Most people think photography is basically all the same. But choosing an amazing wedding photographer is almost just like choosing a new pair of shoes. Do you want comfort? Something stylish? Are you looking for a great deal, or are you a Jimmy Choo kind of girl? At the end of the day, they are all shoes, after all, right? Well, take it from me, there is no one-size-fits all approach to choosing your wedding photographer. The important thing is to find just the right fit.
After conducting my very own anonymous survey, I asked real couples to share their advice on what they wish they had prepared for with their own wedding photography experience. And perhaps this is just the thing you needed to make your own decision to find the cinderella fit wedding photographer for you.
What did you feel like you missed out on from your own wedding photographer?
I wish we didn’t do photos at the reception. I missed out on so much time celebrating with family and friends because we were worried about photos…
– ANONYMOUS BRIDE
This is one of the reasons why I put so much emphasis on why you should do a First Look! Because on one hand, you can’t fault your photographer for taking the pictures you paid them to take, but your ideal photographer should have really understood what parts of the day was important for you, and how to plan portraits that don’t cut into that time.
That’s a part of the planning process that we do at Ardensea, and our couples value it SO much!
I wished we had just done a bridal session before we got married and not worried about it during the actual wedding…
– ANONYMOUS BRIDE
Another amazing example of why the right photographer makes all the difference. Getting a few pre-ceremony shots is usually always a must in my wedding day timeline, but only at the request of my amazing brides.
My wedding photographer didn’t get any shots of the reception setup before people arrived, so we don’t have close-ups of the tables/decor. It’s kind of a bummer because I actually made everything myself and would have loved to have some of those details captured. I also wish there were more candid and posed shots of my guests at the reception. She focused a lot on the bridal party (which is great) and not so much on the guests…
– ANONYMOUS BRIDE
This response popped up multiple times and unfortunately, unless you have a great relationship and open communication with your photographer, you’re bound to have at least one of your VIPs (very important pictures) left out of your meticulously planned wedding day.
We avoid this by giving our couples a detailed wedding photo questionnaire that allows them to identify all their VIPs, outline their family structure, and rate their priorities from 1-10 for all the “important” parts of the day. Wedding days are notoriously unpredictable, so it’s important as your photographer that I know what parts of capturing the day are a 100% no compromise MUST versus what is less important that we can make up at the reception, later.
I had two [photographers] and they were fantastic. However, I feel like they didn’t help me pose better and a lot of my pictures came out with me looking funky.
– Anonymous bride
Sometimes, choosing the right fit for you isn’t even based on the amazing Instagram feed or website portfolio that they showcase. It’s also based on a feeling of trust and comfort. Situations like this one can easily be avoided by having an engagement photoshoot before the wedding day with your wedding photographer. Or even asking your potential photographers how they pose, what their system is, or if they allow the more – capture as it happens” documentary style wedding photography.
There is a time and a place for candid, journalistic style shooting for sure, but I find there is a happy medium where my clients trust that I will capture all their candid moments and jump in seamlessly when I need to for correcting any posing issues, while still keeping the flow of the day and not distracting from it as well!
[We wish we had] photos of the guests dancing/enjoying themselves.
– Anonymous bride + Groom
Our wedding photographer needed a lot of direction. The venue staff member ending up having to give him ideas and guide him. I wish he would have done a little homework ahead of time as it made taking the pictures a bit stressful/hectic.
– ANONYMOUS GROOM
I can’t imagine a situation where a professional wedding photographer would need assistance from venue staff or anyone else for that matter to get creative ideas for photos. But, learn from this couple’s mistake and always vet your photographer! Check their portfolio AND reviews, look at the variety of the posing on their social media pages, and don’t be afraid to directly ask them how confident they are at posing.
This is absolutely and undeniably the responsibility of your photographer, and also why once again, an engagement session would have totally prevented this situation. In my case, I would never assume that my couples would not need assistance from time to time in this area of their wedding experience.
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