Wedding Advice
In this 4 part series we will be talking about some questions you can ask your potential wedding photographers to determine if they are the right fit for you! In an industry saturated with photographers it can be overwhelming trying to find a match for your big day! There are so many vendors to book and each one comes with unique offerings that sometimes its hard to figure out what is best for you!
Just like cars or electronics or even handbags, there are different levels of quality. So how do you know you are getting the Louis Vuitton of photography, or just another pretty Coach outlet purse? Photographers of different levels have great images and it may be hard to know what to look for so we have put together some questions to ask when meeting potential photographers that may help you determine the difference between good, better and best.
Part One - The Experience
Besides being in love with the photographer's work (a must!), it may be difficult to determine the quality of the experience or the product you are about to receive!
Just as important as the images themselves, your photographer must have experience. They need to understand the flow of a wedding day, be able to think on their toes, be comfortable shooting in inclement weather or lighting conditions, be able to help you put together a suitable timeline for portraits, and be flexible when things do not go as planned! I would say it takes anywhere from 30-50 weddings before someone is 100% comfortable with anything you may throw at them.
Some questions to ask:
Have you assisted more experienced photographers before jumping into wedding yourself? This is not necessary but shows they had a willingness to learn a lot before taking on the task of photographing someone’s wedding before they were ready.
Have you ever done a wedding like mine? Shooting at your exact venue is not important as most photographers should be able to handle any situation, and may be willing to visit the venue beforehand to get a feel of it. What this question means is have they shot a wedding of your culture or style (traditional, Jewish, East-Indian, etc) in order to know what specific events or traditions to capture.
What would you do if (insert example of some crazy scenario)? See if they can think on their toes!
Do you shoot family portraits and if so, how do you organize them? - A great photographer should help you determine what images are most important, place them in order of importance and help you create a good flow of family portraits so that family members are not standing around for a long time waiting. Images with children should always go first or as early as possible. The photographer should let you know how long you will need scheduled for family, wedding party and Bride and Groom portraits throughout the day. This should not be your concern the day of the wedding, nor should you have to be calling out names or organizing group shots! Love Bee Photography always helps our Brides plan a detailed shot list and timeline about 2-4 weeks before the wedding!
Click for Part Two of this series - The Photographs
