You’ve set the date, booked the Church and the Reception Hall, and now it’s time to select your Wedding Photographer NJ. Whatever you do, don’t fall into the trap that some unfortunate Bride and Grooms do by enlisting a friend or relative to take their wedding photographs. Remember, this is a once in a lifetime event that can’t be repeated, and unless the person you’ve selected to capture your special memories is photographing weddings every week, chances are pretty good they simply don’t have the expertise or equipment to do the job properly. You’ve already spent a fortune on your dress, the flowers, the banquet hall, and everything else that makes the day so special, so it simply does not make sense to not get a professional photographer to look after your photographic needs for the day. If a friend or relative offers their services to you as their photographer, and unless they have wedding photography experience, it is best to use them only as a “second photographer” on the day of the wedding. By “second photographer”, I mean a photographer that stays in the background and simply shoots candid shots throughout the day. That way you won’t be ruining a friendship if the shots don’t turn out as you had hoped. By hiring a professional, one who does wedding photography for a living, you know you’ll get great keepsakes of your wedding day. Plus, the pressure will be off your friend or relative to “deliver the goods”.
If you haven’t started looking around for a photographer at least a year in advance of your wedding day, you should do so as soon as possible. As a general rule, you should begin your search anywhere from ten to sixteen months prior to the date. Why so early? The best photographers book up early, and since they can only shoot one wedding a day, once they are booked, that day is gone.
Before visiting a photographer, it’s a good idea to sit down with your better half and decide on what you would like in the way of photographs on your wedding day.
One of the first things to consider is the style of photography. Do you prefer candid shots (completely unposed with no direction from the photographer), the more traditional photography (where the photographer controls everything from posing to lighting), the uncandid candid (where the photographer has made the pose look natural, so that it looks completely unposed, or almost candid), or a combination of all styles? It is very important that you are clear with your photographer about which style of photography that you prefer, otherwise you may be disappointed in the results. When visiting various photographers, be sure to see works from a complete wedding, rather than samples from many weddings. This will give you a good idea of the style of photography that the photographer prefers, as well as a good indication of the photographer’s talents and expertise in lighting.
The next step in your journey of selecting a photographer is to know how much you would like to spend on the photography coverage of your wedding. Questions that you should ask yourself are: How long will I need the photographer for on the day of the wedding (often times you can save money by not having the photographer stay for the full reception coverage)? Would I like one or two photographers providing coverage (a second photographer usually concentrates on candid moments alone, so if you like candid photography, you should definitely consider having a second photographer—one photographer, no matter how experienced, simply can’t be in two places at the same time)? What would I like included in my photography package in the way of prints, wall portraits, albums, thank you cards? Would I like the negatives or digital negatives (high resolution image files) so that I can do all the printing myself? In photography, as with any other product or service, you generally get what you pay for. There is usually a good reason why one photographer will charge more for what appears to basically be the same thing. There may be hidden costs involved, such as mileage, or number of hours coverage, or limits on the number of photos taken that day. One photographer may have considerably less experience and expertise in photographing weddings. Some photographers simply charge less because they take wedding photographs as a part time hobby and work full time at another unrelated job. Ask yourself, do you really want to trust your memories to someone who does not make their livelihood and stake their reputation on photographing weddings? Decide in advance how important your wedding photographs are to you, and budget accordingly. When calling photographers to make viewing appointments of their work, be sure to ask their price ranges. A reputable photographer will tell you up front their price ranges. There is no sense in wasting your time, or the photographer’s time for that matter, if their price range is beyond your budget.
