Tips to Help You Book Your Wedding Photographer

Congrats! SO you’re engaged to the love of your life. Now it’s time to find some great wedding professionals to help make your big day really special. Today, I want to share some of my tips to help you book your wedding photographer! Since I’m a photographer myself, it may be useful to get some of those tips from me! This is a great article for those of you who are newly engaged and in the first stages of planning your wedding. Use these tips for yourself or share this post with someone who is in the process of planning their wedding. The tips are just too good to keep to yourself! 😉

How to Find a Great Wedding Photographer

So you don’t just want to choose a photographer but one that is right for you. Aside from a planner, the wedding photographer is really the only vendors who are with you ALL DAY – from start to finish – so it’s important to find one that you connect with. Someone that makes you feel comfortable and can keep you calm and cool if things don’t go according to plan.

In my experience, I give careful attention to my brides and grooms so that they are calm and having fun throughout the day. It’s such a special moment in your life, so brides and grooms, be sure to do your research!

Most likely there are lots and lots of photographers in your area and it’s hard to narrow it down. Be sure to ask for referrals and visit photographers’ websites and social media pages. Review their portfolios and info pages thoroughly to find the one that relates to your needs the most.

When to Book Your Wedding Photographer

If you feel a connection with a photographer through their website or presence on social media, then it’s a good idea to reach out to them as soon as you get engaged and have a wedding venue in mind. Wedding photography might be one of the first things you book after you get engaged and confirm your wedding venue. Since wedding season tends to be quite busy for most wedding photographers, it isn’t something you should wait on. Many wedding photographers fill up their calendars for the following year during the year before, so the earlier you reserve your date in their schedule the better!

In my experience, clients will reserve my services anywhere from 12 to 14 months in advance of their wedding date. Although, I do get some last minute wedding bookings here and there as well as some elopements. The most popular wedding dates tend to be around long weekends, and so those dates usually go very quickly.

If you’re having a wedding on a week day, there is a chance that you may not need to book your wedding as far in advance, however more and more couple are having their weddings on Fridays and sometimes even on Thursdays. I suggest reaching out to your favorite photographer in the early stages of wedding planning to avoid disappointment. If you’re proactive, your date will still be available and you’ll be able to chat with your top choice ahead of time to get a sense of who they are and what their process is like.

How to Book Your Wedding Photographer

The process of booking a wedding photographer may vary from photographer to photographer. But almost every photographer has a contact section on their website. This is the place where you can fill out a form with your contact information.

It’s really helpful to include as much information as you can about your wedding day in that first message. Include the venue information and the date of your wedding, it helps to eliminate too much back and forth emails. I’d also include something that may be interesting about yourselves to help the photographer get to know you a bit. If you simply send a one liner message asking for prices, instead of details with an introduction, you slow down the chance to start to build a rapport with your photographer.

I hope this is an informative article that gives you some insight into booking your wedding photographer. Be sure to watch the video below for more info or leave me a comment with any lingering questions you may have!

~Sam