Picture this: You’ve gotten engaged to the love of your life. You’ve followed every step of our Newly Engaged Guide, and now it’s time to start planning the wedding.
The venue and the date are final, and you’ve signed the dotted line on those contracts. You’re starting to book your top vendors, like your photographer.
This is a major moment. “You’re not just hiring someone to take pictures—you’re investing in how your memories will feel every time you look back on them,” Over The Moon The List Photographer Valorie Darling explains. No pressure.
This is a critical moment in planning, so we asked members of our Directory for help. Here’s their advice.
1. Start Early and Check Their Availability
Let’s be pragmatic. A photographer can only do one wedding every weekend, and there are only so many weekends in a year. If you’re considering the most coveted and sought after professionals in the industry, like any you might find on The Directory, they’re likely booking up well in advance. France-based photographer Greg Finck summarizes your first steps, “Check that the photographer still is available on your date, then start a relationship.”
2. Ask For A Full Gallery
That’s right. According to our Directory-approved photographers, you want to be sure you get a full picture—pun intended—of your potential photographer’s work. “Some photographers may look similar on Instagram, but their full galleries will look vastly different,” destination wedding photographer Rebecca Yale notes. You can really gain a sense of how a photographer approaches a wedding day from beginning to end when you look at a complete gallery.
“Try to look past pretty photos, pretty tones, pretty fashion, pretty couples, and really look at the photos,” Rebecca Yale shares. “Look at the couple’s faces and see if they look uncomfortable or in love. Try to read their body language and see if you can envision yourself through the lens of your photographer. It’s easy to get lost in the pretty when you’re looking at a stranger’s wedding photos, but very different when you’re looking at your own and wishing your photographer had put you at ease more or directed you more—or directed you less, whatever makes sense for you to make you feel your best.”
A full gallery also reveals more about their acumen in the field, too. “Amateur photographers can get lucky in some easy conditions, but only a seasoned professional can consistently deliver time and time again in a variety of environments,” photographer Sarah Falugo wisely adds.
3. Listen to Your Planner
Use your trusted vendors as a resource. “Planners know first hand what it is like to actually work with the photographer, and what the resulting images are like,” Sarah Falugo encourages. “Planners often report back to me that the average photographer makes a wedding look the same as it actually was, but a top tier photographer makes the wedding look even better than it was.”
Similiarly, there’s been a recent trend in the wedding industry for some vendors to bring their own content creators to capture the details of their work at your wedding. “This trend is not only a breach to your privacy, but it can also inhibit the performance of your professional photography team when they are having to work around other photographers and spend their time managing people,” Falugo counsels. “Speak with your planner and your lead photographer about how to mitigate this risk and keep control of the content.”
But also, follow your instinct. “Pick someone who resonates with you, not just someone your planner or cousin recommends,” Michael of Story of Eve advises.
Skylar Stetten of the duo behind Stetten Wilson Photography says, “Couples should hire for talent and experience. Don’t let vanity metrics influence your decision. In a world where followers can be paid for and viral content can take center stage, it’s important to recognize that experience can only be achieved through years (often decades) of hard work.”
4. Know What You Want
Have a vision. Find inspiration on Pinterest, Over The Moon, anywhere! “Take some time to dream about your perfect wedding experience and see if you can find a photographer that can understand your vision and work with you to help create it,” Devin Wilson of Stetten Wilson Photography suggests.
You can even break terms down technically. Brush up on photography jargon like film versus digital, documentary versus editorial, and more. “Editorial style means the photographer acts as a creative art director, poses you, scouts the scene in advance, stages a shot, and gives you plenty of direction,” Stetten elaborates. “Documentary style means the photographer steps back or blends in, doesn’t interrupt nor interject, capturing authentic, candid moments as they unfold naturally with little to no direction at all.”
Then you can determine what you most want to remember about your wedding day. “Is it the family portraits? Candid moments? Gorgeous getting-ready shots? The party shots?” photographer Allan Zepeda muses for you. “Once you know what’s important, look for a photographer whose work reflects those priorities.”
5. Get On A Call
Get on a call with your potential photographer. “The first meeting is really about getting a feel for the person behind the camera,” Michael from Story of Eve shares. “If you love their work, connect with them, and share a vision for the day that’s what truly matters. Everything else tends to fall into place from there.”
