To find a wedding-day photographer, start by asking recently married friends, as well as other wedding pros, for recommendations. Call photographers to check availability and prices, and set up meetings with those you like so you can evaluate their portfolios. When interviewing a candidate, view posed photos and candids to make sure she is equally competent at taking both types to have a good mix of both.
To judge quality, look for technical skill—clear, well-lit pictures—and for the photographer's ability to capture the moment. If you're considering a mix of color and black-and-white shots, be sure to look at examples of both.
Assuming you like the style and quality of the pictures, New York–based wedding photographer Andy Marcus suggests focusing on the following points:
- Find out exactly how many hours the photographer will be spending at the wedding. Be sure she leaves enough time to do posed family and bridal-party shots, plus all the special moments—from your grand entrance to the bouquet toss— hroughout the day.
- Ask if the photographs will be printed by hand or machine. Hand printing may cost a bit more but it insures superior color and custom-cropping of your images.
Also ask if the fee includes retouching. If not, it can cost hundreds of dollars extra. - Make sure the photographer has backup equipment and will dress appropriately.
- Find out exactly how long it will take to get your album or finished prints after the wedding day. Only use a photographer who's willing to put a date in writing.
- Be sure the photographer's personality is compatible with yours—you'll be spending a lot of time with her.
Apply the same requirements to prospective videographers, and discuss the specifics of what might be in your final tape: Full-ceremony coverage, a childhood photomontage, special effects, etc.
Pick Your Package
Once you've narrowed your list to two or more finalists, it's time to compare prices and packages. Every photographer puts packages together differently. One might include time, materials, proofs in an album, custom prints in a custom album, parents' albums, photo thank-you cards, and enlargements. Another might simply include his time and materials, with everything else à la carte.
Many photographers do not sell their proofs and even more do not sell their negatives—neither is necessarily a good or bad sign. (Some photographers let you keep the proofs, but stamp their name or the word "proof" in a conspicuous spot, making the pictures virtually worthless, so ask whether the proofs will be marked in any way.)
Jean Picard of Jean Picard Wedding Consulting in Ventura, California, suggests telling each photographer exactly how much you can spend. He or she can then realistically present the services and selection of photographs in that range. It's the best way to cost-compare one photographer to another, and you'll know exactly how far your money will go with each one.
Before you step foot into a studio, you and your fiance should agree on what is absolutely essential and what you can do without or purchase later. Choose a photographer you can communicate with, and one who can offer you your must-haves without blowing your budget. Do hire the best photographer you can afford, even if that means having fewer hours professionally photographed, or receiving fewer prints to keep. If you can't buy all the prints you want right away, most photographers keep their negatives on file; you can order more after you recover from the cost of the honeymoon.
The details of what's included in your package should be spelled out completely in your contract. Also make sure the contract covers how many photographers and/or assistants will be present, how many cameras will be on site in case of equipment malfunction, and the date proofs or tapes will be delivered.