Are you recently engaged and super excited to get the whole wedding process on its way?  Do you find yourself looking at Pinterest and dreaming and sighing and hoping that your day will look as beautiful as those photos?  Do you want to do an engagement session, book a photographer and get the ball rolling? Wait. Take a minute. Breathe.  Have you thought yet about what is important to you in a photographer?

There are so many talented creatives right now in the wedding industry.  Because of this, you get to be really picky about what you want, who you want to work with, and what style is important to you. Isn’t that awesome? You no longer have to settle anymore for your Uncle Bob’s friend!

Here are some things we want you to think about and ask yourself before booking a photographer to make sure they are the perfect match for you.

1. What kind of Photography do I want?

This is the most important question you need to ask yourself before booking a photographer.  Just because your parents are besties with a guy who has been doing it for years, doesn’t necessarily mean that guy is the right photographer for you.  Wedding Photography is such a diverse field with so many talented and creative artists, it’s hard to know exactly what kind of style you want.  Trends in the industry are happening monthly, but what I always tell perspective clients is to look at a variety of different photographers, get a sense of what style of photographer you want, a creative documentarian (like us) or high fashioned (something you may see in a magazine), do you want someone to control the day, or do you want to experience the day as it unfolds with little intrusion from the photographer?

If you’re more camera shy, you should stay away from high fashion photographers and traditional portraiture photographers and you might want to opt for creative documentarian, photojournalist and natural light photographers.  They will be able to capture your day effortlessly without you being aware of their presence, for the most part.

2. What’s my budget?

Make sure you know what your budget for photography is.  The rule of thumb is about 15% of your wedding budget should be set aside for photography.  This is probably the biggest investment you need to set aside for your wedding day because it is the one thing that is going to stay with you once the day is over.  These are the physical memories you will have to look back on your day 5, 10, 20 and more years from now, think about it, generations from now your family can look back on those photos and gush over how cute everyone was!

Be realistic about your budget.  The chances of you finding all day coverage for $500 is unrealistic.  At donegee our packages start at $2000 and up and we are still considered cheap in the industry.  Make sure you set aside AT LEAST $2,000 for your wedding photography.  This isn’t including videography.  It may seem pricey, but remember, this is an investment for you and your family.

3. What kind of lighting do I like?

Here at Donegee we specialized in natural light, we prefer not to use artificial light in any means, but that doesn’t mean we won’t.  If you’re trying to get images like the ones above, then natural light, and crafting a timeline that allows you to take advantage of the natural sun will be important to you.  Make sure you can work with your photographer to craft a timeline of your day to achieve the images you want to see.

4. What kind of personality jives well with mine?

The photographer will be with you as much as your family will be for your wedding day, so it is important that your personalities vibe well together.  If you have a photographer who has a big ego, and you’re having a really relaxed laid back wedding, then perhaps that photographer will not be the best for you.  This is why it is important to meet your photographer, whether online or in person, before booking.  You can see whether or not you connect and if you can trust that person to capture your day.  If we don’t jive well with the couple, we do not book with them, even if they want it.  It is important that the photographer and the bride and groom have a good relationship and get along–this will make your entire wedding day way more enjoyable.

5. What kind of deliverables are important to me?

Not all photographers deliver the same thing.  For instance, some will not give out digital files and only give physical prints and visa versa.  Knowing what you want in the final product will make choosing your photographer all that much easier. We offer digitals as part of our base package, and offer prints at an additional cost.  This isn’t necessarily the same as other photographers.  Make sure you know what you want as your final product before booking your photographer.

Hopefully these five things have got you thinking about what is important to you in a photographer and photography. If you have any questions, feel free to email us at donegeemedia@gmail.com.  We will help walk you through your entire wedding process from engagement sessions to trash the dress sessions.  Don’t be shy, we are here to help you!