Top 10 questions I think you should ask or check before your book your wedding photographer.
- Have they done more than a couple weddings?
- Do they only do one type of wedding destination, church, outdoors, elopement, etc.?
- What is their editing style?
- Can they style groups or big families (If you want a lot of these)?
- Are they good with candid or better posing or vice versa?
- Do they do getting ready photos or do you want them?
- How many edited photos do you get, and do you get any raw photos?
- Do you include any printed or digital copies?
- What happens if you get sick or have emergency?
- What is your pricing? Does it include Engagements, bridals, all day wedding or how many hours?
Now asking all these questions for me helps you see a much bigger picture and you don't get so caught up from one BEAUTIFUL photo where the bride and groom probably were professional models, with perfect lighting, at the perfect time of day and year, with a waterfall, on a mountain, etc. Some artists are AMAZING at getting the couple posed perfectly in perfect situations. Not everyone is great working with a crazy big family, or Interracial couples, or on a day with WAAAY too much sun and light or a day that's rainy, cloudy, etc. Pay attention to all of that.
Check who tagged them in photos. People that are happy with the whole experience tend to tag and give good reviews. Check that they don't have one type of wedding. Maybe the artist is good outdoors but indoors with crappy lighting editing goes weird or you lose details etc. Some photographers are great with the couple for engagements, Bridals, but not the best with group photos, and that doesn't make them an immediate no just be aware of it and know you are choosing them for your one on one pics more than the group family photos. If on your wedding day you know you want a lot of family pics, extended family pics etc. You either have to choose someone that is great at both, or find a second photographer that does specialize in that.
As a Makeup artist one of the things I hear Soooo much is that the bride got their bridal pics back and is unhappy with the coloring. This is where editing style is so very important. You might LOVE the look of high editorial, high contrast, but sometimes you don't realize what that can mean. That can mean that some of the detail of your dress isn't as noticeable. That means your makeup might look different because of how they bump up the contrast. I had a bride say their makeup looked orange and could we change that for wedding. I asked did it feel orange after the trial or bridals. No she replied I asked to see the pics and than I realized what had happened. She chose a photographer that does a warmer style. ALL of their pics were warmer and slightly sepia tones. Which does NOT mean bad photographer. It does mean when she chose the photographer, she didn't realize the fact that this was how the photographer edits ALL of their photos. So that means ALL of her photos are going to look slightly warmer her dress, the sky, the grass, her flowers, and her makeup and hair. So when I talk about double checking editing style I beg of you definitely do NOT skip this. Ask them what would you describe your editing style to be? Are you more true to color, warmer, cooler, etc.
I personally lean towards having a photographer that is more true to color, light and bright for wedding days. On any other photo shoot I can totally be behind Moody, warmer, cooler, etc. But in my own opinion I think most everyone wants to look back at photos and remember the exact color of her flowers, of the sky, of her dress, and yes of her hair and makeup. Now of course as a makeup artist I want my work to look like what my work looked like, but the main thing is this is one of the MAIN complaints I get from brides and their family members. If someone complains about their pics unless someone lost the photos (I know that's the photographer's nightmare) but they will say I took a photo of me or the flowers or of the sky the same day and it was so blue or it was so bright, and I got my photos back and it looks almost gray, or it looked kind of orange etc. Now photographers don't come at me. I think there is beauty in ALL types of photography and I love a good black and white, cooler tone, sepia toned pic if its a couple but to have ALL your wedding photos edited that way I think in my opinion I wouldn't choose that and from past Brides of 19 years that I think was the one complaint. Not they didn't know how to pose me, not they were too expensive, but I didn't look like myself, of family, or landscape, etc.
So if you ask me for my opinion on photographers for a wedding day I will always recommend (unless you specifically ask a different style) I will err on a photographer that is true to color or light and bright because I want everyone to remember their wedding day the way it happened and the way it looked, because what you see in pictures is what you will have hanging in your house for decades or longer.
You also want to think of the Vibe and personality of your vendors. Your photographer is going to be around you all day. Make sure they are fun and have a positive vibe. Here are a few Photographers in Utah that I would totally recommend love their vibe and their work.
Kamee Valdez
Heather White Smith
https://www.facebook.com/share/1ZNuWp99ja/?mibextid=wwXIfr
Jackie Siggard
https://jackiesiggardphotography.com
Angela Lealaogata
Professional Makeup Artist
anr Permanent Makeup Artist
Loved this blog! Excellent tips, especially about making sure you actually love the look of the colors in the photographers photos.
I never thought about how related a wedding photographer and makeup artist are. So cool to hear the similarities with the natural, bright approach. And love the explanation about the colors!!