Hiring a Wedding Photographer? 6 Most Expensive Mistakes to Avoid

There are plenty of stories about how a bad photographer ruined a wedding. Wedding photography is a creative job and how to choose a photographer significantly affects the outcomes. Let’s face it – many people have a casual approach to choosing the photographer for their big day because they’re apparently too busy. This invariably leads to irremediable mistakes that you will regret for a long time.

In this guide, I’m going to walk you through the common mistakes while hiring a wedding photographer, and how to steer clear of those mistakes.

Overlooking the Connection with Wedding Photographer

Many people try to contact their prospective wedding photographer via email or even text message. This is a huge mistake because you can’t establish a great personal connection with the photographer without actually meeting them.

When you meet a wedding photographer face to face, see their prints, and share your expectations with them, they can fully appreciate your vision. The process will also help you explore the attitude and personality of the photographer and feel the personal connection with them.

When you see their wedding portfolios and their shots, you can understand their perspective and style, which tells you a lot about whether the photographer is right for you.

Wedding is a special event in your life and you want to make sure you have partnered with the photographer who can capture the moments in ways you will cherish for many years to come.

Hiring an Amateur Wedding Photographer

Just because you have a tight budget doesn’t mean that you will NOT get the right wedding photographer. If a friend or family relative told you to settle with an inexperienced or amateur photographer, don’t listen to them. There’s an experienced wedding photographer for every budget and you should fully explore your options.

First of all, you need to appreciate the difference between an amateur and professional wedding photographer. Experienced wedding photographers make a living out of photography – it’s the only they do, day in and day out. They’ve worked hard for years, made mistakes and learned from them to create quality that people appreciate.

If you’re going to let your friend’s amateur cousin take care of your wedding photography, you can be more than sure you’re likely to be disappointed with results.

De-prioritizing Wedding Photography Budget

Some people don’t have a high budget for wedding photography; others simply don’t prioritize it enough to allocate the right budget for it. They usually ask different photographer for their quotes and go with the lowest one available.

This is a huge mistake.

When the wedding is over, all that’s left are the sweet memories that you cherish for a lifetime. It’s wise to let an experienced wedding photographer document your events and capture those unique memories in a way you can show off and cherish for life.

Don’t let the lowest quote ruin your dream wedding. Allocate a budget it deserves.

Choosing a Wedding Photographer with No Eye for Detail

There are two types of wedding photographers – the ones who take it up as a project and the ones who take it up as a challenge.

Wedding Photography
Source: Ericchiuproduction.com

Every wedding is unique and one can’t have the same approach for every event. Experienced, talented and passionate wedding photographers focus on making each project different from others and constantly follow their creative pursuit.

Therefore, you should choose a photographer who understand the tiny details of your wedding event and capture them in the most beautiful way imaginable.

This is why connecting with the photographer is crucial, as I’ve explained it earlier.

Delaying Contacting Your Favorite Wedding Photographer

This is one of the silliest mistakes one could do while hiring (or not) a wedding photographer. If you know a photographer you want to hire, contact them immediately and book your date in advance, no matter how busy your schedule is.

I’d also suggest considering a second wedding photographer if you budget allows it. In the unlikely event of the first photographer being unavailable, the second photographer can save the day.

Going with Friend’s Recommended Wedding Photographer

You don’t need to be a photography expert to understand wedding photography. However, it’s also important that you do some research beforehand so you could boost your chances of getting the right photographer for your wedding.

There are countless guides on how to choose your wedding photographers which can help you broaden your perspective and get close to choosing the right one for you.

It might be a bad idea to rely solely on your friend’s recommend just because they really like a photographer. Every photographer is different – what works for your friend may not work for you. It’s not wise to blindly go with the photographer your friend advises.

Take Away

It takes some research to choose the right photographer for your wedding events. Your wedding is very special and it deserves the right photographer. After all, there are zero chances of recapturing the wedding moments.