How To Choose Your Wedding Photographer: Planner’s Guide

Your wedding photographer is probably the supplier you’ll spend the most time with on your wedding day itself, second to your planner. When it comes to how to choose your wedding photographer, the reason it feels like a big, important decision is because it is. This is my planner’s guide to help you pick the perfect person to pap you on your big day in 5 simple steps.

1. Choose your wedding photographer based on their edit style – and make sure you love it

This one gets the top spot on the list because it’s SO important. Make sure you absolutely love a photographer’s edit style, because no matter how much you click with them as a person you can’t ask them to change it. It’s their artistic expression, whether that’s fine art, light and editorial or dark, moody and romantic. Choose your wedding photographer based on their style of imagery first and foremost, and really ask yourselves:

“Will we still love these photos in 20 or 30 years’ time?”

Image by Barker Evans.

Look especially at the way they convey colour in their photography, and make sure this matches up with what you’re visualising for your wedding day. If you have your heart set on pretty pastel florals and a photographer’s edit leans towards deep, rich tones, they’re probably not the one for you. Likewise, if you’re planning a glowy candlelit winter wedding you might want to consider whether too much of a fine art style will really give you the photos you’re looking for.

2. Do they shoot only digital or also 35mm film, and does this matter to you?

Images by Rachel Takes Pictures

Film photography is having a big moment in the wedding industry right now, with good reason. Many photographers now offer both digital and film for your wedding day, meaning you can choose the photography style you love and have those gorgeous vintage style snaps for a touch of nostalgia too. 

Just be aware that some photographers do this A LOT better than others, so be discerning with your choice! If you’ve already booked your wedding planner, they will help advise on who best to approach and what you might need to look out for.

3. Ask to see a full album as an example, not just a selection of their best work

I always ask potential photographers for a full online album of a previous wedding to show my couples before they make their choice. It’s easy to go on Instagram or a website and see a highlight reel of all their best, most magazine-worthy shots, but this only tells you half the story. For my couples I try to match these albums to the vibe of their own wedding – for example, if my couple are getting married in Italy then I’ll ask the photographer to send them previous work from there. 

Bear in mind that the best way to get an idea of how any photographer will capture your wedding is to look at something similar. If it’s an outdoor wedding in an English country garden, looking at a full album from a ballroom wedding isn’t going to do much good. Better still if you can see an album of another couple who look similar to you, leaving you reassured that your photographs will be every bit as gorgeous as you hope for. 

Images by Ela Tatiana Photography

The key thing I’m looking for in a full album, apart from consistency, is how the story of the day is captured – can you feel the wedding through the album? It will also show you how much guest content there is vs couples portraits vs details…it’s a great way to see the complete picture!

When you work with me I help you choose your wedding photographer by utilising the good relationships I have with various ones, always ensuring the examples they show represent what your wedding will be like. If you’re doing this without a planner, try to advocate for yourselves in the same way. If you ask me though, it’s even more reason to hire a wonderful wedding planner to guide you through these processes.

4. Be really clear on what is and isn’t included

Three main things you need to know before you choose your wedding photographer are:

• Is it just one person or is a second shooter also included in the price they are quoting? Is it possible to have a second shooter if you want one? If a second shooter is coming, will they be present on every day of your celebrations? 

See FAQs further down for the reasons I always advise couples to have a second shooter!

• How many hours is your photographer on site? Some stay for 8, 10 or 12, and some don’t specify a certain number of hours. You may find they will stay from ‘prep to first dance’, which sounds great – but what if you’re having an outfit change in the evening? Surely you’ll want that captured, evening outfits can be so fun!

Images by Rachel Takes Pictures.

For me it’s about balancing having some of the dancing and definitely any fab outfit changes captured, but not having too many photographs of your guests when things get a little…messy.

• What’s delivered afterwards, and when? Is there a first look of a handful of images within 48 hours? Many photographers do offer this, and it’s a big yes from me – that way, the first photo you’re sharing online or sending to loved ones is professional standard and full of wow factor!

You should also check on delivery times for the full album before you choose your wedding photographer, and how it will be delivered. It’s also useful to know whether there’s an option to purchase prints and physical albums – these can make amazing gifts post-wedding.

5. Vibe check!

This is BIG one! As a wedding planner I always try to match suppliers, including photographers, to my couples’ vibes so they gel well on their wedding day. You’re going to be spending a lot of time with your photographer, so you need to know you click, feel comfortable, and definitely aren’t annoyed by them. 

If you’re reading this and don’t have a wedding planner, there’s one piece of advice you absolutely must take from this: make sure to jump on a call with your possible photographer before contracting to make sure you do that all-important vibe check.

How your wedding planner helps you choose your wedding photographer:

The points in this blog are just some of the things I think about behind the scenes to make sure I pair couples up with the perfect photographer, both from a personality and service standpoint. Using my trusted network of contacts in the industry, I can recommend suppliers that I know are going to seriously deliver for you. It’s also important for me to be able to review the service proposal and contract before you sign on the dotted line, and keep the ‘bigger picture’ of your wedding in mind to ensure your photographer aligns with the vision for your celebrations.

If you’d like some help with your supplier sourcing and wedding planning, get in touch:

FAQs: how to choose a wedding photographer:

Q: Where do I even start looking for a photographer?

A: If you are working with a wedding planner, lean into their experience and contacts and allow them to suggest photographers who may be a great fit for your wedding. If you’re not working with a planner and aren’t considering doing so, your traditional methods of googling, searching social media and asking for recommendations are good places to start. Your venue may also be able to put you in touch with some prospects.

Q: What are some questions I should ask my photographer before booking?

A: At a minimum you should check whether it’s one or two photographers you’re booking, how many hours they’ll stay for, and when your photos will be delivered. It can also be useful to find out if they’ve worked at your venue before, and if it’s a destination wedding how their travel fees will be accounted for and charged. See section 4 for a more detailed answer.

Q: For a destination wedding, should I use a local photographer or fly someone out?

A: The answer really depends – the same principals apply for helping you choose your wedding photographer abroad, and the most important thing is that you really click with them and love their work. If that feels more true for you with someone from your home country, you also need to assess whether it fits your budget to fly them out.

Of course language barriers can play a part here too,  so if you are not working with a planner who is pre-vetting for you then jumping on that vibe check call with your photographer before contracting is even more important to make sure you understand each other!

Images by Barker Evans.

Q: Do I really need a second shooter?

A: Two shooters is always ideal if your budget allows. That way, you get photos of both of you getting ready in the morning, each of your reactions when walking down the aisle, a view of both the speakers and the guests during dinner and speeches, you making your grand entrance to dinner and your loved ones’ delighted faces…the list goes on!

Q: How do I know whether a photographer is good at film photography?

A: Ask your photographer for a full film gallery from a wedding, and assess whether the 35mm shots look well-composed, consistent (i.e. not some very dark and some overexposed), and seem in keeping with the style of their digital photography. You don’t need to have an expert eye, but you do definitely need to feel like you love their previous work in both digital and film format before you book.

EMAIL: ella@ellahartig.com

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