How to Choose your Wedding Photographer

Whether you’re planning a proposal and want to hire a photographer to capture the moment, or are newly engaged and sorting through the tons of local wedding vendors, your wedding photographer is one of the most important! Your wedding photographer will be capturing moments that you will cherish forever. You’ll want to put in some extra effort to make sure you find the perfect fit! Here are some tips from a few of our favorite Austin wedding photographers on choosing the best photographer for you.

determine your style

While step one is probably the most common consideration when choosing a photographer – it is one of the most important! What style photos appeal to you? Do you prefer a light and airy look, dark and moody, or somewhere in the middle? Look through their photos and make sure you like their editing. Do you like how the colors look? Do you notice any special edits like airbrushing – and do you like that? Most photographers have a signature style – and it’s unlikely they’ll make any major changes to that, so you want to make sure you enjoy their work for what it is and aren’t finding things you’d want to change!

Also consider the couples in the photos. Do they seem stiff and posed? Natural and in love? While everyone has different levels of comfort behind the camera, some photographers typically focus more on posed shots, rather than candids. Decide what your preference is, and find a photographer who focuses on that! When you have a good photographer and are comfortable with them and trust them, you’ll look more natural behind the lens even if you’re a little camera shy! Kelsey with Feather & Twine says it best, “trust that they’ll be your guide.” Meaning, let your wedding photographer lead you through the process.

Consider your needs

Now that you’ve figured out what style photos appeal to you, you’ll need to determine your needs. Do you want this photographer to do engagement and wedding day photos? Boudoir? Rehearsal dinner photos? Make sure they offer the sessions you are looking for. If you’re interested in videography, you may want to look into teams that handle both photos and video. Consider how many hours of coverage their packages include. Most offer anywhere from 6-10 hours, but might have options if your timeline is shorter or longer. With that, you’ll need to determine how many hours of the day you actually want captured. Maybe you don’t mind skipping the grand exit photos, or you don’t want your “getting ready” process documented – or maybe you want every moment covered! This is important to discuss with photographers to determine if their services are a good fit for your needs.

Get to know them

This is one tip we heard from several photographers. “It’s imperative to interview your photographer! Get to know them before deciding to book because when you two click, it’s far easier to let your guard down and capture the real you.” – said Rebekah Paul.

You’ll be spending a lot of time with your photographer on wedding day since you are the primary focus of the photos! Take Ann Mark’s advice, “Look for someone you connect with on a personal level. You’ll want to feel like friends instead of strangers!” 

You’ll be much happier and more comfortable when you get along with your photographer and enjoy spending time with them. Find someone you can laugh with, share things in common with and look forward to working with. 

Have a trial run

We always recommend working with your chosen wedding photographer prior to your wedding day. Albert Suarez says “Getting experience with them for engagement photos is a good way to get a glimpse into what the wedding day will be like.” If you’ve already done engagement photos, or don’t have interest in those, see if your photographer offers couples or mini sessions. During the session, take note of how they guide and interact with you. Did you have fun, or did it feel awkward? Nerves are normal, but you want to feel confident that your photographer has your best interest at heart!

Sarah Tribett loves engagement sessions because the experience “will help calm any nerves about getting your photos taken on the wedding day and helps the day feel smooth and comfortable!” This session should act as reassurance that you’ve found the best photographer for you.

Time to book!!

Once you feel confident that you’ve found the best photographer, book them! With all the weddings coming up in 2022 and 2023, dates may be limited – so as soon as you find the right fit don’t hesitate! If you still need help deciding, or want some personalized recommendations, let’s chat! We not only provide all our couples with our list of preferred vendors, but can narrow that down with more specialized recommendations as well.

Still feeling a bit confused about the different editing styles? Here are some more examples to help you narrow it down.

Bright + Airy

Natural

Warm

Moody / Dark

Need help choosing the perfect photographer? Let us help! Click here to send us an inquiry.
Bianca Nichole and Co is a team of wedding planners in Austin, and will travel to San Antonio, Fredericksburg and the surrounding Texas Hill Country area.