Guide to Hiring a Wedding Photographer
Yay! You’re engaged! Now what?! Once you have your wedding date chosen, you can find a venue and book your photographer. Choosing a wedding photographer in Lexington, Kentucky, can be challenging. There are a lot of wedding photographers in Lexington, and they run the gamut in pricing. I hope this guide will help you find your dream wedding photographer.
Why Hire a Professional Wedding Photographer
Let’s first start with figuring out exactly why you would want to hire a wedding photographer. A couple questions to ask yourself include:
What do I want to do with the photos from my wedding day?
How do I want to remember this day?
If all you want to do is swipe through pictures on your phone and let them sit among the thousands of other pictures on your phone, you may not need a wedding photographer. If, however, you want to remember one of the most important days of your life in a meaningful way, like by hanging prints on the wall or having an heirloom photo album designed, you should seriously consider hiring a professional wedding photographer.
I say professional because many couples are tempted to ask a friend or family member with a camera if they can photograph the wedding in an effort to save money. Look, I get it. Budget is a factor for most of us. But ask yourself this – how much are memories of the most important day of your life worth?
Wedding Photography Styles
As you’re researching wedding photographers in Lexington, you’ll no doubt come across different styles of photography. You’ll see self-described styles like documentary, fine art, editorial, and traditional, among others.
Let’s define each one:
Documentary wedding photography has roots in photojournalism and aims to tell a narrative story of your wedding day through true-to-life imagery and editing.
Fine art wedding photography leans into the artistic aspects of photography, and you will usually see creative compositions, tools, and lighting.
Editorial wedding photography is inspired by fashion and magazine spreads. The photographer direct and pose heavily and will often use elaborate lighting setups to achieve a preconceived image.
Traditional wedding photography focuses on formally posed portraits and classic shots of the couple, the bridal party and family members.
Each has its pluses and minuses, and the beauty of having so many photographers at various price points is there is a great photographer for everyone! The flipside, however, is it can be difficult to wade through and find one that you connect with.
How To Narrow Down the List
It can be super overwhelming finding the right wedding photographer. Here are some questions to ask yourself to help narrow down the selection:
What is your overall vibe as a couple? It is so important to connect with your wedding photographer. For example, introverted couples can get drained quickly by an extremely extroverted wedding photographer. By forming a connection with your wedding photographer, you build trust, and that will lead to better wedding photos. You can get a sense of a photographer’s vibe through their “About Me” page (even better if they have a video introduction), but this is why initial consultations are so important and why I require them before I book a wedding.
How cookie cutter do you want to be? This is related to your vibe as a couple, but it’s important enough that I think it should stand alone in consideration. When you look around at wedding photographers in Lexington, what you’ll undoubtedly find is that most of their photos look the same. Obviously the people are different, but you’ll see basically the same poses, the same compositions, and even the “candid” moments will look pretty much the same. If you want your wedding photos to look like everyone else’s, you will be happy with traditional or editorial wedding photographers. If, however, you want styles that will best showcase your unique beauty, you’ll be better served by fine art and documentary wedding photographers.
How do you want to remember your day? This is in line with the previous two questions, but again, it’s important enough to stand alone. One question I usually ask during my initial consultation is – What is the one photo that absolutely cannot be missed on your wedding day? Is it your first kiss, your first dance, a beautiful portrait of you with your partner, a group shot with all your family members who are together for the first time in ages, or maybe just a photo of you both dancing with your friends having a good time. Thinking about how you want to remember the day will highly inform your choice of wedding photographers.
How much time on your wedding day do you want to dedicate specifically to photography? If you’re Ok with dedicating an hour or more of your day to couples and family portraits, a fine art or editorial wedding photographer may be the way to go. If you’re looking to spend as much time on your wedding day as possible with your friends and family, a documentary wedding photographer would be an ideal match as they stay out of the way and document as you experience the day in your own way.
How much do you want to spend? Price is almost always a factor; that’s true in life as a whole and photography specifically. I would encourage you to consider price last because it really is difficult to put a price on good wedding photography. When you’re looking back at your wedding album on your 20th wedding anniversary, which will matter more to you - the quality of the photos or the price you paid? In other words, find the best wedding photographer you can afford AND who you connect with. For what it’s worth, some photographers have payment plans available that help make their services more accessible.
Making the Final Selection
So based on your answers to those questions, you should now have a list of wedding photographers to consider. Now, you should schedule a consultation with each, whether that’s in person, over the phone, or by Zoom is up to you, but don’t skip this step. Here are some tips for your consultation:
How hard/easy was it to schedule the consultation? This could be a prediction of what it’s like working with them.
