the kap blog

Your photographer is one of the most important investments for your wedding day. It’s one of the biggest decisions next to finding the perfect venue. Wedding photographs are one of the few tangible pieces of your wedding day that you will have to remember and share with your future kids. Since, your wedding photographs are so important, it’s equally important to make sure you choose a wedding photographer that’s the right fit for you and with so many to choose from with a wide variety of styles. And, I understand that it can often feel daunting to deciding who you should choose to capture your wedding day. That’s where I come in. Here are four tips to help you find a wedding photographer.

4 Tips to Find a Wedding Photographer

Find Your Style

Before you select your photographer, it’s important that you do some research on what style of photography you like. Close your eyes and imagine that you’re sitting down together, flipping through your wedding album. What do you see? What do you imagine your photographs looking like? Feeling like? 

There’s a lot of different styles out there, both in the way a photographer captures a wedding day and in the way they edit. For instance, some will use dramatic editing techniques, while others prefer a more light, airy style. Some, like myself, allow your day to unfold as naturally as possible with gentle posing and prompting. Whereas, other’s are more editorial where images are intended to be appreciated as art, not just a documentation of the event. 

Make sure you like what you see on their website and Instagram. Can you envision yourself in their images? If you don’t like what you see, then they aren’t the best fit for you and that’s okay!

Reviews, Reviews, & Reviews

Start your search by reading reviews on several different platforms – Google, The Knot, Wedding Wire, Facebook, Instagram Highlights.  Check out their social media platforms (Instagram and Facebook). How are their previous and current couples responding to them? Is their feedback positive? Does the photographer respond? And, how do they interact with their Instagram followers, do they seem friendly and personable?

Also, look at their website with a critical eye. The design of the website will also have clues about the photographer’s personality, sensibility, and experience.

Look at a Few Full Galleries

It’s very very important to see a full wedding gallery to see everything you can expect from beginning to end. Don’t base your decision solely on what you see in a photographer’s website or blog posts. 

Instead, ask to see full wedding galleries with a similar look and season to your wedding. While a photographer may not have photographed at your venue (and that’s okay!), looking at a full gallery will give you a better idea of what your photos might look like. 

Remember, when reviewing a photographer’s album, look for the key moments that are most important to you. Such as, getting ready with your girls and your mom bustling your dress. Or, how they capture wedding ceremonies. Are they focused solely on the alter or are they paying attention to your guests reactions? Also, pay attention to how they handle different lighting situations throughout the day.

I recommend couples making a date night out of this. Grab your favorite take out, pour yourself a drink, turn on your favorite music, and go through wedding galleries. Can you envision yourself in those weddings? Do you resonate with their style? Would you be ecstatic if that was YOUR wedding gallery and proud to show your future kids and grand-kids?

Consultations

Alright, so you’ve narrowed down the top contenders. Now, time to meet with your potential photographers via: phone consultation, virtual or an in-person meeting. This allows you to share about yourselves, your relationship, and what’s important to you about your wedding day. This time is also a good indicator if your personalities mesh well with each other.

While it’s important you love their style, you also want to be able to communicate with them and form trust in them. Keep in mind, your photographer will be with you capturing one of the most intimate moments in your life, so you want to feel comfortable with them. Here is a point in case from a recent conversation from a friend:

Ultimately, this will leave you loving your wedding photos even more, because of the experience you had with them.

Kyrsten Ashlay Photography is a Dallas Wedding Photographer on a mission to capture cheerful and romantic images that reflect and protect your legacy to relive all the magical moments of your wedding day.  I hope you found this information incredibly helpful as are looking for your wedding photographer. To help you get started wedding planning – here are my top 40 Dallas Wedding Venues!

If you’re looking for a wedding photographer to capture your special day in Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex, I’d love to hear from you! Or, if you’ve seen enough and want to secure your upcoming wedding, Send me a note. Let me treat you to coffee (or a gin&tonic) – can’t wait to connect!