Tips and Tricks

An 8-step guide to finding the right photographer for you

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First and foremost, congratulations on your engagement! Its time to celebrate! 

So, you maybe have a dress, the suits, flowers, possibly a DJ?….but what is the one thing that will remain an everlasting memory of your wedding day? Your photos should be a beautiful and timeless account of the most important day of your life and should help every bride and groom to relive the romance, memories and excitement all over again.

That means it must be time to narrow down the hundreds of photographers that are in your local market.

Many brides have find the process of vendor selection to be somewhat daunting. You sift through countless local photography sites and look at so many pricing options that it’s all become a lot to process!

I will point out, this is purely a guide to help you in your search, and if that means I'm not the right fit, 

that's ok too -  we genuinely want you to have the day you dreamed of. (But I do hope I am the one!)

The walk down the aisle, the look on the groom’s face when he sees the bride, that joke in the best man’s speech: you’ll be able to look back on all those special moments and remember one of the happiest days of your life – not just now, but in years to come.

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It’s so important then that you’re happy with your wedding photos. It can be one of the biggest wedding regrets for couples that they either didn’t capture all the moments they wanted

or they ended up not liking the pictures.

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So without further ado, what are the 8 things you should look at when choosing your wedding photographer?

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1. Your Budget

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No point finding a photographer you love and then discovering they’re well beyond your budget.

The average in WA is about $2,000 to $6,000 for an 8hr day.

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Your first step is to discuss how much you can legitimately spend and always keep that in mind as you continue your search. Your wedding shouldn’t bankrupt you so look for value in whatever budget you are going for. 

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A photographer should be open about their pricing structures, and in turn, you should be clear on your budget.

No hiding prices behind contact me forms and sales pitches. Neither one of you wants to waste any time, so a clear dialogue right from the beginning will resolve this. 

Your photographer is providing a service, and each couple will have different expectations and requirements, so make sure that your photographer can tailor make a package to suit your needs.

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Always remember to ask about any hidden extras. Some photographers charge additional fees for extra photos, editing, GST, or even travel and food expenses.

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While something like $3k sounds a big chunk of your budget, your photos are the ONLY tangible part of your wedding that lasts forever. 

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Cheaper vendors tend to either have very limited experience shooting weddings under pressure, or are a larger company that takes every single wedding they get, then contract individual freelance photographers to shoot, so you don't have a clear idea of who will actually turn up on your wedding day.

They might still do a good job - or they might not. It's a gamble, so it's up to you whether this is something that's important.

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With an experienced vendor, you are paying for someone who is organised, pays attention to detail, intimately knows how to use a camera to create art and has many years of experience shooting weddings and other genres (corporate,  fashion,  landscape & wildlife photography). They have the ability to handle ANY of the number of scenarios a typical wedding day can throw at them. Not everyone does.

What if its dark indoors, the sun is directly in your face at the ceremony or its suddenly really dark and cloudy and later at your reception there’s a purple spot light on your faces - and things are running a bit over so you need to quickly get through your shots and have no time to fiddle with settings?!

The best wedding photographers know that emotions run high on these special days and bring a calming presence no matter the situation. Someone that can handle it all without missing a beat and get it right, with you feeling glamorous and not noticing any difference.

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The decision is yours, so make it based on your budget, the value you get for it, and the security you want form whoever you're engaging having the experience to ensure you end up with good photos regardless of time pressure, weather, people, dramas, etc.

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2. Your Style

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Do you like their work?? Do some of the shots make you go ‘Wow’? 

This is THE most important aspect of choosing your wedding photographer and will help you narrow down the list fast. 

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So now for the fun part of starting your search! Your preferred photography style really is one of the most important things to consider. Don't pay too much attention to colour profiles - colour can be adjusted by anyone based on what you like. But do you want candid shots, classic posed shots, fun shots, a mix of all? Normally one of the styles above will jump out at you straight away.

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Have a look at the photographers you like and research a little more about them. Weddings are unique in the scale and speed of the action on the day so you’ll want to pick a photographer with at least a few years of wedding photography experience under their belt and someone that won’t get flustered by a bit of pressure or things going sideways. 

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Having other types of photography experience is an added bonus as it means they know how to use a camera in different settings and lighting and gives an extra element to your photos.

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3. Reviews

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One of the best ways to find a photographer is to read reviews. Other places to get recommendations from are your venue, social media and online reviews. 

