Five Steps to Finding Your Soulmate Wedding Photographer
As you prepare for your Big Day, there is one relationship aside from your fiancé that is of utmost importance: your wedding photographer. In order to create art that truly captures the emotion of the day (and not just the events), it’s crucial to take your time finding THE ONE. The steps below ensure you find the best wedding photographer that captures your unique love story.
1. Ask your network for recommendations
One of the best ways to find a wedding photographer that’s right for you is by asking your friends. Chances are, you have similar tastes and it’s always best working with a referral. Then reach out to people whose wedding photography you love.
2. Do a Google search, look on Pinterest and Instagram
You can also search ‘San Francisco Wedding Photographer’ and relevant keywords for your area online. Pinterest allows you to search for a specific type of wedding photography style, such as “romantic”, “classic”, “modern”, “natural”, “moody”, etc. You can also get inspired on Pinterest and create your own mood board! Instagram is also a great resource and oftentimes the most popular to find your dream wedding photographer. Search through hashtags such as: #sanfranciscoweddingphotographer, #bayareaweddingphotographer, #sanfranciscoweddingphotos, etc.
3. Check out the photographer’s website/portfolio
When perusing through potential photographers’s websites, get a feel for their style: is it natural, true to color, light and airy? Is it dark and moody? Documentary style or romantic? What is your preference? You should feel an emotional connection and a hit of “yes! This is the style I am looking for” to move forward with a photographer. Next, check out their ‘About’ page. Do you get a sense of their personality? Their passion and dedication? Think of it like dating — do they spark your interest and give you a sense of connection just through their online presence? This is important.
4. Schedule a Call
Most wedding photographers offer a consultation call to see if you’re a match. If it doesn’t explicitly say on the website, send them an email and ask if they can talk first — if you’re investing a lot of time, money, energy and trust into this person, then your soulmate wedding photographer will be willing to speak to you first. They want to make sure you’re happy and will assess if their talent and experience matches what you’re looking for. If the photographer isn’t interested in talking to you first, that speaks highly of their level of care for their clients. Keep looking.
5. Notice Their Professionalism and Timeliness
In the initial stages of communicating with a wedding photographer (like dating), notice how quickly they get back to you – do they seem willing and excited to work with you? If the photographer seems flaky, unresponsive, or rude — keep searching. This isn’t a 2-hour photo shoot, this is a months-long relationship and you want to make sure you find someone who is responsive, friendly, professional and is excited about working with you.
At the end of the day, you want to find a photographer who you feel comfortable making requests to, bouncing ideas off of and forming a professional and trust-worthy relationship. The best wedding photographer is a people person. They work long hours on the big day and the most important part of their job should be to make the bride and groom happy. Talent and aesthetic is just the first step. Weddings are a lot of work, so you want someone who can communicate efficiently, is flexible to your needs, and can keep you calm and excited on your big day.
Remember you’re finding your soulmate photographer — one who understands you, your vision and is excited to tell your love story through photos. You’ll have these photos for a lifetime, to be passed down for generations. This art will hang in your home. Don’t settle for a photographer you don’t love. Go all the way and don’t stop until you find a professional that speaks to your heart.
I am a people person and LOVE what I do! I am in the business of making my clients happy and I offer free discovery calls to see if we’d be a fit. If you have any questions, feel free to email me at mail@vanjamarkovic.com.