. Request an Interview
There is so much more to a wedding photographer than having a nice camera and creating nice photos. Send your prospective photographer an email with a bit of information about you, your soon-to-be spouse, and your wedding. Meet with them (in person, by video, whatever works for you) to verify their availability (most photographers book their dates months or even years in advance) and to learn what the process of working with them is like. Are they hands-on, organized, and helping you through your wedding planning process to ensure you get the best photos possible? Or are they hands-off and simply going to shoot whatever happens? Does their personality and style match what you’re looking for?
4. Come to the Interview Prepared
Being prepared to meet with your photographer will ensure that you don’t miss the hard questions. We have an entire article with suggestions on what to ask your photographer. Here are a few highlights:
· Can we see multiple, complete wedding galleries from the last year?
· How many weddings have you photographed?
· What is your contingency plan?
Wedding photography is full of inexperienced individuals. And weddings are full of surprises. That mixture can be catastrophic. This is one photo session where you don’t want to risk hiring an amateur. If you discover any red flags with any of these questions, you should continue your search.
5. Consider Packages, but Don’t Settle
As we mentioned, after the wedding day is over, what is left is your loved one, your ring, and your photographs. Of course, everyone has a budget to consider, but wedding photography is not a place to skimp. Most wedding photographers are going to base their pricing on the coverage time required and the products included. Our packages range from 6 hours to unlimited day-of coverage. All of our packages include the edited digital files with a print release. Most of our clients also receive a wedding album that becomes a family heirloom.
Some things to look for in your packages:
· How many hours of coverage are included?
· How many photographers will there be?
· Does it include an engagement session?
· Are all the photos edited?
· Do I get the copyright?
· Is an album included?
6. Book Your Photographer
Once you’ve chosen your style, researched and interviewed your photographer, considered the packages, and ensured there are no red flags, it’s time to book. Don’t delay, because photographers book out far in advance. Be aware that most photographers will require a non-refundable retainer payment to hold the date. Once you’re booked, continue to get to know your photographer and develop a relationship of trust with them. After all, you are likely to spend more time with your photographer than any other person on your wedding day.
Bonus Tips
· Don’t put a lot of stock into the vendor’s referral list. Although they may very well be great photographers, do the research like you would any other photographer.
· You MUST see multiple, complete galleries. You cannot base your decision on the photographer’s highlights only. For obvious reasons, photographers show their best photos, from all different weddings, so seeing several, full, delivered galleries is important.
· Ask for references. Having a short email conversation or phone call with a previous couple may give just the insight you need to feel confident before booking.
· We know that wedding planning is not easy and can often feel overwhelming. Please visit our Client Resources for more helpful tips. If we can help in any way, don’t hesitate to reach out.
