Your media team (photographers & videographers) are some of the only vendors who will be with you all day. Picking the right person for your wedding can make a huge difference in the way you experience your wedding day, and how much you like your wedding photos and video.

Things to Consider Before you Say “I Do” to Your Wedding Photographer or Videographer

Do you genuinely like them as a person?

• Have they communicated in ways that are effective for you?

• Do you have similar values?
  • Do you want your photographer/videographer to have similar lived-experiences as you?  

• Does their energy calm you or make you anxious? (Many photographers will offer an engagement or couples sessions at a discounted rate to wedding clients so everyone can make sure they like working together before your big day.)

Do you like their style?

• Have you thoroughly reviewed their portfolio, and are you okay with your wedding photos being in their style?

• What is their workflow like; are they very structured and love posing, or are they more of a fly-on-the-wall and prefer unprompted images? Do you like that workflow?

What is their turn-around time?

• Some vendors will deliver your images or video in 4 weeks; others need 16. This usually depends on how busy the photographer or videographer is, and how much they touch each image or clip. 
  • Are you ok with waiting the photographer/videographers standard delivery time? 
  • Do they offer a rush fee if you need the photos or video back sooner?

Can they meet your access needs?

• Will your vendor wear a mask if you are immunocompromised?
• Can they communicate in ASL, or your first language?
• Does your vendor use a trauma-informed approach?
• Is your vendor mindful that anyone they interact with at your event may have  physical or mental limitations?

Do you trust them?

• Do you trust this person to honour your contract, treat you and your guests with respect, and own up to any mistakes and make them right? (Something un-accounted for always happens at weddings, sometimes it might happen with your photographer/videographer. We’re all just people.)

• Sometimes you just have a feeling that a vendor isn’t for you. Whether you’re worried they won’t deliver what you want, or you just want to get along better with your photographer or videographer, listen to this.

Choosing a wedding photographer and/or videographer is a personal choice, and often a large financial investment. It’s okay to take your time to decide, ask questions, and talk to different vendors to make sure your day is captured the way you want it to be.