Planning your wedding is one of the most exciting things you’ll ever do. It’s also one of the most overwhelming things you’ll ever do. Especially as you start looking for your Philadelphia wedding photographer. You may be wondering what you should be looking for, besides just gorgeous pictures. We have 5 things you should keep in mind when choosing your Philadelphia wedding photographer.
1 – Creative & Beautiful Pictures
What initially attracts you to a particular Philadelphia wedding photographer? The pictures you see! This may seem like a no brainer, but we’d encourage you to look again at the portfolio of the photographers you’re considering. Look again and try to identify what it is about the pictures that draw you in. Is it the posing? Is it the lighting? Are they creative? Are they timeless? Do they tell a story? Do they make you feel like you were there? Narrowing down what you truly love about the pictures you are looking at will help you connect with a photographer’s particular style of photography and storytelling. But, before you contact them, take a second look at their portfolio, and make a note for your initial meeting for the next thing to consider.
2 – Versatility
While you’re reviewing portfolios and getting your questions ready to ask your potential Philadelphia wedding photographer, look at their versatility. Philadelphia is a wonderful place to get married because it is SO diverse. There is something for everyone. However, you need a photographer who can handle the dim lighting of an historic church ceremony, rock the full sunlight of portraits at Race Street Pier, hide the busy-ness of City Hall, and adjust for the sudden spotlight on you during your first dance at your reception. Weddings are all about making quick adjustments and adapting to rapidly changing circumstances in creative ways to capture gorgeous photographs. So, as you look at your short list for Philadelphia wedding photographers, reach out to those who show great versatility. Then, go the next step and ask them directly about it.
3 – Personality
We as wedding photographers have a bit of a strange role on your wedding day. We will be one of the closest people to you throughout the day, but we aren’t family or your wedding party. So, it is very important to connect with the person who will photograph you on this amazing day. Some of the best clients we’ve ever had have ended up being friends of ours that we still love grabbing drinks with. (Looking at you Taylor & Paul). All because we connected so deeply with them. Don’t be afraid to ask tons of questions about your Philadelphia wedding photographer and what their bedside manner is like. Meshing well with your photographer will enable you to relax while they’re with you, and that will translate into beautiful photos for you!
4 – Value
This is major, my friends. Value doesn’t just mean price tag. When looking for your Philadelphia wedding photographer, you want to look for someone who gives you an incredible value. This means that they will help you from your initial consultation, through the wedding day, and beyond. The photographers that offer great value will guide you through the planning process to ensure that your timeline flows beautifully from one thing to another without ever feeling rushed. We will help you plan your engagement session and give you plenty of tips on how to make the most of it, have a great time, and capture stunning photos. Photographers with great value will help you stay present in the moment on your wedding day and capture your memories with creativity and expertise. And after the wedding day, we’ll help you design your first family heirloom: your wedding album.
All of these things, and much more, add up to the value of your photographer. It’s not just about numbers and the bottom line, though those things are important to every couple. It’s about the experience you have and how much that means to you. We highly recommend shopping with a budget range in mind, instead of one hard number that you want to stick to. Sometimes the best thing you can do is stretch to the higher end of your budget for your photographer because they are going to give you an amazing experience and incredible photographs, rather than sticking to the number you had in mind and be disappointed in the long run. Remember, besides your incredible spouse, your wedding photos (and video if you have a videographer) are what you’ll have long after the band has stopped playing and the honeymoon is over. Don’t settle.
5 – Industry Relationships
Finally, we’d love to bring up this often overlooked quality for Philadelphia wedding photographers that we feel is very important: their wedding industry relationships. We’ve had the joy of working with some of the best caterers and venue coordinators in the city. There are some incredible wedding planners that we frequently run into and make the flow of a wedding day seamless. We love our florist friends who work so hard to realize the beautiful visions of our clients. We’ve met some incredible bands and djs who get the party turned up to 11. When you talk to your wedding venue contact or planner, ask them who they like working with. The answer will often be the Philadelphia wedding photographers who they have great relationships with. This is the start of assembling a dream team for your wedding. When all your vendors play nice together and work hard towards the common goal of making your wedding day the most amazing and spectacular day it possibly can be (and maybe have a little fun along the way themselves), you have a recipe for a wonderful experience and stunning pictures of your wedding day.
There are a lot of Philadelphia wedding photographers, and this is a deeply personal choice, but we would love to throw our hats into the ring. If you’d like to talk with us about your unique wedding day vision and plans, we’d love to hear from you! Take a moment to drop us a line below and know that we are so excited to talk with you about your wedding!
