How to Hire the Perfect Wedding Photographer in Arizona
When you get engaged it can be difficult to know how to hire a wedding photographer, more difficult than you may even know! The reason for this is because you probably don’t work in the wedding industry and likely don’t know all of the differences between different wedding photographers and that they offer…or what they don’t offer! Finding your dream photographer is crucial as they will capture the essence of your special day and align with your vision. How to Hire A Wedding Photographer
We have been full-time wedding photographers for nearly a decade at the time of writing this. In this time we have learned a lot about couples wish lists and expectations (so why not list them so you can get a jump start, right?). We’ve also heard a lot about what other photographers put limitations on through not only doing our own research but by listening to what couples like you have told us in consultations. How to Hire A Wedding Photographer
Personally, as a business focused on engaged couples comfort and quality service, we have made changes within our operation to ensure that nothing is overlooked and expectations are met on your wedding day! How to Hire A Wedding Photographer
Here is what we’ve found and what we’ve done to accommodate this wish list…
Understanding Your Needs
When searching for a wedding photographer, it’s essential to understand your needs and preferences for your wedding day. Start by considering the style of photography you want for your wedding day. Do you prefer classic and traditional, or modern and trendy? Are you looking for a photographer who can capture candid moments, or do you want more posed and formal shots? Think about the tone and atmosphere you want to convey in your wedding photos. Do you want them to be romantic and intimate, or fun and playful?
It’s also crucial to consider your budget and what you’re willing to spend on a wedding photographer for your wedding day. Keep in mind that a good photographer can make a significant difference in the quality and style of your wedding photos. Be sure to research and compare prices, but also consider the value and expertise that a photographer brings to the table.
Lastly, think about the level of service you need from your photographer on your wedding day. Do you want someone who will simply show up and take photos, or do you need someone who will help you plan and coordinate your wedding day? Consider the level of communication and support you need from your photographer, and look for someone who can provide that.
What Couples Don’t Know About Their Wedding Day, But Should Expect
Photography Timeline: Your wedding coordinator or DJ is often tasked with creating a flow to your wedding in the form of a timeline to ensure that everything says on time and runs smoothly. What some engaged couples don’t know is that a few photographers can and will create a cohesive timeline to your foundation timeline in the form of a photography timeline. Below is an example of the timeline that we create so that you can see how this can be important and what to expect on your wedding day.
How to Hire A Wedding Photographer
Photo Development: Some wedding photographers will only “edit” or develop a portion of your digital wedding photos. Actually, there are some that only edit about 30 digital photos when you should be receiving about 70-100 wedding photos per hour (something that we’ll discuss next). The photos that are not developed are considered, in industry terms, SOC (Straight Out of the Camera). In this situation, if you’ve hired a highly experienced photographer that knows lighting and camera setting extremely well, this might be ok. However, wouldn’t you LOVE better than just ok … for all the wedding photos!? As wedding photographers, we carefully touch every single photo that we deliver so be sure to ask about this in your meeting because it won’t otherwise be brought up!
How to Hire A Wedding Photographer
How Many Wedding Photos Should You Receive: This seems like a simple question but many may not know. We’re here to tell you that the industry standard should be 70-100 beautiful wedding photos per hour. If wedding photographers that you are consulting with don’t exactly know or hesitate to provide a specific answer about how many wedding images they deliver, they might not have the experience that they should have for your big day.
How to Hire A Wedding Photographer
How Long Will It Take To Get My Wedding & Engagement Photos Back: You’re excited about your wedding photos, you want to show them off and why wouldn’t you?! Well, you might be wondering, if all of my wedding images should be carefully developed by hand then shouldn’t it take longer? Our answer is, no. If you are hiring professional photographers then they should be working full-time. We give an expected timeline of three weeks to deliver your wedding portraits and two weeks for your engagement photography, and often we exceed these expectations (who doesn’t want their wedding photos early!?). So, two to three weeks should be your expectation.
How to Hire A Wedding Photographer
Photo Print Release: Many photographers require you to print YOUR wedding photos with them, exclusively. The problem with this is that we’ve found that the markup on this service is about 800% from what the photographer is paying from the professional lab. The positive here is that printing through your photographer should be significantly better than going to a local shop like Walgreens, Target, and even Costco as well as far better than Shutterfly and many other personal online printing services. However, we feel that you should feel as though these are YOUR wedding photos, not ours and as such, you should have the freedom to print them, share them, and use them however you see fit. If this is not brought up in your wedding consultation or before your engagement session, definitely ask!
Cost of Printing (Printing Options): We do however offer prints, canvases, albums, USB’s, metal prints, and much more conveniently in your photo gallery. We’re not, however, comfortable with marking these products up so that you have easy access to high-end prints. This is our justification if your prints are printed through a professional and quality lab then our wedding photography looks that much better! … The better your prints look, the better we look. We feel that you really can’t put a price on great reviews, quality results, and a happy couple! Anyhow, that’s our preference but others might not agree so, we suggest asking how much an 8×10 print is, for instance.
How to Hire A Wedding Photographer in Arizona or anywhere in the world…
Finding the Perfect Wedding Photographer
Finding the perfect wedding photographer can be a daunting task, but with a little research and planning, you can find the right person for the job. Start by asking for referrals from friends, family, or other couples who have recently gotten married. You can also search online for photographers in your area, and check out their websites and social media profiles to get a sense of their style and wedding photography expertise.
When researching photographers, be sure to look at their portfolios and read reviews from past clients. This will give you a sense of their quality of work and their level of professionalism. You should also check their credentials and make sure they have the necessary experience and training to handle your wedding photography.
