After playing as many wedding receptions as we have, we’ve had the opportunity to work with some amazing vendors over the last few years.  We often get asked for recommendations and are more than happy to send some business to these wedding professionals, especially if it means we get to work with them again!

When it comes to a wedding photographer, however, there’s a lot more long-term commitment to consider.  Your ceremony and reception will come and go quickly, but the memories will be captured for you to look back on for years to come.  So how do you know who to choose from when anyone with an entry-level DSLR camera can advertise themselves a wedding photographer?

Unfortunately, photography prices are all over the place, so that’s not a great indicator. You’ll see people shooting 12 hours and an engagement session for under $1,000, and you’ll see people who will do the same work for $10,000. Price does not always reflect the quality of the work! We’ve seen cheap shooters that produce better work than $10,000 shooters, and $10,000 shooters that would benefit from spending a couple weddings as a second shooter for some of the cheap guys.

From the photographers end, the majority of them have very similar expenses. Most of them are using the same album companies and the same labs for prints. The difference is often based on if they have a studio (higher overhead) and their market. A Chicago  photographer will probably have a higher price point than a Bloomington photographer.

However, the biggest thing you are paying for is experience. Weddings aren’t easy work for a photographer. Its a very dynamic and challenging experience. A typical wedding photographer usually experiences multiple locations, flash to natural light, large groups of drunken groomsmen, new locations, bridezillas, ever changing light, every changing itinerary, ever changing weather, etc. And all that starts first thing in the morning and goes well into the reception.  While a new photographer may be able to wing it, an experienced pro will be able to own it and embrace it.

So how do you know how and who to choose? Its not easy!

Find someone with a style of photos that match the style you want

Like any artist, every photographer should have a distinct style that sets them apart from the rest.  If their portfolio looks like every wedding photo you’ve ever seen, then that’s a red flag.

Meet with multiple photographers

Even if you fall in love with the first, still meet with a few more just to make sure you’re not missing out.

Don’t be afraid to haggle

While most photographers have set package pricing, there is always a little wiggle room. That being said, don’t meet with the $10,000 photographers and try to get them down to $1,000.  That’s an insult to their profession and they probably will walk away from the discussion well before the conversation gets that far.

Ask lots of questions

Ask about experience, insurance, why they shoot weddings, and their influences. Ask them to talk you through the day, their method, etc.  You need to feel comfortable that they are going to deliver on their promise and be able to capture your event in full.

Look at a full wedding they shot

… and not just an album or select portfolio pieces. Stringing together 50 good photos for an album is easy, but what about the other 400 photos you will probably be getting.  Make sure that they take all the key shots you want, and if not, it lets you know what to add to your shot list.

A second photographer

Consider spending the extra and get the second photographer through whomever you decide to go with. Shooting a wedding by yourself is a ton of work and having that second photographer there does more than just increase the number of images. A second photographer serves as an extra set of eyes for the primary. They are making sure that the bride’s dress is perfect. That the groomsmen ties are straight, etc. While the primary photographer is often looking at the larger overall scene, the second photographer is trained to get into those little details. Its worth it!

Get a wedding album

Digital photography has cheapened our opinion on physical products. Many couples are very happy with a disc of images and an album on their facebook page. But really, these are temporary things. Albums can cost a photographer hundreds of dollars by the time it’s said and done.  And sure, you can find cheaper, but the quality really comes into play.

Besides, you are really buying it for your kids and grandkids. They are family heirlooms and should be treated as such. You can get very nice photobooks for under $100 from shutterfly, but do you really think that is going to hold up for multiple generations? Albums are so important to some photographers that they will work with couples on the price point just to make sure they get one.