Rebecca Yale quotes the Luxembourgish-American photographer and painter, Edward Steichen: “A portrait is not made in the camera but on either side of it.” She recommends only hiring somebody you really resonate with to take your wedding photos. “If their energy is too high and you like something calmer or vice versa it will lead to a bad experience, which will in turn lead to bad photos.” Keep in mind, you’re going to spend the entire day with your photographer documenting every moment. You might as well find someone you like!
“Vogue-level imagery, often referenced casually, is not the product of chance,” photographer Mili Ghosh says. “It is created through aligned teams, controlled environments, space to observe, and freedom to protect the story.” Keep this in mind while seeking your photographer.
6. Ask These Questions
-
- “How many weddings has the photographer shot?”
- “What sort of energy do you bring into the day while shooting?” Skylar Stetten of Stetten Wilson firmly believes your photographer informs and shapes your wedding weekend experience, so strive to find someone who offers the energy you want to infuse in your special day.
- “What does their team look like?” Valorie Darling suggests you also vet the team further and inquire on things like how they met and when they’ve worked together in the past.
- “Do they have a philosophy for how they approach their posing and candid/documentary moments?” Rebecca Yale notes.
- “Ask if their assistants are regular shooters to them or different every time. If they are traveling for work then ask when they plan to arrive. (Destination weddings require travel buffers!) Ask if they have backup equipment.” Sarah Falugo suggests as a seasoned destination photographer herself.
- “When can I expect the full gallery to be delivered? How long will I have access to it?”
- But go beyond the logistics, too. Michael from Story of Eve suggests questions like, “How do you handle things when people feel camera-shy or prefer not to be in the spotlight?” and ““What’s your overall approach to documenting a wedding?”
7. Don’t Rely On Previous Work at Your Venue
It may seem counterintuitive, but just because a photographer you’ve researched has shot at your newly booked venue, does not mean they’re perfect for yours. “As wedding photographers we feed our creativity with travel and exploration and bringing a photographer to a new place will help you get more unique wedding photos that don’t look like every other photographer who has ever shot at your venue.” Rebecca Yale elucidates.
8. Remember You Are Commissioning an Artist
“Your photographer is not simply documenting the day,” Mili Ghosh says. “They are responsible for shaping the atmosphere, elevating the details, protecting the energy, and curating how your story exists beyond the moment.”
“Commissioned art is a funny thing. It’s a mistake to think that masterpieces can’t be created through commissioned work, many of the greatest paintings of all time hanging in museums are commissioned portraits,” Rebecca Yale expounds. “But there must be an understanding between the client and the artist, on both sides, of what is desired. Sending a Pinterest board full of poses or a shot list that micromanages the day down to the second is not going to be conducive to great art.”
Instead, relay to your photographer how you want to look and feel on your wedding. Tell your photographer more about your love story, your friends and family, your venue.
9. Make The Investment
While no one wants to spend more for the artifice of spending more, a skilled and qualified vendor makes all the difference. “Don’t hire someone just because they are cheap. Seriously! This is one of the most important investments you can make,” Sarah Falugo says. “They know where to be and when. They know how to anticipate. They know when to step in and when to step out. How to keep their cool and be kind and respectful while doing it. They know how to secure all the shots but also leave breathing space for the art of spontaneity, too.”
Naturally, these photographers are an investment. “They have great equipment and backup equipment,” she adds.”There is a difference between a startup solo shooter and a top tier professional with 20+ years experience, a full team of highly trained assistants, and $50k worth of equipment.”
10. Set Expectations—Never Lower Them
“You can have it all,” Skylar Stetten asserts. “Use platforms like Over The Moon’s Directory to search through photographers who match your desired style, energy, and budget.”
Just be mindful of how much time this means you’ll spend on shots like portraits. “Some couples really want to be with their friends and family as much as possible and would prefer a smaller amount of portraits taken in a more natural way. Other couples want more editorial posing and don’t mind missing cocktail hour in favor of grabbing the best lighting for portraits,” Sarah Falugo says. Keep this in mind when envisioning your wedding day timeline and budget your schedule accordingly.
