What We Wish More Couples Knew Before Hiring a Wedding Photographer and Videographer
Choosing your wedding photographer and videographer is about a lot more than finding someone whose work looks good on Instagram. After years of photographing and filming weddings, we’ve learned that the people behind the cameras can have a pretty significant impact on how your wedding day actually feels.
Your photo and video team may be with you while you’re getting ready, during emotional moments with your family, through the ceremony, portraits, reception, and everything happening in between. Of course, you should love the finished photos and films, but you should also feel comfortable with the people creating them.
We recently sat down with Lettie at Elmwood Farm for a conversation about wedding photography, videography, timelines, first looks, coordinators, wedding parties, family photos, and some of the things couples don’t always realize until they’re already deep into planning.
Elmwood Farm also created a companion wedding-planning guide from the venue and coordination side of the conversation. If you’re looking at the bigger picture of how your venue, timeline, photography, videography, and other vendors all come together, you can read their perspective here:
From our side of the camera, here are some of the things we wish more couples knew before choosing their wedding photographer and videographer.
Don’t Choose a Wedding Photographer Based Only on Instagram
Social media is a great place to start. You can quickly get a feel for someone’s photography style, editing, personality, and the types of weddings they typically photograph.
But it shouldn’t be where your research ends.
A photographer’s Instagram feed naturally shows some of their favorite work. What you really want to know is how they handle an entire wedding day.
Can they photograph getting ready in a dark hotel room? Can they adapt when the weather changes? Can they handle family photos efficiently? Can they photograph a ceremony where they only get one chance to capture the moment?
Can they transition from portraits in beautiful natural light to a dark reception and still produce consistent work?
Those things are difficult to judge from a collection of highlight images.
Ask to See a Full Wedding Gallery
One of the best things you can ask a wedding photographer for is a complete gallery from a real wedding. That lets you see how they photograph the entire day, including:
Getting ready
Wedding details
The ceremony
Family portraits
Wedding party photos
Couple portraits
Reception details
Speeches and toasts
First dances
The dance floor
You’re no longer seeing only the photographer’s favorite images. You’re seeing how they tell the story from beginning to end.
If they have photographed your venue before, you can also ask whether they have a full gallery from that location.
Know the Difference Between a Styled Shoot and a Real Wedding
Another thing couples may not realize is that some portfolio images come from styled shoots. Styled shoots are staged wedding setups created specifically for photographers and other vendors to photograph.
There’s nothing wrong with them. They can be great for creativity, practice, education, and portfolio building, but they aren’t the same thing as a real wedding.
At a styled shoot, there is usually much more control. At a wedding, the moment happens whether you’re ready or not. There are guests moving around, schedules changing, weather doing whatever it wants, different lighting situations, family dynamics, and plenty of things you can’t recreate.
Experience photographing real weddings matters.
Make Sure You Actually Like the People Behind the Cameras
We think this part gets overlooked. You can take beautiful photographs and still not be the right photographer for every couple.
Wedding photography and videography are people businesses. You have to be able to read a room. Sometimes people want direction, and sometimes they need a minute. Sometimes the wedding party is ready to have fun, and sometimes everyone is stressed.
Sometimes Mom has a question, Dad is missing, a groomsman disappeared, and the ceremony starts in 15 minutes. Knowing how to work with people is a huge part of the job.
That’s one reason we like talking face-to-face with couples before the wedding whenever possible. We want to know you, and you should get a feel for who we are too.
Engagement Sessions Are About More Than Engagement Photos
We like including engagement sessions because they give us a chance to work together before the wedding. We sometimes describe it as practice.
You get used to being in front of the camera. We learn how you interact with each other. You learn how we give direction, and we figure out what feels natural for you.
By the time the wedding arrives, we’ve already spent time together. Instead of meeting your photographer for the first time while you’re getting dressed on one of the biggest days of your life, there’s already some familiarity there.
It feels less like a stranger walked into the room with a camera.
Your Photographer and Videographer Need to Work Together
Some couples hire one company for both photography and videography. Others hire the two separately.
Either can work. What matters is whether those professionals know how to work together.
One of the things we enjoy about offering both is that we already know how the other person works. Amanda generally leads photography, while Mitch generally leads videography. We know what the other person is trying to capture, where they’re probably going to stand, and when they need a particular shot.
That makes it easier to work as one team.
But there are plenty of photographers and videographers from separate companies who work together extremely well too. If you hire separately, ask whether your photographer regularly works with videographers and whether your videographer regularly works with photographers. You can also ask whether there are people they particularly enjoy working with.
Both professionals need access to many of the same moments:
Wedding details
Getting ready
First looks
The ceremony
Family photos
Wedding party photos
Couple portraits
Reception details
Speeches
First dances
The dance floor
Everyone should be able to do the job they were hired to do without constantly competing for the same space.
