How to pick a wedding photographer

You’ll spend more time with your wedding photographer on your big day than most close friends and family.

That’s why you need to make the right choice so you get a professional who knows what they’re doing, and most importantly, has some very specific personality requirements for the job.

If you don’t know someone who is the correct fit, either through being around them at another wedding, or having them very highly recommended by a trusted source, then try and work through these points below.

Check their style of work

Firstly, don’t stress if you’re not sure what to look for when it comes to a photographer’s style of work. You’ll see matching pictures from photographer to photographer, to photographer. What might help is to look at common things in a photographer’s portfolio. For example, they might have a strong use of close ups between two people, and only present colour, or mainly black and white wedding pics. Or, they may present pictures that are clearly staged, or ones that are clearly candid and captured as if they were a fly on the wall. If you have pictures you prefer, and you’ve chosen your photographer, then don’t think twice about pointing out the pictures in their portfolio that you like. This will help the photographer when they’re doing their preparation.

Experience matters

Look for a photographer with experience shooting weddings, and has demonstrated experience working in the conditions your wedding could be set in. For example, if you are having a mid-afternoon beach wedding, then it is critical the photographer has a background of working in the harsh, bright conditions of a beach. Don’t worry about asking, ‘have you ever done a beach wedding in the summer?’.

Personal connection

Choose a photographer you connect with. This is difficult to do when just skimming through websites and portfolios. So, shortlist two photographers (shortlist according to your taste, budget, general vibe) for a Zoom call and see how you get on. If you feel at ease, even in the weirdness of a Zoom call with audio cutting out, and blurred backgrounds, then that is a great sign you should consider picking that photographer.

What about posing tips?

Firstly, you might not want to pose. The very word ‘pose’ has connotations of modelling, which won’t help you feel relaxed when it comes to couple pictures. My advice is to not spend any time thinking about ‘posing’. The reason is that you risk thinking too much about how you look as opposed to actually enjoying being with your bride or groom. A skilled wedding photographer will get you to ‘pose’ without you consciously thinking about it. They will provide precise, very simple guidance that anyone can do and will lead to strong, engaging pictures.

When you are with an experienced photographer, you will never be confused during the couple photo sessions. This is because they will guide you very calmly, and confidently, during the couple shoot time.

What to do if you feel really awkward doing couple photos?

This is so easy to solve. You simply go for a slow walk, hold hands, and stop to kiss. It is that easy. Your photographer can hang right back with their 70-200mm lens (or an 85mm if not too far away) and capture the moment.