You’re probably feeling a bit overwhelmed by the process of choosing your dream wedding photographer. There are SO many photographers on the market, so many styles, packages, and albums to choose from, and you’re having a hard time figuring out who and what type of photographer will do the best job of capturing your wedding day. The decision fatigue of weddings can set in early here! Luckily, when you boil it down to four important points, it becomes much easier to choose the best wedding photographer for you, and I’m here to help you with that! No matter what style of photography you’re looking for, I promise the perfect wedding photographer is out there for you. You just need to know how to find them. That’s where this guide’s going to help you!

Finding the best wedding photographer is an important part of your wedding planning process; and choosing the right artist and business owner is about so much more than just looking through portfolios online and picking a ‘bright and airy’ photographer. To help you through the process, I’ve written this guide with the top 4 tips I tell couples to help them choose the best photographer to capture their wedding day. I sincerely hope it helps guide you to your dream wedding photographer!

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While falling in love with a photography portfolio is important, hiring the right person for the job is about so much more than beautiful light and colours. You deserve to work with someone who provides a top notch experience, who runs a good and legitimate business behind the scenes, and who you will love spending time working with.

1. Fall in love with their whole portfolio

It is so important to fall in love with how your wedding photographer captures an entire wedding day. From getting ready through to partying on the dance floor, you should love all of your photographs. Make sure you ask to see a few full wedding galleries that your photographer has captured, preferably from similar venues and styles to the wedding you’re planning. If you’re having a wedding at an indoor Toronto venue, then make sure you find a Toronto wedding photographer who can showcase some beautiful work they’ve created both in indoor locations and urban environments! Make sure you’re happy with how the photographer works with different spaces and lighting situations throughout the day.

2. Learn about the complete experience they offer

Choosing your wedding photographer is about so much more than just the final gallery of photographs they deliver. You’re likely going to work together for up to two years, so it’s important that you’re happy with the level of customer service they deliver. Do they respond to your emails quickly? Are they happy to spend time consulting with you on your plans? What level of customer care can you expect? Is their photo turn around time guaranteed and efficient? Consider your expectations ahead of time and find someone who offers a full service that aligns with your wants and needs.

Generally speaking, the more a photographer charges, the greater level of service and skill you can expect from them. Full time wedding photographers charge higher prices, and in turn they’re able to offer you the level of care and attention of someone who works full time at their business and craft.

3. Absolutely fall in love with their personality

The best way to capture wedding photographs that are natural, fun, and feel like ‘you’ is to hire a photographer who you feel comfortable with. Choose someone whose personality fits with yours, who makes you laugh, and who will help you feel both comfortable in front of the camera, as well as relaxed and stress free on your wedding day. Also remember, the wedding photographer you hire will spend a full day with not only you, but with all your friends, family, and loved ones. So, it’s important to look for someone whose portfolio reflects an ability to interact with and capture photographs of your friends and family as well. Smiling family photographs and great candid shots of guests speak to your photographer’s ability to mingle with the crowd and make people feel comfortable. Both your wedding day and your photographs will be so much more fun and relaxed if you find someone who you enjoy spending time with!

4. Align Your Budget

Budgeting for your wedding (and finding a photographer who fits this budget) is of course important. However, it’s necessary to do some research first and consider your wants and needs before setting your photography budget. All too often I see people approach photographers with a very small budget that they have arbitrarily set before doing their research. They can’t find someone who can deliver the quality and service they want at that price point, and end up hiring someone who they run the risk of being disappointed by. I’ll never advocate spending a small fortune on your wedding if you don’t want to, but photography is such an important part of your wedding day that’s it’s helpful to keep flexibility in your numbers when you first start looking at hiring.

I recommend deciding on what you want to have included in your wedding photography package, as well as what level of service you’re looking for, and then looking for wedding photographers who offer packages that include what you want. After you’ve found these photographers, then you can start deciding within the correct price bracket how to budget for your photography needs. One final pro tip? Reading google reviews about your prospective wedding photographer is a great way to get an idea of the level of customer service they actually offer!