Planning for your wedding is no easy feat. You’ll have a lot of tasks on your plate, all as important as the other. For starters, you’ll have to come up with a guest list and entourage, inform them of their roles, and hand out invitations weeks before the wedding. You’ll also have to think about the venue, food, tokens, and clothes. Because your wedding day only comes once in a lifetime, you’ll have to make sure that every moment is captured in the best possible way – this is why you need to work with a headshot photographer for your wedding. Their expertise and experience will guarantee that you’ll have pictures to help you reminisce about your special day.
There are a lot of professional photographers that can offer their services wherever your wedding venue is. However, since your wedding day is one of the most important days of your life, you should be careful who you work with. You’ll need a photographer who takes amazing headshots during your wedding day, not someone who’ll become a reason for your stress. To ensure that you’ll experience the former, ask the following questions before hiring a headshot photographer for your wedding:
1. How many weddings have you shot?
This is one of the most important questions you should ask your wedding photographer. While hiring someone who has five years of experience in the industry might be tempting, don’t immediately say “yes” to these photographers. Years aren’t a good gauge of the skill of a photographer because some might work for five years but only part-time; they only shoot seven weddings in a year during weekends. A photographer who has been in the industry for a year but has shot weddings almost every day might be a better option.
Instead of asking how long the photographer has been in the industry, inquire how many weddings he has actually shot. Generally, the more weddings, the more experienced a photographer is.
2. How do you describe your photography style and can I see some samples?
Sure, you might be hiring a professional headshot photographer, but keep in mind that not all of them will work the same way. Usually, each photographer will follow a specific photography style. Make sure that you ask about this from the get-go. You’ll be hearing different photography styles such as traditional, formal, and creative. Because these styles mean different things to different people, you should ask samples from the photographer. Doing this will enable you to properly set your expectations and determine if a photographer fits the bill.
3. Will you be the one photographing my wedding?
Depending on the number of guests at your wedding, you might need to work with a larger business, such as jaheadshots.com, for your photography needs. If you’re taking this direction for your wedding, ask from the representative of the business about the photographers present on your wedding day. If you’re talking to a photographer who is trained, experienced, and professional, the other photographers who will be working with him or who’ll be working on your wedding day should also have the same qualities. You don’t want to set your expectations high and end up being disappointed on your wedding day, right?
4. What do your packages include?
There are a lot of things to accomplish and to pay for on your wedding day. Paying for an overpriced photographer or a photographer who doesn’t deliver will only be a waste of time and money. To ensure that this doesn’t happen to you, ask from the photographer about the price of his services and what the package includes. Will this only cover the photos taken during the wedding ceremony or does it include the reception? As much as possible, you should hire a headshot photographer who is flexible in adding or subtracting several components of his packages just so you can work within your budget.
5. How and when will I receive my photos?
You’re not the only person looking forward to seeing the wedding photos; most of the time, your friends and family are just as excited as you, too! How and when you will receive your wedding photos should be discussed with your photographer as well. Determine how long it will take for the photographer to send you the photos. A three- to four-week wait for the photos is a standard timeframe. While you’re at it, inquire how you will receive these images. Will these be sent in a CD and you have to print all of these by yourself? Or will your photos be displayed in an online gallery and you can order prints? The more information you have about this matter, the more prepared you’ll be.
Bargains Aren’t Always the Best
With everything that you’re planning and spending on your wedding, it can be tempting to hire the cheapest photographer. Working with them might be a bargain, but taking this option will not guarantee the best results. In fact, a photographer who charges less might signify that he doesn’t have sufficient equipment, experience, and training needed for the job. Don’t fall victim to photographers who offer “cheap” services. Instead, pay attention to other details, such as those listed in this article, so you’ll end up working with a headshot photographer who can meet your expectations for your wedding headshot photos.
Great advice! We were just working on putting together a guide for helping brides and grooms find the perfect wedding photographer for their weddings.
I love how you mentioned that “bargains aren’t always the best”. Your wedding is only photographed once and you’ll be using those photos to remember it forever, so finding the best photographer for you is a must!
One piece of advice I’d add on to the ‘Will you be the one photographing my wedding?’: along with experience, I think it’s equally important to have a good relationship with your photographer. There’s nothing worse than having conflicting ideas or styles and receiving photos that you just don’t like. So definitely talk or meet with your photographer in person if possible to see if they are truly the best fit for you!