How quickly did they respond? The industry standard is a personal response within 24 hours with some leeway given if the inquiry comes in on a summer weekend (because the photographer is likely shooting a wedding and not answering emails). If you are waiting days for a response, look elsewhere.
How accommodating are they of your schedule? This is a personal pet peeve of mine and why I always offer consultations in the evenings as well as during the day. Not everyone can break away from work for 30 minutes during the day to talk about their wedding, and considering the consultation should really include both partners getting married, it can be extremely difficult to line up schedules with three people. This isn’t necessarily a deal killer; in my book, it is a good predictor of customer experience and satisfaction.
When the time comes for your consultation call, it’s essential to ask the right questions so you can make an informed decision. Keep in mind, you may be “interviewing” them to be your wedding photographer, but they are also “interviewing” you. Good wedding photographers will not book weddings with couples they know they won’t get along with; doing so is truly a disservice to the couple. Here are some questions I recommend asking during your consultation call. Depending on how the photographer runs the call, some or all of these questions may be answered in the normal flow of the conversation:
Confirm their availability on your selected wedding date
Discuss their packages and what they include (for example engagement session, albums, number of hours, number of edited images, etc.)
What is your style?
How would you describe your editing style?
How many images can we expect to receive?
What do we receive and how do we receive it?
Do you offer printed artwork and albums?
Can we see a full wedding gallery?
How do you handle backing up your images?
What is the deposit and payment schedule?
What happens if you can’t photograph our wedding?
Your overarching goal of the consultation should be, first and foremost, to determine if you connect with the photographer. Keep in mind, you’ll spend more time around your photographer than any other vendor on your wedding day, and it’s possible you’ll spend more time around the photographer than any other single person on your wedding day. Once you’ve determined that, looking at a full wedding gallery or two will give you a good idea of how the photographer approaches each segment of the day. If you don’t like what you see in a full gallery, you probably won’t be happy with them as your wedding photographer. Thank them for their time, and move on.
Factors To Consider When Choosing A Wedding Photographer
You’ve had consultation calls with the wedding photographers you’re considering ... now what? You obviously like their style; otherwise, you wouldn’t have gotten this far with them. They have your date available, and all went well on the consultation. How do you make the right choice?
First, above all else, is the connection. If you connected with one photographer more than the others, that’s your sign to move forward.
Communication is another major factor you should take into account. You want a wedding photographer who will be responsive and professional.
You want that professionalism to carry through beyond communication. Do they have a solid backup plan for their images? Do they have backup equipment? Do they have the experience commensurate with their price point?
In addition to the photographer’s shooting style, there’s also the editing style. This is a big consideration, especially in the wake of the “sepia bride” drama. That trendy editing style may look good right now, but how do you think it will age? Will it still look good in 10 years, 20 years?
Bonus Tips – Working with your Wedding Photographer
Here are some tips I have for working with your wedding photographer to get the best possible photos.
If at all possible, I STRONGLY suggest doing an engagement session with your wedding photographer. This session helps build the connection and gets you comfortable in front of the camera and with how they work.
Schedule a pre-wedding call with your wedding photographer. A week or two before your wedding day, have a call with your wedding photographer to go over things like your timeline, your vision, and any must-have moments.
During your pre-wedding call, let your photographer know your priorities for the day. Do you really want candid photos of everyone having fun? Are you really looking forward to dedicating some time to creative portraits?
Trust your photographer! You are paying your wedding photographer good money, so let them do their job! You don’t have to micromanage.
Don’t worry about a shot list/checklist. A lot of wedding sites will recommend having a check list of photos for your wedding photographer, but if you are hiring a professional, they’ll know the shots to get. Instead, what you need to tell them are the moments or shots that are outside of the ordinary. For example, is there a hand-me-down handkerchief you’re carrying or a 5th generation watch he’s wearing? Are you doing a choreographed dance when you make your grand entrance to the reception? Are you doing any kind of grand exit (sparklers, bubbles, etc.)? Those are what the photographer needs to know about, not to get a photo of the first kiss.
Final Thoughts
I’ll leave you with a couple final thoughts. Please, don’t let your wedding photos languish as digital files. You cannot fully appreciate your wedding photography until you see it in print. Whether that’s framed prints or canvases hanging on your walls or in a beautiful heirloom wedding album, there truly is something magical about being able to see and touch a photographic print.
Finally, keep in mind your wedding is a once-in-a-lifetime event. Make sure you hire the right wedding photographer to beautifully capture your day in a way that is authentic to you.