Angled Light Photography

Greenville South Carolina

We are about to dive into the top reasons why choosing a professional photographer for your wedding day is important, and provide you with tips on how to invest your time and money in choosing the right wedding photographer.

Before we get into it, we want to ease your mind.

There is someone for everyone. You will find a wedding photographer that is within your budget, you just have to put a little bit of time into researching!

Your wedding photographer, and the pictures they produce on your special day, are more than just a “purchase” or a swipe of your credit card. Your wedding photographer is an investment, and a very important one at that.

Photographing weddings is hard work, and it’s not for the faint of heart. It is for the individuals confident in their craft, who are able to organize and coordinate with all of your friends and family, and most importantly help you stay as calm and relaxed as possible on your South Carolina wedding day. 

Walking down the aisle on one of the most special days of your life is something you’ll want to look back on when you’re 85 and sharing photos with your grandchildren.

Being able to bring a photograph of you and your significant other’s first dance will bring tears to your eyes when you’re away on a business trip and missing them terribly.

The family portraits captured before the ceremony with your grandparents will be treasured, and passed down for generations when they are no longer with you.

There are endless moments from your wedding day that you will want to look back on, and you’re not going to want dark, grainy, and out of focus pictures to reminisce on.

Once you break down your wedding planning into those specific moments (and many more) that you’ll absolutely want to look back on in the future, you will start to feel how important and worth your while it will be to pick a trusted professional to capture your special day. 

Now, you’re probably ready to fire some questions, or maybe still need some convincing that going cheap isn’t a good idea for wedding day.

How can you find a reliable photographer? How will you know their work will be consistent? What if you don’t get along with your photographer?

We get it. We are with you!

Choosing your wedding photographer can be overwhelming. The amount of photographers to choose from, depending on your location, can be daunting.

Tip #1: Your wedding photos truly are an investment

Look at some other avenues in your life where you’ve invested.

Take buying a home, that’s a huge investment. You’re not going to only be looking at the pretty houses with the wrap around porch. Along with the curb appeal (because we all do want a cute house, right?) you’re also looking at the school district, the neighborhood, the local social scene and restaurants, the convenience of work commutes – you get the picture.

There are multiple factors that go into making such an important decision. Your wedding day should be no different.

Break it down the same way you would any other investment. Like I said earlier, think of all the moments you will be a part of.

Think of all the moments you are going to reflect on.

You are not going to want low quality, bad angled, blurry photos of those you love. You are going to want high quality, crisp, and in focus photographs that show you and your loved ones with endless happiness.

Tip #2: Find A Style You Love

Instead of going into the world of the internet (or social media) with the intention of narrowing down professional photographers, reflect on yourself for a moment.

Figure out what styles you like. Maybe it’s dark and moody, light and airy,  vibrant and crisp, or creative and cinematic. There are endless possibilities.

Figuring out what you like best will get you one step closer to finding the perfect fit. 

Tip #3: Communicate With Them!

It’s as simple as the title makes it seem. Send an email, message them on Facebook or Instagram, give them a call if they provide a phone number!

Whatever the source of contact may be, reach out to the wedding photographers you’ve started to narrow down and see how you get along with them. Get a feel for their authenticity and personality.

See if you click!

Tip #4: Look At Their Portfolio

Odds are you’ve done a surface level look through of the wedding photographers you’ve narrowed down. Hopefully you’ve messaged a few and are feeling out your final ideas.

From the wedding photographers you’ve narrowed down so far, you probably have a general idea of their overall style.

Now, you need to really dig into the trenches. Go back to their websites, and take the time to look at their photo albums from past weddings.

Look at the bride and groom portraits, the family portraits, the ceremony dancing pictures, the detail shots – anything that you know you’re going to want captured on your wedding day. 

Make sure they have examples of all the situations you’re going to want photographed on your wedding day. This may include low light situations, dancing during the reception, large family portraits, detail shots, bride and groom portraits, etc.

Tip #5: Keep Your Budget In Mind, There Is Someone For Everyone (I Promise!)

Like we said in the beginning, there is someone for everyone.

We want this day to be as enjoyable and stress-free as it possibly can be. We don’t want you investing in anything that is absolutely out of your range.

It is important to keep in mind going into your research that pricing usually parallels the wedding photographer’s experience level. Like anything in life, the more you work at something the more you are prepared for the unexpected, and the same applies here.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with any stage of photographic growth, which is why we firmly believe there is a wedding photographer out there for everyone. 

Also, before you commit to a wedding photographer for your big day, maybe you try them out for an engagement session! That way, you can get a feel for how they interact with you and your significant other.

Throughout the session, ask if you can see a few photos on camera over the photographer’s shoulder. They should be totally open to sharing the progress of the session, and you can get an “on the scene” sense of their shooting style!

Tip #6: Follow Your Instincts And Trust In Your Choice!

Your gut is one of the most reliable forms of decision making.

If you feel confident in the style you love, the connection you have with your final choices, and the engagement session experience (if you chose to test that option out), then just go with your gut!

It won’t steer you wrong, and odds are you already have some stellar final choices to pick from. 

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Interested in working with Angled Light Photography for your upcoming wedding day? We would love to get to know you! 

Reach out to us on our Contact page here.