What Not to Do When Hiring A Wedding Photographer

 

In the online space, you hear a lot about hiring a wedding photographer — what to look for, what questions to ask, and what to expect. But maybe the more important question to ask is what should you avoid doing when hiring a wedding photographer? How exactly do you find a wedding photographer that is the right fit for you personally? 

Sometimes we can do all of the right things … but it is what you are not doing that makes it easier to hire the wrong photographer, a photographer that doesn’t quite understand you and your vision. 

 

 

Top 3 Mistakes to Avoid When Hiring a Wedding Photographer

 

Avoiding a Phone Call 

I get it. Everyone is busy and we all avoid jumping on phone calls as much as possible because, let’s be honest, email or texting is so much easier. 

But having a phone conversation with your perspective photographer is something every couple needs to do. It’s so much more important than you think. 

And why exactly do you need to have this call? 

 

For starters, this is an extremely intimate time in your life. And because of this intimate nature, it’s important to connect to your wedding photographer in a way other than text or email because those are innately impersonal forms of communication. A text or email doesn’t convey tone or allow you to decipher all of the verbal cues that we get when we actually speak to someone.

By having a phone call, you can see if you have a connection with your photographer because having that connection will only help facilitate a more seamless and fluid wedding photography experience. 

First impressions are important and your relationship with your photographer begins the moment you first make contact with them. A phone call is the first step to building trust between you and someone who you don’t really know. It breaks the ice in a way that text messaging or emailing can’t. You don’t want your photographer to feel like a stranger. You want to feel comfortable with them; you want to feel like you know them. 

And a phone call is the first step in seeing if this is possible. 

 

Second, having a phone call allows you to really dive deep into how the photographer approaches weddings — learning about what they value and how they work within your vision. 

It is wildly important that you pick a photographer who aligns with your own personal goals for the day. If you want natural, photojournalistic wedding images, choosing someone who is highly stylized and editorial isn’t going to get you the results you want. 

The same applies for choosing a wedding photographer who is highly photojournalistic and doesn’t do any kind of posing. If you want some posed imagery with an editorial edge, your visions won’t align. 

You aren’t going to get the images you want if you don’t hire a photographer who values getting the same types of images. 

Just looking at a photographer’s website or social media accounts isn’t enough to know that your photographer has the right approach for you. You need to have a conversation with them to get enough information to know you are making the best decision for you. 

 

 

Hiring Based on the “Packaging”

Bear with me on this one for a moment. 

Marketing is important. As a business owner, I’ll be the first one to tell you that.  And an important part of marketing is a business’s branding – otherwise known as their packaging. This branding is anything a consumer sees – websites, social media, etc. 

And we all know that good marketing creates desire, but the surface value of a good marketing strategy isn’t necessarily the full story. 

This is why it is so easy, when searching for a wedding photographer, to fall victim to a pretty website and captivating branding. 

In other words, do not choose a photographer that is NOT your style just because it’s beautifully packaged. It may seem that a photographer is a perfect fit because you resonate on a surface level with their website. But finding and connecting with your ideal wedding photographer goes much deeper than that. 

Yes, you do want to love your photographer’s  “packaging,” but you must look beyond that and be assured that they can understand you at an elemental level and be able to deliver photographs that align with who you and your partner are as people.

And in the same vein, you can’t hire a photographer because you like their social media presence but then expect them to change their photography style. Really take the time before you hire someone and look at their work and their values from all sides. You want to hire them for who they are, not who you want them to be.

If you and your photographer aren’t aligned on this more rudimentary level, the image creation process is prone to feel forced and inauthentic, which will definitely affect how you feel about the final images. 

 

 

Not Participating in Your Photographer’s Process

The final mistake that I see so many couples making when hiring a wedding photographer is by making their photographer work harder by not participating in their process. 

I’ll add the caveat, again, that I know we are all busy but, please, follow your photographer’s process. If you’re going so far as to actually hire someone, don’t do your photographer or yourself the disservice of not following through with your end of the deal. It’s more conducive if you think of yourself less as a customer and more so as a collaborator.

Your photographer is a professional and has created a process that sets the stage for them to work in their most authentic and productive manner. And this may necessitate some contribution and feedback from you. 

Many photographers request questionnaires from their couples to help better understand their photography needs. Or they may ask that you have certain items, or certain people, that are ready at specific times. Or they might ask to collaborate on the timeline so they can know for sure they have enough time to get the images you need. These are all done with your experience and your images at the center of their motivation.

By meeting them in the middle and giving them the information they need, you will only be setting yourself up for greater success — meaning more amazing images and a more enjoyable time. 

 

 

Hiring a Wedding Photographer

Next step? Finding your perfect wedding photographer.

Being informed reduces the likelihood that you make a poor decision on something as important and irreplaceable as your wedding photography. As your photographer, I want to keep my clients informed on matters that will make the greatest difference in experiencing and remembering your day. If you want to find out what this means for you specifically, shoot me a message via my contact form here – and here’s hoping that we can showcase your love in the best light.