Hello beautiful brides! I hope you all had an AMAZING Valentine’s Day weekend! This Wednesday marks my first Wedding Wednesday post! It’s been my dream to teach since I was little! But, I took a slightly different direction after high school (cue wedding photography dream). This winter, I’ve felt SO inspired to start helping and serving newly engaged couples!

On Wedding Wednesday, I’ll blog about your common questions! This could be anything from what to wear for your engagement session, to choosing a photographer, to types of bouquets & dresses! I’m so excited to finally be able guide you towards your perfect wedding! Leave your questions or topic ideas in the comment box and check back next week for more Wedding Wednesday!

Today I want to talk to you about choosing the PERFECT wedding photographer for YOU and your groom! I mean, there are SO many types of photographers, and probably hundreds in your area alone! You’re going to be spending the whole day with them and you want to trust that they’ll capture your day in the most beautiful way possible, so how do you make the best decision for YOU?

1. Research, research, research!
A little bit of research goes a LONG way! Take time to search for the photographer who speaks to you! Ask you friends, go to bridal fairs, search on wedding blogs! Don’t just choose the first one that comes along in your google search. With all the wedding planning you’re doing, it’s definitely tempting to take the easier route and hire the first one you contact, but you could end up regretting that decision later if you find out that your photographer doesn’t have the style you had envisioned. It’s a good idea to decide what kind of style you’re looking for before you start your search! Every photographer has their own unique shooting and editing style, so narrow down your favorite style first! Here’s a list of common types of wedding photography to help get you started!

Traditional:
This style of photography is VERY formal! You can expect mostly posed photos, including posing during the bridal preparations and posing during the first dance. It’s a timeless style and usually the photographer works from a “shot list” to ensure all moments of your day are formally captured. A traditional photographer will usually use flash throughout the day. The best part about this style of photography is that you KNOW you will have a traditional shot at every big moment. The disadvantage to this photography is that most of your shots are staged and not spontaneous (posed when you’re getting in the dress, after your first kiss, during the cake cutting, during the first dance, etc…).

Documentary/Photojournalistic:
A lot of people think that every style of photography is photojournalistic, after all, every photographer is capturing moments, right? While this is true, yes photography is capturing moments, this style puts an emphasis on capturing real life moments exactly how they unfold. No intervening, no posing. This photographer likes to be as candid as possible while creating your wedding story, but will often jump right in to the action of a moment. They provide minimal direction so you can enjoy your wedding day without interruptions. While this is GREAT, you’re also relying on the photographer to capture the best moments without a shot list, although most professional photographers work off a memorized shot list anyways, it’s still a slight disadvantage to this style.

Artistic:
This style of photography is very unconventional and the opposite of traditional! This photographer uses interesting angles and interesting light to capture the subject and often uses very non-traditional posing. They usually will take a more hands-off approach for documenting your wedding and will compose your photos in an artistic way, usually creating a dramatic result. This style of photography is also quite experimental. Be prepared to give your photographer complete freedom to tell your story from their point of view. By giving this style of photographer the complete freedom they need, you’ll definitely get some amazing and interesting shots. But you also have to give up the idea of getting posed and traditional shots. Couples that book this style of photographer are usually VERY spontaneous and adventurous, and they love the surprise of not knowing what their photographer will create!

Lifestyle:
This style is similar to photojournalism, but curated in a more aesthetically pleasing way. This photographer likes to remain candid, but also likes to style the scene in a natural way by providing some direction. For example, during the bridal preparations, the photographer might tell you that the sunroom photographs better than the family room, or that you should get your make up done next to a window. They are providing you with just enough direction to get the best photos possible, without disturbing the moments in between. Lifestyle photographers prefer to use natural light to create a more natural, clean, and relaxed photo, and they usually edit with a brighter, airy style.

Editorial:
This style is often associated with fashion photography. If you pick up any wedding magazine right now (I suggest heading over to Style Me Pretty or Once Wed), you’ll find this style EVERYWHERE. It focuses on creating images that portray your wedding in the most beautiful way possible, usually using soft, natural light. This style also put emphasis on the details of your day, such as the dress shot, bouquet shot, and close-up ring shots. An editorial photographer won’t tell your story as realistically as a photojournalist, but will ensure that you get beautiful, clean images by styling the details and composing the shots to tell a story without allowing distractions of the real world (ahem, that trash can in the background won’t be in your photos!).

I define MY style as “Lifestyle-Editorial”. I allow moments to unfold, while providing a little direction to ensure that you get the brightest, most beautiful images! Remaining candid in most situations is a must, but getting the prettiest images is also a priority for me! When choosing your photographer, make sure they have the style you want and love! There are LOTS of styles so don’t forget to research others that aren’t on this list!

2. Trust Your Photographer!
This is SUPER important! The last thing you want is to be questioning your photographer on the wedding day asking if they got this shot or that shot. You want to trust that your photographer is getting all the shots you could ever hope for! Trust that they will make you look beautiful, trust that they will capture your wedding in the most flattering way, trust that they won’t steer you wrong! This is so important! Not only does it put YOU at ease throughout the process, it also really helps out your photographer when you give them the creative freedom they need to do their best work!

3. Meet Before You Sign
How do you know if you can trust your photographer? It will mostly happen in a “gut feeling”. You’ll feel comfortable around them, you won’t have any doubts that they are the right photographer for you! Set up a meeting/interview with your potential photographers (they will be thrilled to meet you in person!). This is the time to ask questions! Ask them about their style, ask them about their wedding collections! What happens if they’re sick on your wedding day? Do they have back-up equipment? This is the time when you will find out if you can trust them with your wedding photos! Trust your gut. If something doesn’t feel right, they probably aren’t the right photographer for YOU! And that’s okay! Keep meeting with others until you find your perfect match! 🙂

4. Do Your Personalities Mesh?
If you and your fiancé are super outgoing, love to party, love being loud, then maybe it’s best not to choose a photographer who is very timid and quiet. I mean, there’s nothing wrong with choosing a photographer who doesn’t fit well with your personality, but you are going to be spending LOTS of time with them before and during the wedding. It might be beneficial to choose a photographer who is also outgoing. Having similar personalities will help you connect with each other, and in return, you’ll be more comfortable around them, which will likely result in better photos!

5. Ask to See Full Wedding Days
Most photographers display only the best images from their weddings. Most brides don’t care to see images of another bride getting her hair done. And they certainly don’t want to see every family photo taken. This is why photographers select the best images from the wedding to display on their website. But, if you decide that you LOVE their style and want to book with them, make sure you have the opportunity to see a few FULL weddings. Just because the images on their website look great, doesn’t mean that their family portraits are just as beautiful.

You want to know that your photographer will capture every part of your day in the most flattering way possible! By not asking to see a full wedding, you’re potentially inviting disaster into your life. No one wants disaster. Seeing a full wedding will help you better understand the types of images a photographer will produce throughout the entire day, and not just during the key moments!

I know this was a pretty long blog, but my goal is to assist in choosing the PERFECT wedding photographer for you! You are going to have these photos for the rest of your life! It’s worth the investment to hire a photographer who’s style and personality you truly love! I hope this will help make your search & decision a little easier! Happy Wedding Planning!
Leave your questions or topic ideas in the comment box and check back next week for more Wedding Wednesday!