by: Lauren

Happy Thursday Tips day everyone! :) In keeping with the “5 Things To Know About…” series for Thursday Tips that I’ve been doing, today we have things to know about photographers!

Let’s not beat around the bush here- photography is one of THE most important things for your wedding. We all know that. Which is why you want to be as educated and knowledgeable about the process and the people taking your photos, right? Well, like or not, I’m here to tell you a few things that you should know about photographers…

 

1. TIME! It’s seriously one of the most popular things that photographers talk to me about. Of course it’s always a good idea if you have a planner planning out your time for the day and creating your timeline. But if you don’t have a planner, it’s important to consult with your photographer about the timing of your wedding day. There’s the fact that the light is good at certain times of the day and that there’s only *so much* of it. And then you want to be sure to get photos your family will want AND some fun artistic photos of you and your new husband. You didn’t hire your photographer to just take photos of you for 15 minutes! Talk to your photographer early on about the time of your ceremony, when you’re getting ready, etc etc.

Oh and make sure you actually have your photographer booked for ENOUGH time. Depending on what your wedding day schedule is like, sometimes just a few hours isn’t going to get you all of the photos that you want or need.

Thursday Tips: 5 Things To Know About...Photographers via TheELD.com

[I am still so in love with the photos from this week’s Style Dictionary shoot by Jason + Anna Photography!]

 

2. Photographers have to EAT! Well, all your vendors who are going to be there at your wedding working have to eat really, but photographers seem to be getting the shaft (am I allowed to say that? :-/ lol) in the food department. They’re spending anywhere from 6 to 12 hours at your wedding, and working HARD that whole time. And sometimes a plastic wrapped sandwich and a cookie aren’t quite enough to get them through the night. So please feed your photographer (and all your other vendors!) a decent meal!

3. Every detail DOES matter! In addition to the obvious details like table numbers (please no hotel numbers!) favors, menus and escort cards, details like where you cut your cake, where toasts are done, and where the DJ is positioned are things that need to be considered. Because all of those things are photographed!

4. There’s more involved than you think! More time, more equipment, more money, more hours- there’s more everything involved in photography than you think. On the outside, it’s the 8 hours of photographing your wedding. But to do that, they have to have thousands of dollars in equipment– and not what your uncle with the “nice camera” buys at Best Buy. Then, they spend hours before your wedding prepping the equipment. Then they spend hours at your wedding shooting photos. Then they spend even more hours after your wedding editing the photos. There’s A LOT more- I could go into a very detailed description of it all for you, but that’s a whole post by itself. You get the jist of it all, right? :)

5. KNOW. First and foremost, know that you get what you pay for. It’s a common theme in just about every aspect of a wedding, at least in my experience. If you go cheap, you’re going to get cheap in some way, shape or form. I can attest to that. I’m not saying to blow half your wedding budget on your photography. However, the key word here is KNOWKnow what to expect to pay for decent photography. Know what your budget is for your photography. Know what style of photography you like. Know that the photographer you like does quality work every time. Know that your photographer feels like your best friend. (Not to toot my own horn, but Every Last Vendor can definitely help you in your search using all of these things!) Knowing these things will help you and your photographer in the long run. :)

 

Yikes, this is a long one! I have a confession to make- I actually started this series to make my Thursday Tips posts shorter, but unfortunately that hasn’t happened! But hey, you all want to be AWESOME brides and have AWESOME relationships with all of your vendors, right? :) I guess if you’ve made it this far down in the post, you most certainly are ALREADY an awesome bride! Have an AWESOME Thursday! (I just had to use awesome one more time.)

 

Other blogs also posting Thursday Tips today…


Don’t forget to follow the hashtag #ThursdayTips on Twitter for post updates!
[If you are a wedding pro and you would like to participate in the Thursday Tips series, please email me for info!]

 

The following two tabs change content below.
Thursday Tips: 5 Things To Know About...Photographers via TheELD.com

Lauren

Founder & Editor at Every Last Detail
Lauren Grove is the editor and owner of Every Last Detail. A clueless bride-turned-wedding planner, Lauren uses her experiences and knowledge to educate and inspire brides all over the world.