Once you’ve narrowed down your list of potential photographers, it’s time to schedule a consultation or meeting. This is your chance to ask questions, discuss your needs and preferences, and get a sense of the photographer’s personality and style. Be sure to ask about their experience, their approach to photography, and their pricing and packages.
Why You Should Consider Engagement Photos
An engagement session offers more than just capturing casual photos of you and your fiancé; it includes a hidden benefit:
It helps you become more comfortable in front of the camera.
Posing for professional photos can be intimidating. If you’re unsure about where to place your hands or how to stand, your photographer will guide you.
They will provide posing tips to make you look candid and natural, ensuring you feel like an expert by your wedding day.
These sessions also serve as a fantastic opportunity to build rapport with your photographer.
By doing so, they’ll arrive on your wedding day already familiar with how you and your partner interact, capturing you in the most authentic way possible.
When should you take engagement photos?
If you’re planning to use your images for save-the-dates, the traditional time to take them is 6-8 months before your wedding.
However, that doesn’t mean you can’t take them earlier or later!
There are no strict rules for this: Some couples take their photos a few days before their wedding (it’s great to get warmed up for the wedding day) while others decide more than two years in advance!
If you’re having trouble deciding when, start by choosing a season (If you’re interested, I have a handy guide on choosing a wedding date that discusses the pros and cons of each season. You can find it here.)
With that in mind, it becomes much easier to talk to your photographer and narrow down a date.
Here in Arizona, spring and fall are the most popular seasons for engagement sessions.
Engagement photos: what to wear
It’s completely normal to feel uncertain about what to wear—should you be casual or dressy? What colors should you choose?
Here are my top tips to ensure you both look and feel fantastic:
1. Wear clothing that feels like you. The most important thing is that you feel comfortable during the session.
If you wear something that doesn’t feel authentic to you, it’ll make it harder to act naturally, which will show in your pictures.
The goal with your engagement session outfit is to look like the best version of you.
2. Choose solid, neutral, lighter colors that complement your surroundings. In general, light grays, whites, blues, pinks, and tans work with any setting.
Wearing dark or bold colors can often overpower the scene and distract the viewer from the true subject of the images—you!
3. Try to complement each other, but not match. It’s best to choose colors that work well together, rather than matching patterns or prints.
Think homogeneous or complementary colors, and avoid clothes with logos or patterns.
Assessing Their Services and Expertise
When assessing a wedding photographer’s services and expertise, there are several things to consider. First, look at their portfolio and make sure they have experience shooting weddings similar to yours. Check their website and social media profiles to see if they have any certifications or awards, and read reviews from past clients to get a sense of their level of professionalism.
It’s also essential to ask about their approach to photography and their style. Do they specialize in candid moments, or do they prefer more posed and formal shots? Do they have experience shooting in different lighting conditions, and do they have the necessary equipment to handle any situation?
Be sure to ask about their pricing and packages, and make sure you understand what’s included and what’s not. You should also ask about their policy on copyrights and usage, and make sure you understand how you can use your wedding photos after the wedding day.
Lastly, consider the level of service and support you need from your photographer. Do you need someone who will help you plan and coordinate your wedding day, or do you just need someone to show up and take wedding photos? Look for a photographer who can provide the level of service and support you need, and who will help you create beautiful and lasting memories of your special day.
Our Wedding Packages Pricing
Choose a Fun & Experienced Photographer: Not much could be worse than being stressed out on your wedding day, except maybe looking stressed out or uncomfortable in your wedding portraits! The fact is, your photographer is going to be around you all day and night, capturing those special moments. Having a connection with them as well as enjoying being around them not only decreases your stress but also drastically helps you look better in your wedding photography. An inexperienced photographer can get overwhelmed at the fast pace of a wedding and that can be uncomfortable. Knowing proper posing and having the tricks to keep you naturally smiling makes a world of difference in your final wedding photos.
Engagement Session Time limits: Ok, this one is something that you’ll rarely find any photographer not implement. I believe that it is because it is difficult to price things out without having something to go on. However, we have formulated a process that makes a lot more sense to us! We produce a certain amount of wedding photos that you get to select from a gallery of many more photos. This way YOU (not us) get to select the wedding photos that you love the most to download and we have something to price our session off of (a certain amount of guaranteed photos). There is perhaps a more important reason that we do things this way, it’s because we don’t feel that your session should be timed. Photography is an art, it’s not something that should really have a time limit. Natural lighting can be unpredictable, everyone is different in how long it takes to warm up to the camera, sometimes people or distractions are in the background that should be avoided, and more. So, why rush your session and try to keep it to under an hour? We believe that your session should take as long as it needs to take in order to be beautiful and perfect! So, maybe bring this up when you meet with your photographer or wedding planners.
Additional Considerations for Hiring the Right Photographer
When hiring the right wedding photographer, it’s important to consider not just their skill but also their personality. A good photographer should make you feel comfortable and at ease, as this will reflect in your wedding photos. Look for someone who is personable and easy to communicate with, as this will make the entire process much smoother.
Another aspect to consider is the photographer’s ability to adapt to unexpected changes. Weddings can be unpredictable, and a professional photographer should be able to handle any situation with ease, whether it’s a sudden change in weather or a shift in the schedule.
Additionally, consider the photographer’s backup plan. Ask them what they would do in case of an emergency or if their equipment fails. A reliable photographer should have contingency plans in place to ensure your wedding day is captured without any hitches.
Finally, think about the long-term relationship you might want with your photographer. Some photographers offer additional services such as anniversary shoots or family portraits. If this is something you’re interested in, it might be worth considering when making your decision.
By taking these additional considerations into account, you can ensure that you hire the perfect wedding photographer who will not only meet but exceed your expectations, creating beautiful memories that you will cherish for a lifetime.