As your wedding planner, I work hand-in-hand with each of your other wedding professionals. We all work as a team to pull together your wedding vision. Too often I hear stories of wedding professionals butting heads or competing over their “territory”, but I have been very lucky to (mostly) work with wedding pros that have their client and the wedding first of mind. So, in that spirit of collaboration, I would like to start offering advice from wedding pros in categories other than planning. Let’s start with wedding photographers since they are one of the first pros booked after the venue and planner.
So, what does a wedding photographer wish you knew before hiring them?
Kelsey Naab of Captured by Kelsey says “I always ask my clients: Imagine it’s 10 years from now. The two of you are snuggled up on the couch looking through your wedding album. Memories of the day start rushing back, you’re laughing together, making eyes at each other, maybe even crying together…what do you see? What do your photographs look like? What does your album feel like?”
I love this! It is so important to invest in your photographs. Think of them as an heirloom, not just a hashtag image to share on Instagram. Kelsey says, “Your investment into most aspects of your wedding is an investment into a celebration of your love – a celebration that is very much valuable, but temporary. Your investment in your wedding photography is an investment in your future. It’s an investment that pays dividends on the days you need a reminder of why you love each other, an investment that is invaluable when you get to flip through the pages and share those memories with your children…maybe even someday your grandchildren. It’s the foundation of your family history, the documentation of your love, the preservation of ALL the feels.” Your wedding photos are special!
Casey Brodley also encourages engaged couples to think about the end result. “I always tell people to ask to see a sample gallery from a full wedding, ideally one at a similar venue/time of year they are getting married. Usually, the work photographers put online are only their highlight photos, so seeing a full gallery gives you a more realistic view of what to expect from that photographer.”
“Talk to your photographer about any timeline questions before solidifying anything,” says Christy of Open Box Photo. “Every photographer has a baseline of how long certain photos take to get done depending on your day and your requests. They’ll be able to tell you if you’ve planned enough time for certain photo requests and may even bring up points you hadn’t thought about (because let’s face it, you’re thinking about every little detail of that day and it’s easy to not know what you don’t know) – things like travel time between locations or the logistics in gathering a large group for a photo are examples.” (Timelines are kind of my jam, so I totally agree with Christy!)
Katie Alexis has some advice once your photographs have been taken and you are patiently (LOL) waiting for their reveal. “Good photography can’t be rushed- trust your photographer. The amount of time editing the photos for you to get that “Pinterest photo” that you saved takes time.”
If any of these photographers seem right up your ally, I’ve linked to their websites throughout the text. As your wedding planner, it is my job to make sure you and your photographer are on the same page. Let’s work together and find the perfect one for you!
I realized wedding planning was my passion when, after working a 12-hour wedding day, I came home and was so energized that I couldn’t go to sleep. I had just worked an entire day, on my feet, and was ready to plan the next event instead of heading to bed! In former careers, an 8-hour shift would leave me exhausted. This new-found energy around my work was very welcomed! Now I plan weddings all around the Metro Detroit & Ann Arbor areas.