22 responses to Thursday Tips: 5 Things To Know About…Photographers

We love your comments, but please remember to keep them kind and positive, as this is a place for inspiration and sharing information. We have the right to remove or not approve any negative or harmful comments.
  1. Jennifer

    We fed our vendors who were at our wedding the same meal choices as the guests. I guess having our wedding at a restaurant instead of a reception hall made that easier to happen but I didn’t want them getting some crappy meal. they definitely were happy we did that for them.

  2. Matthew R

    Amen! Thank you for posting this. Every word of it is so on point.

  3. Ashley Daniell Photography

    Again, great tips Lauren! I think you should have an entire post sometime about the cost of photography. Just to further educate your brides on why GOOD quality photography costs what it does! Love you!

  4. Stephanie

    Thank you Thank you Thank you for posting this.

  5. anna

    Thx for posting this great article … you nailed it! :)

  6. Chantae Whitaker

    I thought the article was very insightful & very understandable. thank you for taking the time to write this, I loved it!

    Chantae

  7. Samantha Foster

    Very well stated and explained! This is all very true! Give your photographer good light, a little time, some food for fuel and the creativity will start flowing and the photos you will receive in the end will be stunning!
    If your photographer has to battle light, time, or is feeling starving/light headed it will be hard to get the creative juices flowing.

  8. Lane Dittoe

    Great article! lot’s of good info for sure. thanks !

  9. Emily

    Thank you posting this! I’m currently researching photographers in my area, and you definitely get what you pay for.

  10. Ashley McCormick Photography

    Simply perfect!! Great information for brides, and really, each and every one is so important. Thank you for doing this Lauren! :)

  11. Catie Ronquillo

    Great post! #2 is great advice – nothing quite like running around for 6 or more hours to find that there is nothing to eat! I include it in my contract and bonus points for CAKE! :) #5 is essential too. You really do get what you pay for!

  12. Colleen @ Soundtrack To I Do

    This is a great post! One of my best friends is a wedding photographer, and I’ve learned from her how much is involved in the whole process! It’s definitely worth the money to get a skilled and talented photographer – after all, the photos should last as long as your marriage! (Which, hopefully, is forever!)

  13. Mel {The Oceanside Bride}

    This is fantastic! I’m definitely making notes as I start prepping for ours! =) Thanks for the tips Lauren!

  14. amy

    Thanks for posting Lauren!!! These tips are great for couples to think about when booking!

  15. Jani B

    Thanks you so much for this!!!

  16. amy miller

    #1 this is why you NEED a wedding planner, even if it is just a “day of” planner. I have been doing weddings for years and still needed a “day of” person to handle all the details that pop up the day of. Things such as, which photos to make sure to get, how long they are taking and making sure the videographer is doing his job.

    #2 my photogs (who were close friends) told me, “After your wedding there are two things you get to keep; your husband and your pictures, so spend accordingly.” And the good ones (both, husbands and photos) are worth every penny!!

    #3 thanks you for caring about this industry! You are extremely gifted and I so enjoy all of your posts! Keep them coming!

  17. brittanee

    AMEN! haha people should know they get what they pay for

  18. Carla - Stehman Photography

    Awesome article Lauren!! Fantastic tips that so many brides just haven’t been told.
    I really appreciate you letting brides know that we do more work than the 8 or so hours we are at their wedding. Thanks for sharing!

  19. Amy Matthews

    Great advice here for brides. It’s so much time and money put into weddings that people don’t see and you most certainly get what you pay for. don’t skimp on the photography, it’s the only thing you have left when the wedding is over and the vendor you’ll be working with the closest.

  20. Wendy Stains

    THANK YOU, THANK YOU Lauren! It’s so nice when someone giving advice actually knows what they’re talking about and really cares. Love your Blog :)

Add Your Thoughts...

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS WILL NOT BE PUBLISHED. REQUIRED FIELDS ARE MARKED *