A reputable photographer will have good reviews from clients that they’re happy to share with you or will put you in touch with previous clients.

Once you have a shortlist, get in touch with the photographer and ask 

1) Do they have availability on your wedding date? 

2) Do they have some samples of all aspects of different weddings you can see e.g. on their website (Bridal Prep, Ceremony, Location Shots & Reception) 

3) Can you read their reviews somewhere or even speak to a recent client? We recommend asking how the day went, did they get everything they wanted, and were they happy with the end result.

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4. Post-Editing

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A lot of photographers nowadays tend to do mock model wedding shoots as their cover pages - perfect light, location, no time pressure, use of models, etc. Not a ‘real’ wedding day.

This is not what a wedding day is like - look for ones that have shots from different parts of actual weddings on their cover page and stand out to you.

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The reason is that the photographs should tell the story of the day, whatever the situation and light and all be equally as beautiful - they don’t all have to have the same theme - a sunny day and cloudy day are very different!

It’s essential to consider timelessness. Filters and preferences usually change throughout our lives.

Do you like their editing style? This is crucial - Remember these are your wedding photos, not an Insta filter - wedding photography should be timeless and still look accurate 50 years later. 

Look for a photographer that shoots at different venues, in different lighting and still comes up with a good quality product. 

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Are the images preset edited? It is easy to apply a preset to all images - professionals will firstly not need to over-edit and secondly, will generally edit photos individually to ensure accurate colour - we’ve seen too many preset edited weddings where everyone looks orange or the dress looks a different colour!

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5. Your locations

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This is not a deal-breaker but it always helps if your photographer has shot at your venue or locations before. It means they’ll know the lighting conditions.

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TIP: If they haven’t shot there before, good photographers will always be happy to scope out the venue before your day to check the lighting and location so don’t be shy to ask.

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6. Meeting

Your photographer is going to be spending a whole day with you – you need to make sure you gel together! 

Good photographers will generally be keen to call you or meet with you.

Meet them face-to-face, ask questions and see how you feel with them.

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Do they put you at ease? Are they transparent about some of the challenges or just saying yes to everything to secure your business? Do you feel they understand what you want? 

The more relaxed you are around your photographer, the more natural and at ease your photos will be.

Here’s some important things to pay attention to:

• Photography is a lot about directing people and you can see how they handle this best in their group shots. Does everyone look relaxed? Do they have a good mixture of group shots with couple portraits and casual shots?

• Ask them what their favourite type of wedding photo is – you’ll get a true feeling of their vision.

• Is the composition right in the photos? Have they got shots like the first moment your groom sees you, the detail of your rings, dress, shoes, etc? 

• Do they have a back-up in case anything goes wrong, like they’re ill on the day?

• If you’re having a second shooter, request to see samples of their work too.

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7. Shortlist

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You’ll probably meet with one or two photographers and then need to pick just one. As well as feeling comfortable, the right photographer will come down to price, the quality of their work and your experience with them.

TIP: Remember, your money is going to paying for the quality of the photographer’s work and your experience with them on your wedding day, not necessarily the extras offered on the package. These can often be 

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Consider what is included (number of hours of coverage on the day, are the photos edited? How many edited photos? Any extra costs? Travel fees?) and how long the photos will take to get back.

Extras are not necessarily a win - a cheaply produced album or prints can often be used to justify inflated package pricing. You can either do these yourself after the wedding or request a separate quote from the photographer.

Again, you get what you pay for.

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8. Book an Engagement Shoot

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Lastly, and while not an essential, you’ll be so much more comfortable on the day if you’ve had some experience of being directed and posing beforehand.

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An engagement shoot is a great way for you both to get to know the photographer and what to expect on your big day, away from the stress and time pressure of the wedding.

It is also a great opportunity to choose any location you like as you’re not tied down to places near your venue! 

Your photographer will be with you for your entire wedding day so an engagement shoot gives you an idea for what the experience will be like and you get some wonderful memories before you tie the knot.

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The right photographer should be respectful and have the social know-how to blend into your wedding, yet still be bold enough to seek out the shots they need. They should ask you lots of questions, help with posing and, importantly, make it fun and be excited about your day.

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Your wedding photos are something you'll keep forever so you need to make sure you get the perfect photographer for you - I hope following these eight steps will help you narrow down the right fit for you & I'm also confident we can surpass all your expectations. 

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