It can be overwhelming and at times discouraging looking for a wedding photographer. You may find many are already booked, be bombarded by photographers if you attended a bridal show ... and get ready to receive a lot of advice from friends and family. Everyone knows a photographer these days, right?

My goal as a professional photographer is to help make your decision process less stressful, and hopefully a fun experience. Going into the search knowing exactly what you are wanting is key. Ask yourself a couple of questions...

First, what style of wedding photography do you like? Here are a few common styles among professional and beginner photographers.

Traditional - Posing is classic with a focus on key shots (cake cutting, toasts, bouquet toss, etc). Off-camera or on-camera lighting is typically used. Traditional wedding photography can require more experience with posing, lighting knowledge and the overall flow of the wedding day. 

Photojournalistic - This is the most popular style because it's a little traditional but heavy on the documentary style of shooting, telling the story of your special day through posed and candid shots. This style requires switching between creative lighting and natural light on a dime. Knowing camera settings and predicting the next shot is crucial, requiring an experienced photographer.

Dark and Moody - Photos are edited to have more of a dark, film-like quality. This style is accomplished during the editing process. Some beginner photographers use this style because it's easy to hide errors of not being familiar with shooting properly. (Please note, there are some awesome professional wedding photographers who shoot this style intentionally.) If you want a different creative expression of your day this style may be for you, but if you are wanting to remember the day exactly how it was (meaning exposure and colors) I would go with another style.

Natural Light - This style has been called light and airy by clients, which can be a bit confusing and lead to a misunderstanding when the client receives their images. Light and airy editing can be done with many styles through editing. When a photographer says their style is natural light wedding photography, they are saying there is no on or off camera lighting used. This means they will use low aperture settings and a high ISO, typically adding grain or motion blur to an image. Natural light photography is best if the wedding and reception will be outdoors or the venue has a lot of ambient light.

Ok, so you know the style of wedding photography you want … great! Let’s talk money.

Before beginning your search set a budget. You will see prices ranging from $500 to over $6K. That's a crazy range, I know!

There is a reason for this price gap, and it all comes down to experience, skill and whats included.

 The graph below will give you an idea of what ranges you can expect to pay. 

If you are ok with a student or someone who does photography on the side photograph your big day, you can definitely save money. They may have some examples of wedding photos, but keep in mind it's possible they may have had a mentor help them take those photos or they may have gone to a photography class where lighting was set up for them. If you are ok with taking a chance and not having crazy expectations it's an option - they may be great!

Semi-Pros have shot some weddings and they may have a wedding portfolio for you to check out. Some questions to ask them would be: How many weddings have they photographed as the lead photographer? Do they shoot full time or is it just a side job or hobby? It's always ok to has how confident they are shooting weddings.

Professional photographers are full-time photographers who live photography on a daily basis. They will have experience and a workflow from the time you contact them to the delivery of the images. You can be at ease and know they know the pre-wedding, day of and post-wedding ins and outs. They can hold your hand thought the entire process, answer questions and deliver amazing images. 

Now onto Grand Masters. I am not going to go into everything it entails to earn the Grand Master title, but if you are not in the photography world it's hard to appreciate this honor. Let me just say they have worked very, very hard, are more than likely educators and speakers of the craft and their amount of skill and knowledge to the details of photography is immense.

No matter which way you go - even if it's a student - SIGN A CONTRACT. If the photographer does not have one, I would highly recommend finding a way to get one signed. Most professional photographers should have one ready to go.

The contract is not only for your peace of mind, but the photographer will be committed to being there for you on your date. There is nothing worse than being contacted by an upset bride in a frenzy trying to find a photographer because their "photographer" canceled on them at the last minute.

Style ... CHECK!

Budget ... CHECK!

Preferred Skill Level ... CHECK!

Now how do you find them? 

Students and Semi-Pro photographers can be found through friends and family - everyone knows a photographer these days - or post on the buy/sell trade sites. Simply post you are looking for someone who wants to build their wedding photography portfolio and you will get lots of replies. Just keep your expectations at a comparable level.

Professional and Grand Master Wedding Photographers can be found through a simple Google search. Some helpful search terms are:

Professional wedding photographers in (your area)

Professional destination wedding photographer

Professional wedding photographers near me 

Grand Master photographers in (your area) 

*Note when looking at pricing or requesting quotes make sure you know what is included. Some photographers are charging just for time, others include digital images and/or print products.

Narrow down your search to your top three. Make sure you like their work and have a good vibe about them.

Contact them to see if they are available for your date. (Hopefully, one or two will be available.) Review their pricing, comparing what is or is not included.  

Find the best bang for you buck and quickly book that perfect for you photographer! Make sure to let other photographers know you have booked a photographer. It's the right thing to do so they can keep that date available for the next happy couple. 

Note: if the photographer wants to set up a time to meet, make that happen! Its always nice to get to know the couple (and your photographer) before the big day.

Now to start thinking about flowers, table settings, bridal party gifts, guest gifts (what about a photo booth?). Do I need/want a DJ? Should I add a donut wall? Bubbles or sparklers for the exit? What about the honeymoon? Food trucks or the traditional set down dinner? To tip vendors or not to tip vendors? …

Hey, I never said this was a blog about making all your wedding day decisions a piece of cake. :/