Five Qualities To Look For in Your Wedding Photographer
Trusting someone to document one of the most important days of your life doesn’t come easy. As there should be, there’s a lot riding on your wedding photographer to ensure you walk away with a set of images that tells your story in a beautiful way. While you’re on the search for a photographer, it’s important to partner with someone who will ease your stress and turn the anxiety of not knowing what’s next into full confidence and understanding of your wedding vision. As a photographer, here are five qualities I present to my clients to ensure the wedding process is seamless from start to finish.
NO. 1: Communication.
Communication is the most basic, yet most overlooked expectation for anyone heading down the path of wedding planning. While you may have been a guest at a dozen weddings, the experience of planning your own is a unique, once in a lifetime event. Knowing where to start, what to do, or even what to ask can be overwhelming. As your wedding photographer, I want you and your fiancé to understand the entire process of how we’ll work together. The more we communicate and the more questions you ask, the more we can understand your dream wedding. Communication plays a big part in setting you up for the best wedding experience possible.
NO. 2: Servitude
From a young age, my dad made sure he raised me to be someone who would always open doors for others or shake someone’s hand to show respect. These small lessons have stuck with me for many years. I now understand that this attitude is about being centered in Christ, which means there’s no other option than to serve those around me. As a wedding photographer, I provide a service - but simply providing a service isn’t enough for me.
I regard the position of a wedding photographer as a servant. It’s my job to make sure I offer up everything I can for the bride and groom. Obviously, this is capturing the most intimate moments, but it extends to grabbing coffee for the bridal party, tying bow ties for the groomsmen, or even offering a tissue to grandma because she’s tearing up seeing her granddaughter under a veil. It’s more than just a photography service, it’s being a servant and a friend throughout the whole process.
NO. 3: Stress Free Process
Like many other details of your wedding day, capturing your photographic vision requires planning and consultation months prior to your wedding. The planning process can seem daunting with hundreds (if not thousands) of decisions to make and dozens of people to stay in constant contact with. That’s why I want to do everything I can to ease the process, setting the stage for impactful photos that tell the story of who you are. Everything from making sure you have the information you need, to offering up advice on timelines and sequences are part of making the process easier. Even the simple tasks of signing contracts digitally and completing quick online questionnaires, in lieu of never ending email strings, are elements that make the process stress free. I want the journey leading up to your wedding day to be almost as amazing as the day itself.
NO. 4: The Creative Push and Artistic Drive
One of the most common concerns I hear from my brides and grooms is that they don’t know what to do in front of the camera. This is perfectly normal! Unless you’re a professional model or Hollywood A-lister, there’s no reason you’d know what to do. This is where I come in. I love pushing the creative envelope to bring out who you are naturally. This means steering clear of stiff posing and forced positions and going after true moments of laughter and smiles. Rest assured that I’ll find a great spot that adds to your story and your day. As your photographer, it’s my duty to make sure these moments come alive and are captured for a lifetime. So don’t worry, just relax and enjoy your day.
NO. 5: It’s Not About Me
Finally, I want my clients to know that this process is not about me. It’s not about what I like, or what I prefer. It’s about you, and what you want your wedding to be about. As far as I’m concerned, you and your fiancé call the shots and I’m there to support you every step of the way. So many times, I hear how brides are pressured into taking hours upon hours of photographs to the point in which it’s more of a photo shoot than a wedding. I want you to enjoy every minute of your day. If that means cutting photos short for part of the day or jumping outside of the reception to capture the sunset, I’m all for it! I’m more than happy to offer my opinion when you’re looking for direction, but it’s ultimately your day. I wouldn’t want it any other way.
Your wedding day, and the planning process of getting there, should be a journey that you and your fiancé look back on and love with your whole hearts. I want to bend my knee at every chance I have to make the smallest detail easier or better for you, capturing the best of who you are.
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