One of the Most Important Parts of Wedding Video Is Audio
When couples think about wedding videography, they naturally think about the video. We think audio is just as important.
Photography can preserve an expression or a moment beautifully. What it can’t preserve is someone’s voice.
A wedding film can let you hear your vows again. It can preserve your parents’ speeches, your grandfather laughing, or your best friend telling a story. It lets you hear the way someone said something, not just remember that the moment happened.
Those things can take on a completely different meaning years later. That’s something we wish more couples considered when deciding whether wedding videography is important to them.
Your Wedding Timeline Matters More Than You Think
Photography and videography take time. We don’t simply show up, point the cameras at whatever happens, and hope everything works out.
There’s planning involved well before the wedding. We talk with our couples about what they want, what they don’t want, family dynamics, important moments, locations, coverage, and the overall flow of the day.
Then we have to make sure there is enough time to actually capture everything. That can include:
Wedding details
Getting ready
The dress
Florals
First looks or first touches
Wedding party portraits
Family portraits
Couple portraits
Ceremony details
Reception details
A realistic timeline gives us room to do our jobs without making you feel like you’re constantly being rushed somewhere else. It also gives everyone a little breathing room when something inevitably takes longer than expected.
We’re Team First Look, But It’s Still Your Wedding
We’ll admit it: we like first looks.
That doesn’t mean everybody should do one. If seeing each other for the first time when you walk down the aisle is important to you, do that. It’s your wedding.
But there are some practical advantages to seeing each other earlier.
A First Look Can Make the Timeline Easier
Once you’ve seen each other, we may be able to complete a lot of photography before the ceremony. Depending on your wedding, that could include couple portraits, wedding party photos, immediate family photos, and other formal portraits.
That means there may be less to do after the ceremony. Instead of spending the entire cocktail hour taking photographs, you might actually get to enjoy some of it.
A First Look Can Help With Nerves Too
We’ve watched this happen plenty of times. Someone is stressed, nervous, and has a lot happening around them. Then they finally see their person.
You can almost watch the pressure come off.
It becomes a private moment instead of waiting for that first interaction while everyone at the ceremony is watching. Again, that doesn’t mean a first look is right for every couple, but if you’re already considering one, there are some real advantages.
A First Touch Is Another Option
If you don’t want to see each other before the ceremony, you can still create a private moment together.
A first touch lets you hold hands or talk without actually seeing one another. Some couples pray together, some read letters, and some exchange their personal vows privately before using traditional vows during the ceremony.
There are plenty of ways to make your wedding feel like your wedding.
Bigger Wedding Parties Require More Time
Having a large wedding party can be a blast. It also means more moving parts.
More people means more hair and makeup, more people getting dressed, more transportation, more people to organize, more combinations for photographs, and more people who can somehow disappear exactly when we need them.
It happens.
You absolutely can have a large wedding party. Just understand that it needs to be reflected in the timeline.
We also think couples should choose their wedding party carefully. These are supposed to be the people supporting you through the day, so pick people who are going to make the experience better rather than creating another layer of stress.
Plan Your Family Photos Before the Wedding
Family portraits become much easier when everyone knows the plan ahead of time.
We strongly recommend creating a family photo list before the wedding. Give us actual names and combinations rather than simply writing “Bride’s family.”
It also helps tremendously if those family members know they’re expected to stay for photos. Otherwise, the ceremony ends and everyone immediately heads toward cocktail hour.
Then we’re trying to figure out where Uncle Bob went while the clock is ticking.
With a good list and a little communication beforehand, family photos can move pretty quickly. Without a plan, they can take much longer than people expect.
A Good Wedding Coordinator Can Make a Huge Difference
We’ve worked weddings with great coordinators, and we’ve also worked weddings without coordinators. There is a noticeable difference when someone is there who understands the couple’s wishes and is managing the flow of the day.
Without that person, questions have to go somewhere. Sometimes they end up going to the bride, sometimes Mom, and sometimes us.
Suddenly the photographer is trying to coordinate things that have nothing to do with photography.
A good coordinator gives everyone a central point of contact. The couple can enjoy the wedding, we can focus on photography and video, the DJ can focus on the reception, and everyone can do what they were hired to do.
Ask What “Coordinator” Actually Means
One thing we’ve learned is that the word coordinator can mean very different things.
Some venues have coordinators who are deeply involved in the entire day. Others have people who primarily handle the venue itself. Those are not necessarily the same service.
Ask what is actually included. Will the coordinator manage the timeline? Will they communicate with your vendors? Will they be present throughout the wedding?
Understanding that before the wedding can save a lot of confusion later.
Elmwood Farm also discusses this from the venue and planning side in their companion article based on our podcast conversation.
