5 Things to Think About When Hiring Your Wedding Photographer & Videographer
Now that you're engaged and diving into wedding planning, you may be feeling a little overwhelmed by what to do next.You're starting to reach out to vendors but you may not even know what to look for or what questions to ask. This is all so normal. For some, you've never planned a wedding before or maybe you're the first of your friends/siblings to tie the knot! That's why our first piece of advice is to always hire a planner. Trust me, they will make the planning process and the day of run so much smoother & cohesive. When it comes to how to choose your photo + video team, we can help provide some guidance. For simplicity, we broke it down to five things to consider.
Style
When looking at different wedding photographer & videographer's work, what are you attracted to? Not only the color and editing (ex: light & airy or dark & moody) but also how they capture the day. Are you looking for more candids or more formal posing? And when it comes to videography watch how they piece together the story of their day. Do you like the music selection? How about how the audio weaves into their film? Really take time to dive into their website and portfolios to get a feel for their personal creative style. Can you see yourself in their work? Once you find a team you really love, I don't think it's too much to ask to see a full gallery from a photographer. You want to see start to finish what a wedding looks like, not just the highlight reels that are displayed on websites & social media.
Connection
Once you find a style you like, the next most important aspect is the connection you have with the team. Not only is this a large investment, you're also going to be spending your wedding day with them! Do you like them? Do you connect with their personality? Will they seamlessly fit into your day? And above all else - do you feel comfortable around them? On your wedding day you want to feel like the most authentic version of yourself. Find someone who makes you feel relaxed, confident, beautiful, and that you can be yourself with. Because if you feel that way, we can capture you that way and I promise you will love the outcome so much more.
Offerings, Deliverables & Availability
Now diving into the nitty gritty - let's get into the details. Most important question - are they available? And do they offer the services & products you're looking for? That can be anything from second shooters, digital downloads, or video offerings like an Instagram Teaser. See what their offerings are and make sure it aligns with your vision & budget. Not sure what you need or want? Have that conversation with them too. Most professionals will be happy to share what their most popular packages are.
Side Note: What happens if the team you love is not available for your date? 1. If you haven't officially locked down your date, maybe there is some flexibility and 2. Ask for referrals. Chances are if you love their work, they can refer you to other incredible artists with similar styles.
Experience
When most people think about wedding photography & videography, they often think about it as a product based vendor, but really so much of our work together is service based. Yes you want to love the final product but you also want to love the experience of working with that vendor. Majority of the time, we are working with our couples 1-2 years in advance. You want to work with someone who can deliver an incredible experience as well as beautiful products.
We believe that the experience starts from the initial inquiry. We pride ourselves on communication so we not only respond to emails in a timely manner we also are available for phone calls, facetimes, coffee dates throughout the planning process. We want to be a resource for you throughout the entire wedding planning process. We put together an extensive guide that explains what to expect at every stage of the planning process, day of, and after your wedding is complete.. Most importantly we want you to always know that we are here for you. We are so grateful for all of our couples who invest in us as your team and we promise to make you feel special every step of the way.
Experienced
Now that we touched up on the experience - let's talk about hiring experienced professionals.When you're investing in a team to capture your day, you're paying for their experience. For us, we have been shooting weddings for almost ten years. Each wedding, each year, we learn something new and continue to better our services & work.
From styling your details and anticipating moments to organizing family portraits. This is our job - we do it almost every weekend and we promise to make it as stress free and enjoyable as possible.
Because you might not get the chance to see your team in action, make sure you read through their reviews & testimonials to see how other client's experience was working with them.
We hope this provides a great resource for you in whatever stage you are at in the engagement or planning journey.
If you think we would be a good fit for your upcoming celebration - email us and let's schedule a time to talk more about you both & your plans for the big day.
