Hey guys… it’s Medora!

Though Tamytha usually rocks at posting great photos here on our blog, today I am taking over to give a little advice on a topic that I believe is one of the most important decisions a girl can make when planning a wedding. Although many of my friends are still a couple years shy of their wedding day, getting the perfect photos seems to be at the top of the list of what is most important to them. We live in a world where having the perfect profile picture and uploading beautiful Instagram photos is a priority, perhaps even a rite of passage for women of all ages, but especially ladies in their 20s and 30s… I know it is for me!

Choosing a wedding photographer for your big day is often one of the most difficult decisions in the wedding planning process. Today’s bride has a barrage of online inspiration to use as a starting point. These days, almost everyone across the country is aware of the blockbuster blog Style Me Pretty. Young ladies throughout the Dallas/Fort Worth area are familiar with our local trendsetter, Brides of North Texas. Beyond blogs, there are a myriad of other online social media outlets that offer offer plenty of enviable ideas, like Pinterest, Instagram, and even Facebook. In other words, there are simply too many choices, and that can make your wedding photography decision overwhelming and confusing.

I have found that with girls my age– recent college graduates and girls in their early 20’s–  word of mouth, advice from friends, and social media tend to hold the most weight when it comes to these kinds of decisions. Everyone from your high school friend to your cousin’s cousin to your college sorority sister to that one girl you’re friends with on Facebook (but you can’t quite remember how you know her) will offer you plenty of advice on the wedding photographers they’ve worked with and adored.

After talking to your friends and scouring multiple Instagram hashtags and well known wedding blogs, you find yourself with a list of potential wedding photographers. How do you narrow down your list to pick YOUR perfect wedding photographer? Being the obsessive list maker that I am I have composed a checklist to help you make this decision a lot easier.

Style

Wedding photography tells a story. How do you want your story to be told? Wedding photography style usually boils down to three types: Traditional, Contemporary, and Photojournalistic. Most photographers will offer a combination of these. The quickest way to get a read on a photographer’s overall style is to look at a blog post from a particular wedding. This is a good way to tell how they photograph an 8 hour wedding day and to see if they align with your particular style and wedding needs. If you want dark, dramatic photographs and your photographers photos are full of light and color and movement, it’s beneficial to ask if they are capable of fitting your desires, and if not… time to move on to the next photographer!

Products and Services
Obviously it is really important to know the services the photographer offers; meaning number of hours on the wedding day, whether they are going to include the digital images, second shooters, bridal portraits, etc. Before you contact a photographer, it’s best to have a list of your must haves to discuss with them. If your photographer has a great personality, it’s easy to get swept away in conversation and leave your meeting with many of your questions unanswered. Pinterest can help a lot with knowing what to ask (there are a million guides out there)… but here’s a list of questions by Here Comes the Guide that we really love!

Budget
This one seems pretty straightforward (but we know for a typical girl this one is the biggest pain in the butt). Know how much you can reasonably spend on photography and make sure the photographers you are considering fall in that range. Often the prices on a photographer’s website can be negotiated if their are certain services you might be able to live without, so if you find someone whose work you love, always ask. At the same time, remember that the pictures are the only thing you’ll take with you when it’s all said and done. Many women seem to think this is an area to sacrifice when it comes to their budget, and then end up disappointed months after the event looking back on the photos knowing that they can never be redone. So don’t skimp on the photography just because those out-of-season Peonies would look gorgeous in your bouquet.

Personality and Fit
To me, this is the most important aspect of choosing a wedding photographer. You should like the person that is going to be by your side on one of the most important days of your life. It’s important to ask a lot of questions, but make time to get to know your photographer as a person and not just as a business. I truly believe that it is an honor to be trusted to capture a wedding day, and in almost every instance, for us, it has turned into a friendship.

Wedding planning can be a daunting process, but we know that you have good taste and it’s important to find the perfect photographer to make sure you remember every detail for years to come. If you follow these tips, you will definitely find the one for you – who knows, maybe it will even be us! Good Luck!

Happy wedding planning!

Medora