Your wedding day is one of the most beautiful celebrations in your life. Finally, all of those details that you’ve planned come together, and your friends and family surround you to celebrate this next chapter in your life. You want to make sure your wedding is how you imagined, while never missing a moment. This is why you should hire a wedding photographer.

Your wedding photographer does more than just take images of your special day. It’s your photographer’s job to capture all of the moments that make your wedding perfect. To make sure you’re on the same page as your photographer, it’s imperative to sit down and discuss what vision you had in mind for your wedding. From your ceremony itinerary to the decor you’ve chosen, the more information your photographer has, the better. Here are a few aspects of your wedding that could be important to discuss with your photographer:

Begin With Your Budget

Wedding planning always begins with a budget. Once you have planned your wedding timeline and begun looking at your various expenses, you should have an estimate for how much to spend on your wedding photographer. After you’ve decided on a budget, it’s important to meet with potential photographers and go over what budget you have set aside for wedding photos. Look at what packages wedding photographers offer, and be willing to discuss those package options when first meeting. Photographer’s expenses vary and depending on what you have in mind, adjustments to your budget may be needed. This is also the perfect opportunity to ask any questions about pricing, what your expectations are, and to see more of their portfolio.

Your Wedding Itinerary

Once you’ve finalized the order of your wedding ceremony, you should give a copy to your photographer right away. This allows your photographer to make a timeline for shots and plan where to be for those special moments at your wedding. Go through your itinerary with your photographer and explain what ideas you have, as well as ask any suggestions they may have. We include this with all of our collections and even created an online Bride & Groom Questionnaire to help us get all this necessary information from our clients.

The Venue

Saying, “I do” to the perfect venue, can be difficult. You want to make sure the decor will match your theme, the size will suit your guest list, and most importantly, will look stunning in your wedding photos. Taking your photographer to the venue is a great idea for making sure your wedding photos are a success. Express what ideas you have, ask what your photographer’s thoughts are, and explain your vision for your wedding day. Seeing the venue before the wedding gives your photographer the ability to plan for the best lighting, anticipate possible shots, and offer you ideas that you may not have thought of. While we often are not able to go to venues with couples, we like to schedule your engagement session in the same season and around where you will have your wedding to get a feel for all the possibilities we will have on your wedding day. We also like to do a lot of google hangouts!

What They Should Wear

After you’ve decided the dress code for your wedding, be sure to let your photographer know. You don’t want your photographer to show up in jeans and a t-shirt if your wedding is a black-tie event, just as you wouldn’t want your photographer to show up in a three-piece suit for a wedding that is casual. Keep in mind your photographer will be constantly moving so attire that is suitable but practical is more ideal.
This is a big one! We really try and match the guests at your wedding. So if it is a backyard wedding in July, you will likely see us in shorts and sandals. We shoot better when we’re most comfortable. Similarly, we like to dress up for Country Club weddings and the like.

Any Guests with Restrictions

Look at your guest list and communicate with your photographer guests that might need special accommodations. From guests in wheelchairs to others that have seating preferences, make sure you inform your photographer so they can include these guests in the shots from your ceremony.

The Moments You Don’t Want Photographed

Most brides want all aspects of their wedding to be photographed, but there may be a few moments when you might request to not have a camera present. Whether it’s a private moment shared with a parent or friend, or transitions between the ceremony to the wedding, it’s essential to communicate which parts of your wedding you would prefer to keep more private. We totally get it if you want to spend a few moments without any cameras. Katie is a bit of an introvert, so of all people, she totally understands.

Hiring your wedding photographer is one of the biggest decisions you will make when it comes to wedding planning. After all of the planning and celebrating, it’s enjoyable to look back at the pictures of your special day and remember how warm those moments felt. A word of advice, don’t give your photographer a shot list don’t give your photographer a shot list instead, let them capture the sincere and beautiful moments that naturally unfold on your wedding day. On the day of your wedding, we want it to feel like your close friends just showed up with their really nice cameras.