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I know what some of you may be thinking – where do I even start with trying to find prospective Wedding Photographers?! I completely get where you’re coming from. It’s a challenging task, but can be made much easier by following a step by step process.
Here’s my 10 step guide for creating a Wedding Photographer shortlist to help you narrow down your search for the right photographer:
Step 1: Finalise your key details
Start at the basics. Make sure you have the key details of your Wedding firmed up before you start trying to shortlist your photographers – the last thing you want is to find a photographer you want to book, and for them to not be available on your big day! Get the following details down first:
Your Wedding date – this one is crucial!
The Location of your Wedding - what city or area of the country it is in.
Your Venue or venues that your Wedding will take place at. This doesn’t just mean where your ceremony is taking place, it also means where you will be getting ready and where your reception will be if these are happening all in different places.
Number of guests at your Wedding
Step 2: Decide what services you want
Take some time to decide what services you want as part of your Wedding Photography package. Do you want the full day of photography? Or would half day photography work better for your wedding? Some couples aren’t overly fussed about print products, and some couples hold photo prints, photobooks and canvases etc. as really important – which is better suited to you?
My best advice to couples is to try and work out what your essentials are first – the key elements of your photography package that are a must have and that you can’t do without. Then, nail down your nice to haves – the things that aren’t a necessity but if your budget allows, that you’d love to have as part of your package. Common nice to have’s include extra printed products, engagement shoots and second photographers to name a few.
Step 3: Define your budget
One of the most important steps. Your Wedding Photography is one of the most important investments that you will make on your wedding day. With that being said, your photography package should definitely fit within your set budget of whats affordable and reasonable given your other expenditures for the other components of your Wedding Day.
Create a ballpark figure for yourselves, and make sure you do it within the context of your other costs for your wedding. It’s always good to have a little wiggle room for when you do find your final photographer, so a good way to do this is by setting an initial budget range to work from, with a maximum upper limit that you’d be comfortable to manoeuvre to, to secure the right photographer.
Step 4: Decide the style of photos you’re looking for
These photos are ones that will last a lifetime, and no couple wants to receive photos they’re unhappy with. Browse the internet and look at the different styles of photos that Wedding Photographers produce. Which one do you and your partner like the most? Which ones can you comfortably see yourselves in?
Instead of just taking the style of photos that a photographer will offer you based on their preferences, equip yourself with some background research and decide the photo style you both like so you can approach prospective photographers with your preferences. This is key to getting the best photographer for you, and for receiving photos that meet your expectations!
Step 5: Decide on the approach you’re looking for
Very similar to the previous point. Make sure you understand the different approaches that Wedding Photographers can take, and work out which one you want your photographer to be doing. Do you want a photographer that you don’t even notice is there? Maybe you want someone who will get involved in the fun?
How you want your photographer to tackle your wedding photography is a good one to nail down so you can get the best person to fit in with your plans for your Wedding Day. It’s also important to bear in mind that a photographers approach will influence the style of photos you receive, so best to look at style and approach as co-dependent areas of your Wedding Photography, and decide on what your preferences are for both of these areas together.
Step 6: Do some initial research to find potentials
You’ve got the first 4 steps down, so now is a good time to start researching. Work with your partner to find an initial list of potential photographers that offer the services, style and approach that you’re looking for. Google is your holy grail for this, and a lot of couples also use various websites such as Hitched, Find a wedding photographer, Love my dress and Your perfect Wedding Photographer.
Every Wedding Photographers website should have this sort of information on there, so get stuck in with forming a starting list of potential candidates that meet your preferences.
Step 7: Compare their portfolios and approach
Comparison time! We have some potentials that are all ticking key boxes and looking good so far, but now time to start the narrowing down process. Take a deep dive through each of their portfolios and compare the photos. Which ones really stand out to you? Are there any that make you go WOW? Can you see certain shots of couples or their families that you’d really like to re-create? You’ll find that you start warming to certain photographers over others based on the recent work that you can see.
Even if every photographer in your initial list operates on the same approach, there will still be slight differences that you can pick up on. Look at the way that the photographers talk about themselves (typically on the about me sections) and also look at the words they use to describe their presence at weddings. Again, when you start to compare these more closely, you may find you’ll start leaning towards some over others, and get a sense of who may be a better fit for your wedding day.
Step 8: Look for testimonials
See what other people have been saying! Read about the experience that other couples have had with each of your Wedding Photographers. The majority that you read will definitely outline a good service, but some testimonials might give you an insight into the more nuanced parts of their experience.
Some testimonials talk about how amazing their photographer was, that they’ve actually stayed friends after the wedding from building such a good relationship. Some may talk about the planning and pre-wedding experience with their photographer, which is a very good way to get insight on their processes. You may also be able to get a closer idea of the quality of prints and printed products and how timely they were delivered after the wedding. Go through as many as you can to see who is ticking the most boxes for other couples.
Step 9: Request a meeting or submit an enquiry
By now, you’ve probably gotten quite deep into the websites of your initial list of photographers, but websites will only give you so much. Think about any remaining information you need, any outstanding questions, and any other important things to consider, and send an enquiry to the photographers that are starting to stand out from your initial list. If your prospectives don’t have pricing listed on their website, then it’s a good idea to request a quote at this stage too.
If you are able to, an optimal way to approach this step is to actually meet with your photographer. See if you can request a consultation or meeting, to get to know your photographer and ask them any questions directly. Actually speaking with your prospectives makes a HUGE difference and can really help with your decision making.
Don’t rush this one! This is arguably the most important step in the process, as this is the first communication you’ll have with your potentials, and is the key opportunity for working out who you like the best, and who is best suited to your needs and requirements.
Step 10: Create your shortlist and rank them
You may have already started doing this, but if you haven’t, you should be in a position to create your shortlist now! Following the above steps should have already seen you favouring some photographers over others, and may have seen you already ruling some out. My best advice is to aim to form a final shortlist of no more than 5 prospective photographers.
Using the information you’ve got and the vibes you’ve felt in relation to your final shortlist, it’s a very good idea to rank them. Rank them based on the key factors that are most important to you. Who is available, and best fits your price, services desired, approach and style of photos requirements? It’s a tough exercise for many couples, but it is what will point you towards your front runners.
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