5 Things to Keep in Mind When Choosing a Wedding Photographer

Choosing a wedding photographer is one of the biggest (if not the biggest) decisions you’ll make during the wedding planning process, which can be stressful! Picking the right photographer matters not only for your wedding day, but for the future – your photographer is the one responsible for capturing your memories so you can look back on them months, years and even decades from now. Brides and grooms often gravitate toward certain photographers because of a look or style, but with wedding photography typically being quite an investment, there’s more to the decision than just aesthetics.

We’re so excited to have Dana and Josh Fernandez sharing their expertise on this topic today. The Fernandezes are a husband and wife Houston wedding photography duo, and as fine art photographers, they’ve found their niche in the wedding and editorial industry by providing the highest level of client experience paired with a true passion for storytelling and artistic design. Dana and Josh know that choosing a wedding photographer is not a decision most couples take lightly, and they’re here to offer some invaluable advice!

Choosing a wedding photographer? Dana and Josh recommend keeping these five things in mind:

1. How much of a priority is photography?

Determine how much of a priority photography is and set your budget accordingly. We recommend it to be a top three budget item, and that’s not just because we are biased! The NUMBER ONE regret we hear from married couples is that they wish they had allocated more on photography (if they hadn’t prioritized it in their budget). We promise you, the investment is worth it. It is the only thing you will have after your wedding day, next to your wedding rings and attire!

2. Meet with potential photographers in person.

Next to your wedding planner, you’re going to spend the most amount of time with your photographer.  It’s worth getting to know them and how they communicate because the chemistry you have with your photographer will show up in your photos.

3. Ask to see a full gallery (not just a curated one).

Ideally, your photographer will have examples from your venue.  If not, ask if they have examples from a similar setting or lighting scenario. At the end of the day, the only way to understand what you’re going to get is to see a full gallery. That way you can get a sense for how they shoot details, getting ready, ceremony, reception and the exit, and you can get a realistic idea of what to expect.

4. Do the details matter?

Life is in the details! We love details. They’re pretty, and there is usually an interesting story behind them. With that being said, there are some photographers that specialize in styling and who allocate ample time to getting all those details. Others, while they can photograph details upon request, won’t necessarily style them in an editorial way because they want to spend more time on the moments, rather than the details. Neither way is best, but if it is important to you, make sure to look at a sample gallery to see if your photographer always photographs the details and that their styling is in line with your vision.

5. Timeline management.

Hiring a photographer that can work on the fly (with positivity!) can sometimes be just as important as the quality of their photos. Because, what does it matter how good they are if they need perfect conditions and perfect timelines in order to get something close to what you saw on their Insta feed? Your day will be amazing, but you need someone who knows how to adapt when the timeline shifts a little.

Depending on your preferences, a photographer can be a top three investment for your wedding day.  It is a big decision. These are some of the things we want our clients to know most about the process.  If you have any questions we can help you with, please feel free to reach out to [email protected]!  Thanks for spending some time with us!

We’d like to give a very special thank you to Dana and Josh Fernandez for sharing their expertise! Check out their vendor profile to see if this husband and wife duo could be the perfect fit to capture your Houston wedding!