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I have worked as a wedding photographer for over 12 years. I have documented all kinds of weddings, from grand cathedral weddings to intimate civic ceremonies in the middle of the pandemic.
I have also studied photography for 5 years prior to starting my business, and therefor have an insight into this profession that many working photographers today might not have.
I have a few tips on what I think you should consider when booking a wedding photographer, to make sure you get not only the photos, but the experience you want.
5 rules of thumb when hiring a wedding photographer
- View full gallery from real weddings, if possible similar to yours
- Realise that an experienced photographer has more to offer than just pretty pictures
- Know that your experience in front of the camera will colour how you view the final photos
- Understand that a professional photographer should be able to promise you a certain quality of service
- Know that you deserve more than the bare minimum
Study the portfolio
View full gallery from real weddings, if possible similar to yours
Any photographer will curate their social media to only show their best photos, but when choosing a photographer you also want to see their worst photos.
There are no second chances during a wedding day, and so you want make sure your photographer is not solely trusting luck to create good photos. A professional photographer should be able to take good photos under any circumstance, so try to see beyond the pretty people, the golden sunlight and the luxurious venue.
Look for something familiar, be it the same season, style or type of venue as yours, and see how they handled working there.
While we all start somewhere, however
An experienced photographer will give you more than just pretty pictures
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As working with wedding planners is still quite rare in Finland, your photographer will most likely bet the person who has the greatest insight into the schedule of your wedding day. An experienced photographer should be able to help you plan the day so that everything runs smoothly and that you also have time to capture all the photos you want.
This means that your photographer will put time and energy into your collaboration before the actual wedding day. They should be available to answer your questions and should offer the chance to sit down together and plan the event of the day prior to the wedding.
You might think that it doesn’t matter how they are made as long as the photos look good but
Your experience of working with a photographer will colour how you see the final photos
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Photographers have different approaches to how they create their images:
Documentary photographers rarely interfere with what’s happening during your wedding day. They move around the room, capturing moments as they unfold and won’t ask you to act a certain way in front of the camera.
Editorial photographers will work to create controlled environments that fit a certain style or vision. During the portrait session they guide you into different poses and they will also take a more active part, making sure everything looks just right during the rest of the day.
No style is better than the other, it’s all up to you and what you think you would feel most comfortable with. Of course a lot of documentary photographers will also guide you during a portrait session, and editorial photographers won’t interrupt your wedding ceremony to tell you how to stand, but their approach to photography is still different and you can see differences in the result too with documentary photography looking more candid and editorial photography looking more put together.
If you can’t tell what style the photographer you’re considering shoots in, ask!
While someone new in the field still has to learn as they go,
A professional photographer should be able to promise you a certain quality of service
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Your photographer should feel comfortable to sign a contract promising to deliver your agreed upon services. Never book a photographer who won’t sign a contract.
The contract should specify the scope of the session (how many hours the photographer will be available and how many photos they will deliver), together with a lot of other details around what happens if they fall ill or something happens at your end so that you need to postpone/cancel the wedding.
While freak accidents happen, a professional photographer should have thought about most possible outcomes and planned accordingly. For example, if their camera breaks during your wedding day – they should have a back up. Same goes for memory cards. I always work every wedding shooting on two cameras with both cameras storing the photos on duplicate memory cards.
When it comes to such an important day that you invest time, energy and money into getting just right
You deserve more than just the bare minimum from your vendors
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I’d say that it’s not enough that your photographer shows up on time and delivers a set of pretty pictures. I at least want each and every couple I work with to feel cared for and appreciated.
That means a person who actually shows an interest in you and makes an effort to meet your wishes. A photographer that goes above and beyond to hype you up and help you enjoy your wedding day. I also think it means that your photographer goes the extra mile to deliver something that makes you feel like you really got you money’s worth.
You can tell how invested a photographer is by how quickly and consistently they reply, how available they are to answer your questions and the little extra they offer along the way. While most wedding photographers are incredibly busy during the summer months, that’s not an excuse to ghost you or not be available when you have questions.
Most passionate business owners and artists will sign on this, so find a photographer who really sees you and wants to give you their all.
I hope this post helped you figure out a thing or two about what you should looking for in your wedding photographer!
Of course photography is not a science and there really is not right or wrong way to take photos – however there is a right and a wrong way to run a business, and when hiring a professional you are supposed to get to expect a few things.
If you have question about how I work and want to know more about what I could offer you as your wedding photographer, don’t hesitate to get in touch! While my 2025 calendar is just about fully booked (2-3 open spots for the rest of the year) the 2026 calendar is just starting to fill and there are still plenty of free Saturdays left.
Click here if you want to check available date sor send in a wedding inquiry.
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