As a wedding photographer, you wear many hats. You sometimes are the planner, stylist, or server. You are very versatile and always there to help your couples. The more relaxed they are, the better the image result. When we wear the hat of creative planner, your wedding photographer is there to help you gain the end result you are looking for. So how do you find that wedding photographer?
Finding a wedding photographer in today’s digital age is probably more nerve wracking than the first time you drove a car. Its estimated there are 100K+ wedding photographers in the United States. Wedding Wire has over 1500 listings just for North Carolina alone. So imagine pouring over just a fraction, like 20, of the websites. Your head must be spinning.
The first thing you need to decide is how high a priority your wedding photography is to you. Do you have a tiny budget, no clue about what even happens at weddings, and just want to make sure you capture some memories of our wedding day? Is wedding photography the most important thing to you other than marrying your love? Remember the saying you get what you pay for?
If your wedding photographs are one of your highest priorities factor that into your budget. Knowing and deciding that as a couple will help with your search for a wedding photographer from the beginning. The cheapest option in wedding photography, is 9 times out of 10 the regretful option.
Asheville wedding photographers have a lot in common aesthetically wise, so what makes them stand out. So how do I narrow down to just two photographers? What important questions should you ask? First and foremost, make sure they have your wedding date available. If they do, you can then dive deeper by asking these essential questions:
I have been a wedding photographer for 10 years professionally. I started out second shooting for another photographer in Key West for 2 years before going solo. I’ve been shooting solo now for 8 years, and prior to covid, I averaged about 40-45 full day weddings a year.
When I am not shooting weddings, I am shooting for Mtn Dew Winter Sports Tour and various music festivals for Rolling Stone
My wedding photography style is labeled as many things. Real Moments Wedding Photography, Wedding Photojournalism, Candid Wedding Photography and Moment Driven Wedding Photography.
My style focuses on the organic moments of the day, and the reactions of the family and guests at those times. I spend the time getting to know my couples, so that I can anticipate moments, but also be there to document them during the day at ease. My wedding photography focuses on Visual Storytelling with Bold Portraits.
Of course you can. I actually promote sending full galleries to couples. Instagram feeds and websites usually only show the best of the best and sometimes are highly edited. Always take a look at a full wedding gallery so you can have an idea of the product you will receive if you work with that photographer
Three letters…FUN
When the wedding day arrives, we have spoken enough, planned the right way, and your wedding day just flows naturally. I’m there to be able to pull you away when you need a break, and help the two of you concentrate on each other. I help you with being present with each other, so that your images have a true feel to your day.
Life is unpredictable. Look at the past two years. Being prepared is part of my daily vocabulary. For couples, it’s nice to know they have some sort of backup plan in place. From the day of the actual wedding all the way to post-production, I have systems and workflows in place to cover anything that might happen.
There is always a backup of each image when captured. There are always backup memory cards, cameras, and batteries. Even when your wedding is over, there are 3 backups in different places guaranteeing your images.
We go over all of this in our planning sessions. We make sure we cover the must haves, then try to create a timeline that will allow us to get to the requests. I have you fill out a questionnaire in which you can indicate which shots are the most important to you, and we take this into consideration. I do not work off shot lists during the wedding. I put presecendent in the present moment. Staring at a shot list and checking off boxes is a recipe to guarantee I miss important moments.
The first step is to schedule a consultation with me. We go over all of the options, speak about your wedding. This gives us the information we need to determine what wedding photography collection works best for you.
Once the wedding day is over, the excitement to see your wedding photos starts building. Immediately you are going to ask for sneak previews, or the question every photographer loves, “When will our photos be ready.” Sometimes we get this question at sunrise the morning after. Pro-tip…..DON’T!
.Still, it’s important to know upfront what that time frame will be so you’re not refreshing your email 24/7. I average 6-8 weeks, and update you via email, each time an editing milestone is achieved. This gives you real time status tracking of your photos, and the editing process.
You can also ask for additional details about the images, such as how they’ll be delivered (high-resolution, un-watermarked, etc.) and if I share teasers or sneak peeks shortly after the big day. Answer…YES!
Once you’ve gotten through all of your wedding photography questions, and you realize how awesome I am(shameless plug!), your question is how do i hire you as my wedding photographer?
My process involves us determining what coverage options work best for you, getting an agreement drafted, which you then sign electronically. You then get access to your client portal, and this is where you are going to answer question forms and pay invoices.
Once you have reserved your date with me, we schedule a welcome meeting via in-person/zoom, and start the fun process. We will talk about who you are as a couple, and individually. We will go over family, friends, likes, dislikes, etc. Next thing you know it will be wedding day, and all of your smart planning will shine!
Are you getting married in Asheville or anywhere else in North Carolina and are looking for a photographer to document the emotion of your day? I’d love to talk to you more about your plans. My style of photography is best suited for people who are drawn to natural and honest moments and want their day documented unobtrusively. If that sounds like what you are looking for, let’s talk!
