“A good snapshot keeps a moment from running away.”
I never realized the importance of wedding photography until I heard the horror stories! Many different couples shared their horror stories with me and I will be honest it scared me. These were the things I learned from their experiences and my own search: (My story by the way was not a horror story!)
1. Book your Photographer Early!
Luckily after hearing brides tell me that they could not get the photographer they wanted because they did not book him/her a year in advance, I was prepared. Although I did not book my amazing photographer a year in advance, I did begin my search, and was pressured by many photographers to choose quickly because of my wedding date. I did not let this pressure get to me, I stuck to my budget and did not want to lower my standards because of the time crunch. So, while it is important to book early, don't book until you are 100% sure.
2. You do not have to pay $5000 for a great package!
I began to get discouraged when I every time I found a photographer I loved, they were very expensive. I know the importance of having a professional and I know this is their bread and butter, but if if I couldn't afford it I needed to keep looking. My wonderful sister found my photographer, and he was perfectly priced, his packages were easy to work with and fit right into my budget. You DO NOT want to sacrifice your wedding photo quality because of money, so have faith and keep searching those great photographers are out there!
3. Pick a photography style YOU like!
There are many many many photographers out there, and they each have their own distinct style. When you're searching for your photographer make sure that YOU and your husband like their style. Sometimes people get caught up with the name and popularity of the photographer and unfortunately end up with photos they hate. Some differences you see among photographers is some edit way too much changing the photos natural beauty and others don't edit at all. There are many in-betweens and extremes in the styles of photography, so make sure you will be happy with the type of photos your photographer will produce forever!
4. Find someone who LOVES what they do!
The worst thing I have ever seen or experienced is a bride on her wedding day dealing with a bossy photographer who was obviously in a bad mood. After seeing this first hand, I knew that my photographer would need to be as excited for my wedding as I was. Thankfully my photographer was not only energetic, but he was very passionate about his work and the quality of that work.
Those are my tips and I hope you find them helpful.
If it was not obvious enough in my comments above, I loved my photographer and his work. If you're looking for a photographer give him a look over and see if he fits your requirements. Ricky Stern and his wife both photographed my wedding and did an excellent job!
Here's his blog post about our wedding:
miamiphotographer.net - Joniel & Ashley
- Mrs. Diaz
