How do I pick a Wedding Photographer?
Your wedding day is a once-in-a-lifetime celebration of love and commitment, and every moment deserves to be preserved beautifully. Discover why Golden Hour Images is the perfect choice to document your special day through the lens of artistic storytelling.
When hiring a wedding photographer, it's crucial to ask the right questions to ensure you choose someone who can capture your special day exactly as you envision it. Here are 5 essential questions and ideas to keep in mind:
So, you’re getting married and you are trying to find the right person to capture your big day.
First, explore their work on their website!
So you like their work? Inquire and see if your date is available.
Date not available? Photographers are a tight knit community and we are always happy to guide you to top professionals and vendors we would recommend if we aren’t available. Personally, I go on Facebook and post a listing on one of the many Facebook groups I am apart of and I gather a list of available photographers for your date and budget.
If they are available, then you will want to set up a consultation.
During your consultation, make sure to ask these questions… Psst… and here is why:
How do you navigate and photograph a wedding day? Do you talk with other vendors?
Weddings are like a well oiled machine. You want all the parts communicating with each other so you can kick back and relax knowing your team of professionals will handle all the ups and downs of a big event.
You want to ask how a photographer might navigate a wedding day to determine how involved you want them to be or don’t want them to be. This can have a big impact on the flow and style of photography. For example, someone who is a lifestyle photographer will provide a balance of direction with capturing raw moments as they happen.
How long have you been working in the wedding industry?
Years don’t always determine skill and ability, but it does help to know someone’s background. For example, before I was a photographer, I was a wedding makeup and hair stylist which helps me be more in tune with the little details.
How long will we do portraits? Do you have any sample timelines?
Being able to see sample timelines will tell you how the photographer manages their time and how quickly the day will run. REMEMBER - It’s a conversation, be open to give feedback and see how your photographer handles feedback. Be honest about what you do and don’t want; even in the beginning stages. We know these preferences change over time!
Logistics!
Are you licensed and insured?
How do you backup the photos? What safety measures are in place?
How many times will we consult before the wedding day?
If you are sick or an emergency happens, who will step in? What measures are in place?
Can you send me or show me 1-2 full galleries? What is a second shooter and associate gallery?
Conversation and Rapport Building:
At the end of the day, you want to make sure you get YOUR ideal client experience and you have someone who will make that happen. Get to know your photographer beyond the images. Consider if they are someone you can rely on, maybe you really like the photographer but your intuition is telling you that they aren’t the one for you.
Golden Hour Images was a dream made into a reality by someone who LOVES what they do.
I have worked in the wedding industry since 2013 in a variety of roles as a makeup artist with a Wedding Boutique and Southern Bride Magazine and I coordinated a few weddings before dipping my toes into the photography world. I spent 2 years gaining experience by working with high-end and editorial wedding photographers. My background is in non-profit management and community relations, so I have an eye for detail and organization but a passion for letting love filter through a lens that you will look back on for years to come is my “why behind.” I am an LLC which means I am licensed and insured. Customer service and the client experience means the world to me. As a 2022 bride, I have the lived experience along with the industry level insight you need to feel you are in safe hands. All of my clients become lifetime friends and continued clients. Being able to meet two lovebirds who get engaged, married and live their best life through travel or starting a family then getting to capture that for years to come is what keeps my heart in this industry.