How to Choose a Wedding Photographer
Photo by Jille Cristobal
If you're about to get married, I'm sure you're in the process of narrowing down your top 3 photographers, and then deciding from there. They're all amazing and no doubt will give you quality images that you will treasure for life, but that's what every photographer does. So ask yourself as you read on, what is truly important to you? What will you look back on in 50 years' time and say “I made a good decision”?
Choosing the right photographer is so much more than just who will give you good quality photos in the style you prefer, and will deliver them quickly. You have to remember, your photographer is going to be there every step of the way, on the most important day of your life. Their job is to capture your most special, intimate, heartfelt moments — and you want to be comfortable enough to live those moments and fully soak it in while they’re around and getting up close.
That said, let’s go through all the considerations to help you decide:
Budget
Most people would start here for obvious reasons, and I get it, I was the same for my wedding day. However, I also see a lot of people coming up with budget figures with no real basis, and then being disappointed when the photographer they want happens to be above that figure.
Here are some guide questions to help you decide how much you are willing to spend:
How much of the day do you want captured? Most photographers offer hourly packages, and a typical wedding day shouldn’t need more than 8 or 10 hours of coverage. Be honest with yourself and make sure you get this right, because you don’t want your photographer to leave before an important moment happens, or even to be there too early or too late (there can only be so many dance floor photos). For more tips on crafting your timeline, click here.
Do you just want your photos in an online gallery, or are you interested in some extras? e.g. Engagement shoot, second photographer, film photography, a photo album, even assistance with your timeline.
Are you also interested in videography? Do you only want a highlight reel of the day, or do you also want footage of the entire ceremony and all speeches?
How important is skill level to you? A beginner is more affordable, but comes with risks to the workflow or even the quality of the outputs. A seasoned professional might be more costly, but you can be assured of the quality of work, and they will communicate clearly and deliver in a timely manner.
That being said, in New Zealand you can expect to pay anywhere between $1,500 and $8,000 on average* for a wedding photographer, all depending on what’s important to you.
Why such a wide range? There are many factors that influence a photographer’s pricing, such as:
What’s included in their packages
Where they are based and how far they will travel to your wedding venue
Their cost of doing business (CODB)
And of course, skill level and experience also influence pricing.
That’s why you really do have to enquire with every photographer you are seriously considering, and it won’t always be an apples-to-apples comparison when it comes to pricing. Many photographers (including myself) will have at least a starting price on their website, so that you know from the get-go if they are within your price range.
Style of Photography
Colours: How do you want to feel when you see your photos? Try to match it to your personality and who you are as a couple.
Cool-toned images tend to be more light and airy, giving a sense of calm and relaxation
Warm-toned images evoke nostalgia and romance, reminiscent of analogue photography and a vintage feel
Posing: Are you the type who wants to be told what to do, or would you rather the photographer stay unobtrusive, documentary, and give you minimal direction?
When you’re enquiring with a photographer, don’t be afraid to ask them for full galleries of previous work. That way you get a sense of how they photograph an entire wedding day.
Values
Hiring a photographer is a crash course on letting your guard down, and letting someone in to those key moments in your life, to be documented and cherished forever. So it's really important that you vibe and align with that person who's going to follow you around for your entire wedding day.
In this section I can only speak for myself and what drives my business — so I encourage you to take a look and see if these are what’s important to you too:
Presence. Being in the moment, fully soaking it in.
Beauty. Your wedding is an extension of yourself in its most elegant, ethereal form, and it deserves to be captured as such.
Home. Letting your guard down, not needing to be someone else or to “perform” for the camera.
I take a documentary-style approach, which means that while I still give broad creative direction during shoots, I make sure to create a safe space for you to still interact the way you naturally would. I find that this balance makes for the best photos in my opinion :)
If those values resonated with you, then we'll very likely get along.
And in all honesty, all the other details will fall into place once you find someone you are aligned with first and foremost.
If you’re interested to learn more about what I offer, click the button below to contact me.
All photos by Jille Cristobal
*There are photographers that sit outside of this price range, this is just to give you an idea for budgeting purposes. For luxury and multi-day weddings you’ll be looking at five figures.
