"Hello there! My name is Abigail Bobo; I'm an editorial wedding photographer in Nashville, Tenn., with a background in magazine work. I shoot both film and digital in a fine art, documentary style. Finding a fantastic wedding photographer can be a big project for many brides. While photographers abound in most areas, digging up a truly competent professional with a genuine eye and heart for photography can sometimes be difficult. These are my little-known tips for selecting an excellent wedding photographer.
No. 1 | First and foremost, budget should not be your #1 criteria in choosing the person who will document your day. According to MyWedding.com, statistically, the vendor that couples are most likely to regret is their photographer. This is because photographs are the only thing that you keep from your wedding aside from your dress, your rings, a slice of frozen cake and a video if you hire a videographer. You won't realize their importance until after your wedding day. I can't tell you how many heartbreaking stories I've heard from couples who have used an unskilled photographer who was selected based on price. Therefore, cut budget in other areas if you must, but this is the place to spend and not to save.
No. 2 | A little-known fact about choosing a wedding photographer is that personality compatibility should be high on your priority list. You'll be spending hours before the wedding working out details with your photographer, then 8-10 hours of a very special day working in close quarters together. Therefore, you should look for someone who is warm, fun, outgoing, polite, pleasant, laid-back but organized, sensitive to your needs and who you genuinely enjoy being around.
No. 3 | Make sure that you know what style of photographs you love. Do you dig poses? Or are you looking for a more relaxed experience? Google 'fine art wedding photography' and 'documentary wedding photography'; most modern photographers tend to fall into one of these categories. emotion. Consider what end product you're looking for and what experience you'll have on your wedding day. Along with photograph style, ask yourself if you want a photographer who can shoot film or someone that shoots digital or who shoots both. Film photography has taken the wedding world by storm with good reason; it has beautiful natural tones, smooth grain and flattering softness. However, it's not great in dark lighting situations and sometimes things can go wrong with undeveloped film. Conversely, digital photography works well for a wide variety of lighting situations but may or may not have the look that you want.
No. 4 | Be sure to ask lots of questions! Consider what products are included or not included in your package. Will you get digital files? A gallery? A disc or a USB? An album? How much are their a la carte items?
No. 5 | Know what additional services you can add on after you've signed the contract. Need an album? A duplicate USB for your mom? An extra hour of party coverage? Know what and if you can add on later.
After you've booked...
No. 7 | Don't overwhelm your photographer with Pinterest boards of shots. If you've hired a genuine artist and competent photographer, they'll make you a uniquely you Pinterest star. To borrow a Pinterest quote, "Why copy when you can be an original?" ;)
No. 8 | Do keep your photographer up to speed on timeline, venue restrictions, family issues such as divorce and a list of group shots that you need. Make sure that they have the information they will need to succeed.
No. 9 | Don't stress on the day of your wedding. Hopefully you've hired a great team like Commerce Street Events to take care of your every need, but whether you have or have not, on your wedding day, channel your inner zen and cue the Frozen song. (That's Let It Go if you're uninitiated!) Your stress level can show in your photographs, so simply set an intention to enjoy everything and relax.
No. 10 | On the day of the wedding, ignore your photographer. I mean it. Don't even think about the fact that you're being photographed; hopefully you've found someone to shoot your wedding who you feel yourself around and you can utterly let go. If you focus on your new spouse, the ceremony and celebration, then you can let joy fill your heart. Your photographs will glow with happiness!
Thanks so much for reading! Best wishes on your search for a wedding photographer. Don't hesitate to get in touch with me through my site if you have any questions."
Thanks so much to Abigail and the girls of Commerce Street Events for sharing these great tips! You can connect with Abigail through her site or her blog. And please feel free to leave a comment on this post if you'd like to chime in or ask a question. :)
ps. Just click on "Bridal Charm School" in the label section of this post to catch up on all of CSE's Charm School posts.
Images: Abigail Bobo
Images: Abigail Bobo
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COMMERCE STREET EVENTS
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WEDDING ADVICE
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