How to Choose a Wedding Photographer

When you’re already spending so much on your wedding, you naturally want to enjoy the memories later through beautiful photos. When you look back at your wedding photos, you want to relive those special moments. A wedding photographer makes this possible for you.

Why Hire a Wedding Photographer?

In a few years, you’ll still enjoy looking at your wedding photos. If you plan to hang a photo on your wall, it’s nice if the image is beautiful and of good quality. Your wedding photos are the only tangible mementos of your special day. When you look at them, you’ll relive the emotions and memories of that wonderful time. You can also hire a videographer to film parts of your wedding. This way, you’ll have an even better understanding of how the day unfolded.

When you hire a wedding photographer, you can relax on your wedding day without worrying about photos. A photographer knows exactly how to capture the best moments. They will take beautiful, spontaneous shots in high quality. With a professional photographer, you also save time. The photographer knows when, where, and how to get the best pictures, meaning a long shoot isn’t necessary—although you can request one if you prefer. The photographer will also take photos from angles you might not even think of, including capturing your decor and details.

Professional photographers often handle the post-processing of the photos as well. They begin by sorting through hundreds, sometimes thousands, of photos, selecting the best ones, and then manually editing them using professional software.

How to Choose a Wedding Photographer

Before you begin your search for a wedding photographer, it’s helpful to agree on a style with your partner. When you look at a photographer’s portfolio, you’ll have a better idea of whether their style matches what you envision. It’s crucial that the photographer’s style appeals to you.

Meet the Photographer

Each photographer edits their wedding photos in their own way, so it’s essential that the editing style resonates with you. Make sure to thoroughly review the photographer’s portfolio before making your choice. If you like their photos but don’t like their editing, you might want to consider another photographer because you can’t change their editing style.

Once you’ve chosen a photographer you like, you can meet with them. This is a chance for you to get to know each other and discuss your wishes and ideas. The connection between you and the photographer is vital because it will help create more natural and spontaneous photos. If you don’t feel comfortable with the photographer, this will show in the pictures. Be sure to ask whether you’ll receive all your photos on a DVD/USB/digitally or if you’ll need to order additional prints.

Alternatives

Wedding photographers are typically only available during the day. If you want the photographer to be with you the entire day, it can be very expensive, as you’re typically charged by the hour. A fun, and often cheaper, alternative for your wedding reception (and potentially the entire day) is a party photo app. With this app, your guests can take their own photos, which are then shown on a screen at the venue. Later, as a couple, you can view and download the photos online. You’ll have control over which ones are shared. A party photo app is much more affordable than hiring a photographer.

Costs

The cost of a wedding photographer can vary greatly. Some photographers start with a low base rate, but you may need to pay extra for additional prints or albums.

Some photographers only offer the photos with an album included. There are many pricing options and packages available.

On average, a wedding photo package will cost around €1250. If you include a wedding album, the price can go up to €2000.

Why is a Wedding Photographer So Expensive?

A wedding photographer uses professional equipment to get the best results. A professional photographer brings at least two cameras and various lenses to the wedding to ensure there’s always a backup in case one camera fails. All of this equipment costs around €7000.

Cameras don’t last forever, and everything must be insured, which costs several hundred euros per year. A good wedding photographer also works with professional software, such as Photoshop and Lightroom, which costs about €750 per year for the necessary licenses.

A photographer spends about 10 minutes per photo for editing (sorting, retouching, saving in different formats, etc.). Once all the photos are edited, they need to be backed up to prevent data loss, usually on an external hard drive, which costs around €80. These drives eventually fill up, adding to the costs over time.