A wedding is one of the most important days in anyone’s life. Whether you are looking for a wedding photographer in Utah, California, New Hampshire, or elsewhere, quality is key when it comes to your wedding photographs. Being extremely frugal I don’t advocate spending a lot of money on a wedding. However, my greatest regret is not spending the money on professional photography. I had a very small beach wedding and the pictures were taken by the few family members who attended. Fast forward to a computer crash and I have two not-so-great pictures left of my wedding day. Most people don’t consider me sentimental, nevertheless it is disheartening not to have quality pictures of that special day.
I would recommend to anyone who is getting married not only to spend the money on a professional photographer, but also make sure you research to find a photographer that will take pictures you and your spouse will love and cherish the rest of your lives. How do you find the right person for the job?
Personality-Set up a meeting and make sure you and your photographers’ personalities are compatible. You and your spouse should be comfortable around him or her. Many people choose to have engagement photos taken. This will allow you to build a rapport with your photographer and to make sure their style works for you.
Portfolio-Ask to see the photographer’s portfolio. You want to see pictures of several weddings they have shot. Style is important as well. In addition to traditional photos, many people want artistic, creative, and/or vintage photos. Most important of all, the photographer should capture the emotion of your special day.
Price- If you really love the photographer’s work but can’t afford the photos, perhaps you can compromise. Don’t lose out on a great photographer who does quality work. Talk with the photographer in detail before the big day. A good photographer will help you find a photography package within your budget.
Quality is key; be sure and do your homework and hire the right person for the job. After all, you only have one chance to capture the laughter, tears, and excitement that take place on your wedding day.
Luckily when I got married, my aunt said she was friends with a semi-professional photographer. I’m so glad for that because we also had a small wedding.
I am very sorry that you lost your wedding pics
I have a lot of photos stored on my computer and I keep meaning to back them up online but keep forgetting.
Oh no! I’m sorry to hear about your photos
I had a very small wedding out of town wedding (35 people), but we still decided to hire a professional photographer. He was so awesome, that my brother is actually using him for his wedding next year since he’ll be getting married in the same destination as I did.
I’ve been devestated after computer crashes had meant the loss of the kids’ birthdays etc. I couldn’t imagine the loss of photos of such an important event! Very good point to bring up, something that I wouldn’t have even thought about when it comes down to physical vs. digital photos for a wedding.
I was fortunate enough to find a semi-professional photographer, through word of mouth, when I was married back 30 yrs. ago. He did a fabulous job. I wanted shots of me getting dressed and the guys at the church before I arrived. I wanted hand shots of the rings on the fingers next to my bridal bouquet. I think it’s important to figure out what exactly one wants for pictures – in advance – what really matters most to you. There’s really no need on spending the money on shots you don’t really care about or that won’t matter 30 yrs down the road.
We had a friend who was i guess semi-professional do ours. They turned out great.
On another note, at one of my cousin’s wedding a few years ago, my hubby was taking pics and the photographer was asking him to stop beause he might interfere with his pics. DH was being careful to only shoot after the photagrapher did and continued taking picture anyway.
Turns out the photopahers film, memory card, whatever it was was no good and the pictures of the ceremony didn’t turned out. So the pics DH got were all they had, but they were happy DH had some.
Yikes, close call at your cousin’s wedding. I bet that photographer didn’t stay in business long!
Aw that’s too bad about your pictures… I hate it when that happens, when you’re really hoping for some good memory shots but end up with nothing too great… I know this guy who makes out of this world pictures. BUT first and foremost, my boyfriend is very artistic and knows how to take good pictures