Wedding planning can be overwhelming (see my blog on why a wedding planner can be a sanity savor). Booking a wedding photographer is one of the first stops when planning your big day and it is one of the most important decisions you’ll make. Your photographer will be by your side the majority of the day, capturing the precious memories on one of the biggest days of your life. As a photographer, this is not lost on me. Here are three suggestions on how to start going down the path of selecting your wedding photographer.

1. Understand what style of photography suits you. There are traditional photographers, journalistic photographers and classic photographs. Traditional photographers are more centered around posed shots and will spend the majority of the day getting people set up and every detail perfect. Journalistic photographers capture moments that aren’t staged and don’t typically set up staged photos. Lastly, classic photographers, they combine the traditional and journalistic approach. To learn your style go on Pinterest, the Knot, and other photo sharing sites to see what types of photos you are drawn to. Make a collection of images that you love and then compare those images to what is reflected on a photographer’s site. If you don’t see what you have added in your collection represented in their portfolio then that photographer probably isn’t a match.
2. Look for someone who has a lot of experience. You don’t want to be someone’s practice wedding. Select a photographer who has been in business a few years and has a large portfolio to represent.
3. I don’t recommend skimping on your photography budget (and I’m not just saying this because I’m a photographer). As a photographer, it is a huge responsibility to capture someone’s wedding day. These are moments that will last a lifetime and memories and images that will be shared for generations. You don’t want to look back on your day wishing you had gone a different direction with your photographer.