Choosing your wedding photographer is one of the most important decisions you’ll make during the wedding planning process because your wedding photos will be one of the only things left after the big day.  Top wedding photographers in Charleston book up to 18 months in advance, so it’s a decision that should be taken seriously with a lot of careful consideration – and it’s also a decision that shouldn’t be left until the last minute if photography is important to you.  Not all wedding photographers are created equal and it’s important to remember that pretty much anyone can buy a camera, put up a website, set up a Facebook page, and call themselves a ‘professional photographer’.  So I wanted to put together a few good tips for couples to consider when they are looking for a wedding photographer:

1. Do you like their work?  This should be an obvious first step in looking for your wedding photographer.  Are you drawn to their work?  What about it do you like?  Can you envision yourself in their photos?  Is there anything you don’t like about their body of work?  These are all questions you should ask yourself when viewing wedding photographers’ work.  If there are any hesitations, keep looking.  As a wedding photographer, it is important that I am working with clients who love my work and who trust me to do my job.  If you don’t love everything you see in their work, don’t settle and keep looking.
2. Look at their reviews online. If you’ve narrowed down your search to a few wedding photographers, it’s time to check out The Knot and WeddingWire, as well as Google and potentially Facebook, to read real reviews from real couples.  Look at the content of the reviews, as well as the number of reviews each photographer has.  Experienced photographers will have plenty of reviews for you to read through.  Newer photographers, or those that don’t shoot often, will have less.  If a photographer you’re considering has a lower rating, dig a little deeper.  Read the negative reviews and see how they responded.  There are some couples/parents of the couple who are difficult and hard to please – and sometimes, a negative review from someone like that isn’t really a “negative”.  They were just difficult clients!  That being said, the way the photographer responds to a negative review will tell you a lot – so take the time to read them if you really like someone’s work!
3. Look at their social media.  Social media, namely Instagram, is where most wedding photographers showcase their most recent work.  It’s also where you may get a glimpse into their personality. Some wedding photographers are extremely extroverted, utilizing TikTok and reels constantly to promote themselves.  Other wedding photographers are low key and introverted, so they keep it simple and simply use social media to showcase their new work.  Then there are a ton of wedding photographers that fall into the middle ground – mostly using social media to share their work, but sometimes writing personal captions and sharing little glimpses into their world and/or thought process.  Looking at their social media activity can help you get a better idea of who they are, what they are about, and what’s important to them.
4. Check out their website and portfolio.  This is an extremely important step.  Do their images look like photos taken on a real wedding day or do they look… too perfect?  Do the couples all look like models?  Are the details immaculate and over the top?  I’ve seen less experienced photographers create their ENTIRE wedding website featuring ONLY images from styled shoots and editorials – deceiving potential clients into thinking that this is how they shoot a real wedding.  So don’t fall victim to a rookie photographer whose only “wedding day” experience is a styled shoot or editorial.  They are NOT wedding days and are not an accurate reflection of how they would or could shoot on a real wedding day, under stress.  With that being said…
5. Ask to see FULL wedding galleries.  Any photographer can create a handful of gorgeous images at a styled shoot or editorial.  It’s set up in the perfect location, at the perfect time, with models who know how to pose themselves, and perfectly styled details – with plenty of time to “get the shot”.  But what do their finished galleries, that are delivered to their real couples, look like?  What does the dark reception look like?  What do family formals look like?  What do the “not so pretty” parts of the day look like?  This is where you’ll see a big difference in photographers, so always ask to see full galleries from any wedding photographer you’re considering.
6. Check availability.  If you’ve done your due diligence, following the steps above, it’s time to see if your preferred wedding photographers are available for your wedding date.  If you absolutely LOVE a certain photographer, it may be wise to check with them first before booking your wedding date!  Often, the most popular wedding photographers are booked 18-24 months in advance, so if you just have to have them, check with them first – before locking in your date with the venue.
   
7. Schedule a call with them.  If they are available on your wedding date, schedule a call with them as quickly as you can.  Some photographers prefer the phone, others prefer Zoom – but whatever the method, be sure to get on a call.  The photographer should lead the conversation – giving you an overview of themselves, their work, and how they approach the wedding day.  Feel free to ask questions as well.  This is a chance for you to start building trust and rapport with your potential wedding photographer!  I alway tell potential clients that it’s really just a “getting to know you” call.  We’re both connecting to see if we’d be a good fit for each other.  So be yourself, talk about what’s important to you, if you have any anxieties about wedding photography, etc.  They can go into detail about how they can serve you best.  You should leave the call feeling like you found “the one”.  I always say if it’s not a “hell yes” then it’s a “hell no”.  Keep scheduling calls with different wedding photographers until you get that “hell yes” feeling!
8. Request a contract to book.  Once you’ve got that “hell yes” feeling, ask them to send over a contract.  This should outline the coverage options you’ve discussed with them, as well as all of the legalities.  Most wedding photography contracts are pretty standard, but important things to read thoroughly are:
   1. 1. 1. Cancellation clause – what happens in the event that you have to postpone or cancel the wedding?
         2. Failure to perform clause – what happens in the event that your photographer has to cancel?
         3. Pricing and payment terms
         4. Copyright clause
         5. Completion schedule

Before you sign the contract, there are a few things you should consider…

1. Did they respond quickly?  How someone treats you as a potential client is a glimpse into how they’d treat you as a real client.  If it takes them weeks to respond to your initial inquiry, or to schedule your call, they may not be very responsive overall.  It’s something to consider, especially if prompt communication is important to you.
2. Ask around.  Chat with other wedding industry vendors like planners, venue managers, florists, hair + makeup artists, etc.  Getting referrals and feedback from other industry vendors is probably the BEST way to vet your potential wedding photographer.  We all work together on a regular basis and since we don’t have any financial stake in who you hire, we will (generally) be totally honest about our experiences with each other – good or bad!  I have a list of vendors that I share with my own couples and it includes people who I’ve worked with forever and who are really, truly amazing at what they do!  I refer them to my couples because I LIKE them + I know that they will take care of my clients.
3. Don’t allow price to deter you from booking someone whose work you love.  Good wedding photography is ALWAYS worth the splurge.  At the end of the day, your photos will live on for generations, and you don’t want to be filled with regret because you went with someone cheaper.  Looking for ways to find extra money in your budget to work with your dream wedding photographer?  Trim your guest list down, make concessions in other areas, forego wedding favors… there are a ton of ways to reallocate money within your total budget to allow for good photography.

Not splurging on a good wedding photographer is one of the #1 regrets that most people have after their wedding day and that absolutely kills me.  I am so passionate about what I do and I just want every couple to find the perfect wedding photographer for them.  These are just a few of my tips for couples to consider when they are looking at wedding photographers.