How to Select the Best Wedding Photographer

We are thrilled to have Catherine Just, an award winning photographer gracing the National Geographic cover, writing the tip for the Happy Bride Project. When I told her about the mission of the Happy Bride Project she was excited about it and wrote the following SUPER helpful guest post for us.  Enjoy!!

How to Select a Wedding Photographer  – My Top 8 Tips

Congratulations on your engagement! Now it’s time to plan your wedding! This process can be daunting and stressful! I hope that by offering you tips on how to find and select your best wedding photographer I can help alleviate some of the questions swirling around in your mind. This topic is near and dear to my heart. Not only did I photograph weddings for a living but I too was a bride at the end of 2007. I’ve seen this question come up as a wedding photographer in Denver, but also, and maybe even more importantly, as a bride.

A great price is of course something that you cannot avoid thinking about, however when you go for the best price and neglect asking yourself a few other questions you may not want to look at your wedding album after it’s produced! At the end of the event all you really have to document your day are the photographs. They are really important to consider, and not something to take lightly.

Here are my Top 8 tips on how to select the best wedding photographer for you.

1. Start Early! Put this at the top of your to do list. Wedding photographers book up really fast and you want to give yourself options. If you wait too long, the better photographers will be booked and you will end up having to select from mediocre talent.
2. Only meet with 3 photographers. ( 5 at the most ). Any more than that and you will start to get a bit dizzy! Stick with this small number and you will know which one to pick. Any more than this and it will just become confusing to you. Since you are getting started early you will have the top wedding photographers to choose from so you won’t need to feel like you are missing something.

©Catherine Just

3.  Make sure you LOVE their work! Just because they fit into your budget doesn’t mean they are going to capture your wedding in a way that makes your heart sing. Really notice the way they capture the emotion, details, overall feel of the event. They must have albums that showcase FULL weddings. Not just the best of from several different weddings. You want to see how they photographs flow from an entire wedding. And not just one. If they have several full weddings to show you that would be the best way to see if they can photograph the event from start to finish in a professional, creative and impressive way.

4.  Even MORE important than their photographs ( yes, you read correctly! ) is the way you feel when you are around them.I know this seems like a strange thing to add to this list. But believe me, if you don’t really like them or feel connected, I advise you to steer clear. Even if their wedding photography is incredible. Even if the pricing matches your budget. Just walk away. The photographer is going to be the one person closest to you and at every single moment during the wedding. If you don’t like them, or feel really comfortable being yourself around them it will show in your wedding photographs! Some photographers are so incredibly talented, but when I was getting married I knew to find someone with all three points. Talent, the right price point and a person that I felt completely comfortable being myself around. My photographs turned out so great. Not only where the photographs beautiful and touching, but the feeling you got when you looked at them was one of comfort, joy and ease.

©Catherine Just

5.  Make sure they bring a second photographer. There isn’t a photographer on the planet who can cover the entire event on their own. One photographer with the gals getting ready while the other is with the guys. One to capture people as they walk down the aisle while the others captures expressions of friends and family. Plus, if for some reason the camera equipment malfunctions you will have the second photographers images so not all was lost. And yes – equipment does at times fail, however this should not be a problem when it’s being covered by two photographers. Two photographers and an assistant? Even better. It’s tough to be really present when you are pulling your camera bag AND trying to be really focused on the moments taking place. An assistant can carry bags and hand lenses to the photographer so that they can just do what they are best at and not miss anything. Yes, this means that the pricing will be higher than others who work solo. Just remember that this is an investment that will give you memories that will last far beyond your own lifetime. Hate to put it this way – but your wedding photographs will be one thing that you can pass on through the generations.

6.  If possible, do an engagement session with them. This session will really help you ease into the idea of having your photos taken all day long at your wedding because you will get the hang of it during this session. You will also see if you like the way they work with you, if you like how they talk with you during the photo session, and if you feel really comfortable. If you can book this session without booking the wedding photography that would be the best way to really get an inside peek at whether this photographer is right for you and if they can capture the energy between the two of you.

7.  Ask what equipment they use. If they use a tripod and they stand it up in the middle of the aisle when you are getting married – the guests view will be obstructed and if you have a videographer they won’t be able to get the views the need. The photographer needs to be able to capture your wedding without being seen by the guests or by the other vendors. Well, people will see the photographer, but you don’t want them to be distracted by whatever it is they are doing. They need to be very unobstrusive. Everywhere, but nowhere. One way to find out how they work is to ask for three past clients to talk with. Another is to find your photographer through your closest friends who know you the best. If you end up being at a friends wedding and you LOVE the photographer, get their card! You have already seen how they work, what their personality is like and how your friends respond to being around them all day and night. What better way to connect with the photographer than at your friends wedding.

©Catherine Just

8.  You want to trust your wedding photographer! What a drag that would be if you had to tell them what photos to take or what to do next. They should know the flow of a wedding and have experience to back this up. They should know how to capture images without you telling them what to do. You want to trust the photographer to have the talent and best interest in creating meaningful and stunning photographs. When you see it in their albums, feel it when you talk with them and experience it at an engagement session you will be free to enjoy being the bride and the groom and allow them to be who they are which is the authority in creating incredible tangible memories of your day.

Being engaged should be fun and romantic, yet all too often the “to do” list gets overwhelming and can cause you so much stress. Make sure you take care of yourself. Remember what is important. Ask for help when needed. Have fun! I wish you the very best in planning your wedding and in the amazing journey as a married couple.

Sincerely, Catherine Just

Catherine Just is an award winning, published photographer gracing the cover of National Geographic Magazine and inside the highly recognized magazines Inside Weddings and Photo District News. Her Photographs can also be found on Oprah.com. She was voted one of the best wedding photographers in the country by earning a spot in the “Top Knots” wedding photography competition sponsored by Photo District News in 2005, and again in 2006. Since then she has transitioned from full time wedding photographer to showing her fine art photography in galleries around the country, and leading a Soul*Full eCourse and Soul*Full Photography Retreats in beautiful places around the world. You can view more of her portfolio and learn more about her events at catherinejust.com.