Have Your Wedding Details Ready Before We Arrive
We love capturing the small things because they help tell the story of the day.
We normally recommend gathering your important details in one place before photography begins.
For a bride, that might include:
Invitations
Rings
Jewelry
Shoes
Perfume
Vow books
A ring box
Family heirlooms
Sentimental pieces
For a groom, it might include:
Tie or bow tie
Cufflinks
Watch
Shoes
Cologne
Vow book
Sentimental items
Put everything together so we can grab it and start working. That lets you continue getting ready without us constantly interrupting you to ask where another item is.
Those little objects can have a surprising amount of meaning. Maybe it’s your grandmother’s ring, an invitation you spent months designing, or a pair of socks with your dog printed on them.
Those details help make the photographs personal.
Make Sure Your Flowers Arrive in Time for Detail Photos
This is an easy one to overlook.
Flowers can add a lot to detail photographs. We may use the bouquet or loose florals while photographing rings, invitations, jewelry, or other items.
But they have to be there while we’re photographing those things.
If photography starts at 11:00 and your bouquet doesn’t arrive until 12:30, we may already be well past detail photos.
Tell your florist when photography begins. This is another good example of why vendor communication matters because small pieces of the timeline affect each other.
Think About Timeless Photography, Not Just Current Trends
Photography styles change, and editing trends come and go.
There is nothing wrong with choosing a photographer with a distinct style. You should love their work.
But we personally put a lot of value on keeping colors relatively true to life. If your suit was navy blue, we want it to look navy blue. If your dress had a certain tone, we want the photos to reflect that.
These are photographs you may still be looking at decades from now.
When you’re comparing photographers, think about whether you love the underlying photography and not only whether the current editing trend catches your eye.
There isn’t one correct wedding photography style. Choose the one that feels right to you.
Do You Need a Second Photographer?
Sometimes.
A second photographer can create some great opportunities. During a first look, for example, one photographer can concentrate on one reaction while another captures the other side. Two photographers can also cover things happening simultaneously in different locations.
But we don’t think every wedding automatically requires more people.
Sometimes more photographers and videographers just mean more bodies packed into an already small getting-ready room.
It depends on the wedding.
Talk with your photographer about the size of the wedding, the locations, the schedule, and what you want covered. Then decide whether a second photographer actually adds value to your day.
Trust the Wedding Professionals You Hire
We think this is one of the most important pieces of advice we can give.
Do your research, ask questions, and choose professionals whose work and personality you trust.
Then let them use their experience.
Your photographer may recommend moving portraits because of the light. Your coordinator might suggest adjusting the timeline. Your florist may need to deliver something earlier than you originally expected. Your videographer may need a few extra minutes to set something up properly.
There is usually a reason behind those recommendations.
You’re still in control of your wedding. But part of what you’re paying experienced professionals for is the experience they bring with them.
We’ve seen what works, and we’ve also seen what doesn’t.
Your Wedding Shouldn’t Become an All-Day Photo Shoot
At the end of the day, the wedding isn’t about us.
It isn’t about creating content or making the photographer’s portfolio better. It’s about you getting married and actually enjoying the people you invited to celebrate with you.
We want beautiful photographs and an emotional wedding film, but we don’t want you to feel like your entire wedding was spent taking pictures.
There needs to be a balance.
Sometimes we provide direction. Sometimes we pose. Sometimes we organize everyone. And sometimes the best thing we can do is step back and let a moment happen naturally.
That’s often where some of the best memories come from anyway.
So, How Do You Choose the Right Wedding Photographer and Videographer?
Look at more than a few beautiful images. Ask to see complete wedding galleries. Talk to the people who will actually be there. Understand what is included in your coverage and ask how they work with other vendors.
Think about the photography style you want years from now and pay attention to how you feel when you talk with them.
You’re trusting these people to document moments you cannot recreate. You’re also inviting them into some of the most personal parts of your wedding day.
The right fit matters.
When you choose people you trust, you can stop worrying about what is happening behind the cameras and spend more time enjoying what is happening in front of them.
Watch Our Conversation with Elmwood Farm
We covered all of this and plenty more during our conversation with Lettie at Elmwood Farm.
We talked about photography, videography, first looks, wedding timelines, coordinators, family photos, wedding parties, details, working with other vendors, and some of the lessons we’ve learned from years of photographing and filming weddings.
If you’re planning a wedding, we recommend watching the full episode here:
Looking for Wedding Photography and Videography?
We offer wedding photography, wedding videography, and combined photo and video coverage for couples who want a team that already knows how to work together.
Our goal is to create photographs and films that feel like your wedding while making the experience comfortable, organized, and personal from the first conversation through the final gallery and film.
If you think Rosenberry Media might be the right fit for your wedding, get in touch and tell us what you’re planning.
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