5 Tips for Choosing the Right Wedding Photographer

One of the most important choices you'll make for your wedding day is who you have as your photographer. There are a thousand and one different photographers to choose, so how do you know who is right for YOU and YOUR special day? I've compiled five essential tips from my time as a wedding photographer and as a bride myself. 

1. Choose someone you like

I can't emphasize this enough! Many brides don't consider this, but you will spend more time with your wedding photographer than any other person on your wedding day. More time than your mom, more time than your MOH, more time than even your groom. Your wedding photographer will be by your side almost every moment of your big day. If you meet with a potential wedding photographer and think they are arrogant, or annoying, or you don't like their sense of humor, TRUST YOURSELF. Don't hire this person. On your wedding day you want to be surrounded by people who make you happy and make your day the absolute best it can be. You want a photographer who makes you feel content, calm, confident, and comfortable. Choose someone you will look forward to spending all day with. Someone who makes you happy. 

2. Choose someone who responds

It's frustrating when you want to get in touch with someone and they never seem to respond. It's even more frustrating when the person you want to get in touch with is responsible for your wedding photos, or has already taken the photos and you haven't heard from them. Unfortunately, I've had two friends in the past two years who had issues with uncommunicative photographers. One of these friends has STILL never seen her wedding photos (almost two years later). Understandably, not every business owner can respond within the first 24 hours, (though most GOOD ones do) but if you reach out to your photographer and regularly cannot get contact back that is a big RED FLAG. Great customer service is essential when you're talking about something as important and irreplaceable as wedding photos. If someone can't take the time to get back to you, you can find someone else who will be happy to work with you. 

3. Choose someone who fits your needs

You want full day coverage, but this photographer only offers 6 hours? No. You want a bridal session, but this photographer only offers engagement sessions? No. You want to be able to purchase an album, but this photographer doesn't offer that service? No. There are so many wonderful photographers out there in the industry. Find someone who is offering you EXACTLY what you want. 

4. Choose someone who fits your style

The best photographers have a clear style and vision. There are so many different artists with so many different perspectives on wedding photography. Find someone who has the right vibe for you. Don't book someone just because they are local or in your price range. If they don't produce the style of images that YOU want to treasure forever that's ok. But find someone who does.

5. Choose someone who has YOU in mind

Whew, this is a big one. As wedding photographers, it's our job to go to weddings all the time. Duh. I'm sorry, that was obvious. Because of this some photographers will fall into the trap of treating your wedding like a run of the mill day at work. It can be easy for people in this industry to begin to think of your super-special-once-in-a-lifetime-very-important wedding as just another task to accomplish. The cake was prettier at the last wedding I shot and will be better for my portfolio. Uh, if I see ONE MORE bride use navy blue for her bridesmaids dresses. I've already shot at this venue twice this year... BORING! Etc, etc. YOUR WEDDING IS NOT ABOUT THEM. You MUST choose a photographer whose number one priority is making YOUR big day the absolute best it can be. Your wedding is not a portfolio filler. Your wedding is not a future Facebook ad. Will your photographer use your wedding photos for their portfolio and future Facebook ads? Probably. But that cannot be the focus of a great wedding photographer. The focus should be you.

If you're still looking for your perfect wedding photographer I would love to work with you! Head to the contact page to get in touch!

Lacey + Bailey - Savannah, TN Wedding

Saturday's wedding was INCREDIBLE. Not only did I get the chance to work with an amazing couple, but I had so much fun at their wedding. Lacey and Bailey are beautiful together and I'm so glad I got the chance to share their special day with them. Here's a preview of their wedding photos!

Planning a Marriage

Unfortunately, it's happened again. I've learned recently about one more couple that I know who has decided to get a divorce. Lately it seems that all I hear is how marriages aren't working. Each week brings news of another crumbling relationship, another case of infidelity, another couple who just can't take it anymore. 

Wedding planning is exciting. Girls look forward to this stage of life all the way from childhood. It's a big deal! It's fun to sit with friends and decide what your colors will be and choose flowers to match. It's incredible to find THE dress and feel confident in how beautiful you'll be walking down the aisle. Cake testing - need I say more? 

Wedding planning is great, but marriage planning is essential. The day after your honeymoon after the cake is gone, the flowers have died, and the dress is put away never to be worn again, all you're left with is a marriage (and your photos). The wedding is ONE beautiful, fabulous day. The marriage is every day. The happy days, the sad days, the boring days, the cranky days, the stressful days, the super duper in love days, the WHY DID WE DO THIS days. We have to plan for the days beyond the wedding day. 

Here's my advice to all those amazing couples out there planning weddings. Plan a wedding! Plan a beautiful wedding. Plan your dream wedding with the perfect flowers, the tasty cake, and the dress that makes you feel like Kate Middleton. Plan a wedding that will knock people's socks off. And plan a marriage that's so beautiful it puts that wedding to shame. 

Ann Marie + Will - Jackson, TN Engagement

I love that Ann Marie had the idea to go to the library for their engagement photos. These two are avid readers so the setting was perfect! We used the university library on the last day of finals so we were the ONLY people around. We had the whole place to ourselves! 

Because these two are going to Key West for their honeymoon!

Summer Goals

One of the things that I really miss about being in school is summer. Being in school programs us to long for summer. When May rolls around I would always start getting that itch. Adulthood slapped me in the face HARD the first summer after I graduated from college. I graduated in December, and started working a big kid job in January. When May came I started feeling it, that summer excitement. Then came the first Monday after "summer" had started and I realized I still had to go in to work at 8:00 like normal and summer break was meaningless to me.  

It was a big bummer. 

While summer doesn't mean the same thing it used to for me I still can't shake my old summer tendencies. For me summer means resetting. Every year since as long as I can remember I set summer goals for myself. I didn't have school to occupy my time and distract me from what I wanted to accomplish. Every year I would make a list of what I wanted to do over the summer and that's how I would spend my days. 

I definitely don't get the summer "off". If anything, I work MORE in the summer. But I'm still me, which means I've still got my list of summer goals. I thought I would share them with you today. 

1. SPEND TIME OUTSIDE VERY DAY. For most people this comes naturally, especially in the summer. Not me. I'd basically always rather be inside. However, I can see a huge difference in how I feel if I make an effort to actually see the sun at least once a day. What can I say, I'm a homebody. I like Netflix and naps.

2. READ AT LEAST 10 BOOKS. I'll be taking suggestions for this one. 

3. DO SOMETHING SPONTANEOUS. Finally dying my hair? A random vacation? We'll see. 

4. REDEDICATE TO MY HEALTH. It's become clear to me how important eating well and exercising is not only to my physical health, but my mental health. I just don't like how I feel when I'm not doing these things. However, life happens and I get distracted. Summer is rededication time!

5. BE MORE MINDFUL OF MY WORDS. I am making a commitment to be more careful about what I say. I want my words to matter and carry weight. If it's not necessary or uplifting, I'm going to try not to say it.