Does the thought of choosing a photographer stress you out? There are SO many photographers these days, so how do you know you’ll make the right choice? We can help you! We know there are tons of articles from The Knot and other wedding sites about choosing your photographer, but we thought some tips coming from an actual photographer might be helpful!

We’ve seen it happen far to often. Someone hires a photographer with beautiful images on their facebook or instagram feed, but then they end up having a bad experience either because their photographer doesn’t communicate with them, they don’t get their photos back for over 6 months, or the photographer doesn’t seem to be making any decisions the day of the wedding! Your wedding day only happens once, and you do not want to look back on your day and regret your decision! Today We’re sharing 5 things to consider when choosing your wedding photographer!

Five Things to Consider When Choosing a Wedding Photographer

1. STYLE

The first thing you want to consider when choosing a photographer is their style! This is obviously the part of your work that catches your eye and draws you to them in the first place! Do you want a light and airy, dark and moody, or classic and timeless style? Are you more of a southern belle or a mountain lover? Choose someone who’s style you ADORE and want to have hanging in your home for years to come!

2. COMMUNICATION

It is so important that your photographer is good at communicating! We don’t mean simply responding to your questions quickly, but letting you know what to expect as part of the wedding photography experience! There should be a written contract explaining what services will be offered. They should also be up front about how much communication to expect from them! The more details, the better! If you don’t know when you will get the photos back or when you can expect to do your engagement session before the wedding or what to expect, that is not a sign of good communication from your photographer! At SCP, we gift our brides a 70-page bridal magazine to help them plan & know exactly what to expect from the wedding photography process!

3. ORGANIZATION

This one is SO IMPORTANT for weddings. A good photographer will be organized with timeline tips, portrait location options, and especially getting group shots organized! I have found that the best photographers have a list of family photos that they will capture ahead of time and have them organized efficiently!

4. LEADERSHIP SKILLS

By nature of the job, photographers have to be able to tell other people what to do! Try to look for a strong leader that will know what she wants and be able to tell others how to achieve that! Lots of photographers are quiet, and that is okay! The important thing is that they are able to get the shots done and communicate what they want!

5. PERSONALITY

Since you’ll be spending a lot of time with your wedding photographer, you want someone who’s personality you like! They don’t have to be the same personality as you, but you should definitely take this into consideration! We work with lots of couples from more introverted to extroverted. We know that our bubbliness could annoy some people, and that’s okay! We truly believe there is a photographer for everyone.

We think that kindness is also a really important personality trait when it comes to weddings! Weddings can get stressful, and you want someone who will respond kindly to people when they are stressed and be able to handle pressure well without getting flustered!

How do you find out these things? Read reviews!

You may not be able to know the answer to all of these questions upon the first meeting with your photographer. When you meet your photographer, you should definitely be able to find out about their style and how they communicate. Ask to see the contract and feel free to ask questions! And you’ll be able to see if you connect with their personality! But how do you know if they will be organized on the wedding day? How do you know if they will be a good leader? Read reviews!

Some common complaints we hear about photographers are that they either took forever to give photos back or they didn’t organize groups well or take initiative on the wedding day. Read the reviews on their Google My Business Page or the testimonials on their website and see if they answer your questions!

If you are interested in booking us for your wedding in Greenville, SC or surrounding areas, head over to our contact page to leave us a message! If you are looking for a photographer with a different style than us, we can help there too! We have had the privilege of getting to know many photographers over the years, and we want to help as many people as possible find the right photographer for them! We’re always available for questions!

Happy Planning,

– Stephanie & Christi

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