To future brides and grooms – there are so many things that couples, and wedding planners have to think about to prepare for the big day.  From the dress, suit, venue, catering, registry, flowers – and the most important way to capture your whole day forever, the photography (your photographer).

If there’s one thing you want to get perfect for your big day, it’s who you pick as your photographer.  I’ve seen time and time again, brides with gorgeous wedding dresses, the perfect ‘insta-worthy’ location, or the most sought-after wedding planner, all tarnished by a difficult or inexperienced wedding photographer.  Your eternal memories of the wedding day lie in the hands of who you choose to fill this special role.  You want that person to capture every wedding bliss, every ‘look of love’, tears of joy, and every emotion between friends and family.

So, before you sign with your photographer, here are some top tips on how to choose the best wedding photographer for your big day!

Know Your Style + Theme

Modern-day weddings follow motifs and themes, and because of social media, these aren’t just restricted to magazines anymore.  Ask a bride-to-be or a newlywed how they decided on the theme of their wedding, and chances are they already had something in mind from when they were little, or from a theme they saw online. 

Pinterest and Instagram are a buffet for wedding ideas and trends, and a surprising number of wedding themes are based on movies, books, or favorite characters.  The well-known Twilight: Breaking Dawn wedding gave birth to thousands of spin-off rustic-themed, outdoor weddings.  Big and Carrie Bradshaw’s Sex in the City wedding created thousands of similar wedding dress designs, and lavish library inspired venues.  Of course, who wouldn’t fall head over heels for a Bridgerton-inspired wedding with all the glitz, glamour, and extravagant gowns?

The right wedding photographer knows how to capture every special wedding moment, the way you dreamt it.  It’s not just about taking thousands of photos but capturing the love and emotion between couples and those quiet moments that make your big day uniquely yours.  Your photographer should take a photo that can still give you butterflies fifty years from now.  A photographer who can take all the big and small details from your venue and make those come alive again.

So – talk to your wedding photographer and establish transparency. Share with your photographer about your the dreams that you have meant for the day.  Knowing what you want out of your photos helps to make your dreams a reality and will give you a clear indication if your photographer can fulfill your needs.  Have your forever moments captured beautifully, and your carefully curated wedding theme come to life, again and again.

Ask Around

Don’t let one of the worst wedding nightmares that could happen, happen to you.  According to insider.com, failing to choose the right wedding photographer is the biggest regret for over 1 third of all newlyweds.  So, don’t go with the first one that you talk to – take your time, and ask around.  Look at reviews and galleries and ask what experience your photographer has.  Ask what kind of weddings they have shot before – indoor, outdoor, religious, destination weddings.  Ask what kind of style your potential photographer would describe themselves as having.  Most importantly, choose a photographer who makes you comfortable and who you get along with – it can be a long and stressful day as the wedding couple, and you want to like who you are spending those long hours with!

There are a lot of photographers out there, but not everyone can capture the emotions and special moments throughout the day. Every wedding I shoot never fails to remind me that each one is different and incredibly special. Every wedding has its own magical story and capturing the very essence of that makes the photos worth taking.

Check your photographers Portfolio

When it comes to oversaturated professions like wedding photography, a portfolio should speak for itself.  My portfolio is a testament to my passion for working with brides and grooms in love, and shows the special spark I bring to your big day.  When choosing a Knoxville wedding photographer, take the time to look through the portfolio and assess how it matches the dream wedding you have in mind. 

Most credible wedding photographers have their own website showcasing past wedding shoots and experience.  Look through their portfolio and write down a few describing words you think of the first time you look through these images: dreamy, candid, whimsical or passionate.  Compare these initial thoughts after looking through multiple portfolios and see which fit with your wedding goals.  Although a lot of photographers may show versatility in style and genre, you really want to choose a wedding photographer expert.  A wedding-specific photographer can capture the essence of weddings: when to point and shoot at the perfect time.

Most importantly … Go with what your heart tells you!

It’s your wedding, and there’s nothing wrong with following your heart.  When you choose your wedding photographer, you need to give them 110% trust, so being comfortable with the person responsible for your eternal moments is more than just practicality.  You could go through dozens of wedding photographer portfolios and still feel that none of the photographers is the ‘right one’.  But when you do find a photographer you keep coming back to, or you keep using their work as the standard to beat, don’t dismiss these feelings.  Trust your gut and lock them in!  You would be surprised how many couples take too long for that ‘right’ photographer, and we can be booked out for months in advance.  No one will know better than you if you’ve made the right decision for your upcoming day.

Final Thoughts on finding your wedding photographer

When you book a catering service, that food will be gone in an hour. Once you pay for gowns and suits, they will be back hanging in the closet. Remember, choosing your photographer is an investment because when you get your wedding photos, they will stay with you forever, and remind you of one of the best days of your life each time you go back and look at them.

So, are we hearing wedding bells? Let’s chat!