I realize it may not sound very romantic, but as soon as you say “yes” to your fiancee…. start doing your research.  If you are one of the lucky brides who get a proposal for Christmas, (or any time during the holiday season), please don’t wait for the January and February bridal shows to start looking for vendors – especially if you have picked a date in one of the months I mentioned above.  Many vendors who exhibit at these shows may already be booked by that time, as many brides start planning their weddings six months to a year in advance.  Bridal shows are good places to get ideas and meet vendors you are willing to be flexible on, but if there is someone specific you’d like to meet and work with, I suggest you go ahead and book them before the show, and then focus on the smaller details and have fun once the show comes around.  I know this may seem a little counterproductive for many brides who want to see all their options, but believe me when I tell you that all your options will not be at a bridal show.  I myself do not attend bridal shows because I simply don’t have the extra time, and I’m not the only one.  Several of my photography colleagues, who are all fantastic photographers, don’t do bridal shows for various reasons…. the result being that you, the bride, may miss out on some wonderful options by limiting your search to bridal shows.

Spring weddings are some of the first dates wedding photographers book each year.  In my experience, June is the first month I start booking in – and often it’s a year in advance.  May is next, with Memorial Day weekend the first to go – it’s the most popular weekend because couples can get married on Sunday and guests don’t have to travel home that night because Monday is a holiday.  Next comes October… it’s the month brides dream of a perfect Fall themed wedding – especially if they live in a region with all four seasons.  It’s also the month where temperatures start to fall, leaving the hot summer months behind and ushering in the beginning of the holidays.  Just be aware of what date you choose and the popularity of that time of year.  If it’s one of the more popular months, book the vendors that are most important to you immediately.  This will reduce stress and leave you with decisions you’re willing to be flexible on.

About five years after we met, she came to me asking questions about photography.  I knew she had an interest, but didn’t think she’d ever follow through because her life is constantly busy with work, family, and friends.  I thought she was happy with her lot, but it became apparent she was not…. she hated her job and was struggling to find something that made her happier.  So, she took my lead and started to wonder if photography might be something she could do for a living.  I took her to a few weddings as an assistant giving her a first hand look at this area of photography…. and while she appreciated the time I gave her, she quickly realized weddings were not for her.  Sally may love photography, but she is not always good at the post production detail work.  She is a simple photographer – one who loves the act of taking photos, but does not like all the work that comes after.  To her it’s tedious and boring, but I also think it’s overwhelming her because she is not very familiar with it yet.  The sheer volume of knowledge she has to acquire to become a professional is frustrating and daunting… not to mention the start up costs involved.  On a limited budget and still working full time in another job, Sally is finding that photography is really not what she had expected.  The romantic ideas of joining this field of work are quickly fading as she does project after project with results less than satisfying.  She doubts her talent, which I’m sure all of us did when starting out ( I know I did! ), and at times seems to give up and throw in the towel…. but she also has a very tenacious streak and keeps chipping away at her self doubts – each job becoming a bit easier than the last. 

Having photographed a few weddings for friends, Sally has recently been contacted for her first wedding client she does not know.  She is scared and has no idea if she can do this….  The wedding is a winter wedding, which means a great majority of the day will be in darkness and she will have to use an on camera flash – something she does not have alot of experience with.  Most of the previous weddings were daytime weddings and she could rely on natural light – easier and more convenient to shoot.  Now, this is the one area of photography that many amateur wedding photographers get wrong when they pick up a camera and hang their sign out the door.  Lighting is the number one complaint I hear of when it comes to hiring someone for a low price to save money with the budget.  So many horror stories and unbelievable images from people who pick up a professional camera one day and think they can shoot weddings for extra money.  It may be easy to shoot a few great images – especially anything taken with natural light – but when it comes to lighting a scene with an on camera flash, many do not know how to set the flash to ensure enough light reaches their subjects.  AND, in a situation like a wedding, there is no time to sit down and try to figure out what they are doing wrong – and for this reason, many end up panicked and botch the entire job.  Weddings offer little room for mistakes….  be careful when hiring someone who has little experience and make sure they know what they’re doing.  Sally is lucky because I am her mentor and will coach her through what she’ll need to know for her upcoming winter wedding, but many new wedding photographers out there don’t have someone to guide them… and they are ticking time bombs. 

As always, do your homework and research every wedding photographer you meet with.  Get those references, and try to see as much of their work as possible.  And remember, just because it’s a good deal doesn’t mean it’s good quality.  You get what you pay for in this business….  don’t be one of the horror stories I hear about later.

