The Right Photographers + Filmmakers

Being a bride today can be so overwhelming as the market for wedding vendors has exploded, especially the market of photographers and filmmakers! So…How do you choose the right photographers + filmmakers?

Today we wanted to share some questions to ask when picking out the right creatives for your wedding. As well as how to make sure you’re not ending up with inexperienced photographers + filmmakers or worse yet, a scam photographer + filmmaker. This is how to choose the right photographers + filmmakers.

Weddings are expensive. We totally get it! And choosing the right photographers + filmmakers may mean working within a budget. We get that too. However, basing your photography selection on price may be the worst mistake ever. It is easy to say, “Well this photographer offers 8 hrs of coverage for $1500 and this one offers 8hrs of covers for $3200, lets just go with the less expensive one. It’s all the same right?!”.

Unfortunately it is not all the same. Photographers base their price on several things:

• Experience
• Artistic ability
• Client experience
• Quality of gear
• Quality of service
• (Just to name a few)

This is so important to remember when selecting the right photographers + filmmakers. A low priced photographer could mean that they have little experience, and/or low quality gear. Maybe they are still learning how to produce a great client experience, beautiful artistic photos and quality service. In the end it could leave you wishing you would had gone with the more expensive choice. The right photographers + filmmakers with whom you clicked, felt comfortable. As well as those whom were well prepared to tell your love story and first day as husband and wife.

How to avoid booking an inexperienced or careless creative team to document your love story.

Over the years, we have heard so many horror stories about bad photographers/filmmakers and it makes us cringe. People who were charging $800 – $1500 for wedding photography. Then only delivering 200 – 400 photos after 8 hrs of coverage that were not even edited. Or they missed the photo of the bride walking down the aisle, the ceremony kiss, family photos, detail shots and the list goes on. Couples have told us that it took 7 months before they even got their photos or they never got them at all! OUR HEARTS BREAK when we hear these stories because all of those couples deserved better. They deserved to be served with love, respect and true artistic ability, and so do you.

So we wanted to share some very important questions to ask your photographers/filmmakers before booking them.

**Bonus Note- If there is one huge piece of advice we can give, it is to meet with your photographers/filmmakers before booking them. This is so vital.

1. How long have you been shooting?
2. How many weddings have you documented?
3. Are you a single shooter?
4. How do you set up the getting ready photo timeframe as a single shooter?
5. Do you offer a second shooter?
6. How long have you been working with your second shooter?
7. Is your second shooter an amateur or a professional photographer?
8. Can I see portfolio work from your second shooter?
9. Can we see the full galleries of a few of your recent weddings which are similar to ours?
10. What do you do if something unexpected happens during the wedding and puts things off schedule?
11. Can you work up and send me a “sample day photographic timeline”?
12. How do you work us into poses so we don’t look awkward?
13. Is an engagement session complementary with our wedding collection so we can work with you before our wedding day?
14. Do you offer same day edits?
15. How long till we get our full gallery of photos and is that in the contract?
16. How many images will I receive from my wedding gallery and is that in the contract?
17. Are all the images edited and is that stated in the contract?
18. Are all the images high resolution and is that stated in the contract?

 

We hope these questions help you to adventure through the sea of wedding photographers/filmmakers so you can select the creative team that is perfect for you and your gorgeous wedding day. I have a few other posts below that will help with the process of choosing your “Artistic Soulmate” wedding photogs and coming soon how to rework the budget to get your ideal wedding photographs.

 

5 Questions To Help You Find Your “Artistic Soulmate” Wedding Photographer

https://hornphotographyanddesign.com/tips-for-our-couples/12-budget-trimming-tips-so-you-can-have-your-ideal-photographers-filmmakers/