Yes, I know many of you have friends and family that are photographers, and it might make sense to have them take some engagement photos, or you may feel obligated.  However, obligation is not a good reason to cut out the engagement session with the photographer you’ve hired for your wedding day.  This is the person who needs to know how you act in front of the camera, this is the person you’ve hired to take the best images possible, but part of the that formula is having some sort of connection their subject.  As a photographer, it’s very difficult to show up on the wedding day and meet either, or both, the bride and groom for the first time.  It’s like meeting a new friend for the first time…. there is a bit of awkwardness if there is not opportunity to talk and get to know one another.  A wedding photographer needs to know a bit about their couple before the big day so they know what to expect and how to shoot the images:  traditional vs artistic? lots of black & white or more color? focus mainly on the couple or make sure to get lots of the guests? are there any angles or body features they don’t like?  are one or both of them shy in front of the camera? does one need to be prompted to laugh to get genuine smiles? do either of them have problems with any family members or friends? And so on….  These sorts of questions can be talked about during the engagement session – it’s a time to put forth all your concerns or bits of trivia you think the wedding photographer will need.

So, please rethink the engagement session if you are contemplating cutting it from your wedding package.  Even if you already have many great photos as a couple, I don’t think you’ll regret spending time with your photographer once the big day arrives and it’s like seeing a friend walk in the room.  I can personally testify that the weddings I photograph where I did an engagement session with the couple prior to the big day were much more relaxed, and I was viewed as more of a friend or acquaintance rather than just a photographer.

Just remember that we have no job without you, but we will always have a life beyond the job.  Take a moment to put yourselves in our shoes if you ever run into a moment you feel a photographer is being unreasonable – sometimes you may see things a bit differently and understand the situation better through someone else’s eyes.  I do this all the time with my clients, and I believe it has helped me achieve such a high customer satisfaction percentage.  Learning to see the world through other people’s perspective will give you a better appreciation for their time and sacrifice.

Make sure anyone you interview for your wedding photographer has the ability to juggle many different people at once.  See if they are a people person….  ask them if they enjoy meeting new people….  ask them if they treat everyone with kindness even if they are being challenged….  People are the centerpiece of every wedding, and if  your photographer doesn’t enjoy crowds or being tested by rowdy guests… well, they are in the wrong business.

So, why get an album at all?  I know some of you are trying to save money and will cut the album from a package in an effort to curb costs.  I completely understand this, but I’d like you to consider one thing:  if you don’t go ahead and committ to an album now, you may never end up getting one in the future.  Life moves on after the wedding day, and in the hustle and bustle, the importance of a wedding album doesn’t seem so pressing until ten years have passed and regret starts to move in.  I’ve seen many couples in this exact situation, they say they will get an album on their first anniversary, but I never hear from them because their lives have changed and other obligations require their time and money.  When you are in the planning stages of a wedding, go ahead and add in the cost of an album… it will be worth it on your 30th, 40th, and 50th wedding anniversaries when you can relive the day again and again.

So, for those of you who expect more from the dollar, what does it mean handing over some of it to a wedding photographer whose product you won’t see until after the wedding day?  It’s a tough sell, I know.  You are putting alot of trust in someone you probably don’t know, risking your money on a product  you haven’t seen, and telling this person, “I have faith in your ability to make me happy”.  And what if they don’t deliver?  What if you get your images back and your not as happy as you wanted?  Is that money wasted?  Did you gamble it all away?  How did you make such a mistake?  It’s not easy struggling with these questions when faced with writing checks for sometimes thousands of dollars and handing them over to someone you don’t know.  And the added pressure of not being able to send it back for a replacement makes some people really over analyze all their options and drive themselves nuts.  Because that’s what it really boils down to…. it’s not just making sure you are getting what you want; it’s also about not making a mistake.  I’ve seen couples drive themselves crazy looking at every option available only to make the situation worse because they are now armed with TOO much information.  In an effort to make sure no stone is left unturned, couples will research and visit with ten or more wedding photographers and end up in a bigger mess than if they had simply found four or five that suit their needs and left it at that.  The lure of knowing there are so many other choices out there pulls some couples in and traps them in an almost neverending cycle of uncertainty and second guesses. 

Do your research, but don’t look up every name you see in the phone book, or on your seach engine.  Find some names that interest you and look them up…. if none of them catch your eye, go on to a few more names, and repeat this until you have a list of 4 – 5 names to call.  Overanalyzing and research overload is only going to make a fun situation more like a chore.  Keep it simple, and try not to worry too much about the money aspect of this decision.  By doing your homework, you are one step closer to ensuring your money won’t be wasted.

So ladies, please communicate with your photographer.  Gentlemen, you should too – I had a groom once who did not like his profile and did not tell me; as a result he was not fond of about half the shots I took.  It’s very important you state your concerns and ask lots of questions while shooting.  You are paying good money to have your image taken…. make sure you’re going to love it!