Questions every couple getting married should ACTUALLY consider with their photographer.
Have done a LOT of weddings we tend to ask our brides and grooms the same questions during their initial inquiry and when we are about two weeks out before their big day. Today, we are going to talk about the top questions that couples should be considering before their big day
Documentary Style vs. Posed Style Photography
One of the biggest things a couple should consider is do they want photos that just naturally happen or do they want their entire day to be a posed photography session. Our style tends to lead more towards a documentary style where we let most of the day naturally unfold and then we come together for posed family formals, newly wed photos and a few epics later in the night. The rest of the day tends to just naturally flow.
Why do we like documentary style more?
We believe your wedding day should be about you as a couple and not us as photographers. We believe that every wedding day is beautiful and unique in their own way and no amount of posing by us will give our couples the day they were meant to have. We also love documentary more because it is one of the quickest types of photography. If we have to stop and perfectly pose all the moments throughout the day that is a LOT of time that goes to photography and less time being in the moment as a couple. Yes, we still get posed photos throughout the day but we do not make this our main focus.
What photos do you ACTUALLY want?
A lot of our couples will show us a list they have pulled off some website telling them “these are the photos you MUST have for your photographer”. This list consists of 50-100 photos that MUST be captured on the day of. To be honest, we DO NOT like these lists. Why are you letting a website tell you what photos you want. We challenge our couples to honestly think about the photos they actually want. Do you want first look photos? Do you need a photo of every person that showed up at the wedding? Are you really going to print all 150 “just married” photos? Not to say that each of these don’t have some significance for the day, but be honest with yourself. Do you really want to spend 2 hours after just getting married getting a photo with every person who showed up to the wedding or would you rather spend 30-45 minutes getting a few timeless images with your parents, your bridal party and with your spouse. When we talk to couples a few months after their big day, most of the time they only print a few of their own just married photos and a few family ones with a grandparent, parent or sibling.
Our advice
Take an evening with your spouse. Have a real conversation with them and decide what photos matter the most to you. Share that with your photographer. Understand that the longer your list gets, the less time you have in the moment and the more time the wedding just becomes a styled photoshoot. We are not opposed to this if you are. We just want you to understand the pro’s and con’s.
Should you do an engagement session?
We are big advocates for an engagement session WITH the photographer that will be photographing your wedding. Often times the first time we meet a couple is their wedding day. This isn’t a bad thing but an engagement session allows us to meet. It allows us to get to know each other. It allows us to teach you our posing guide. We learn what you like and what you dislike. We learn what parts of your body you are confident with and which parts you might be a little self conscious. It is odd to us when we book a couple and mention engagement only for them to say “oh, we already did our engagement photos with another photographer”. Our first thought is “why didnt you book them for the wedding?”. Not that we are not grateful for the wedding but it makes us wonder what happened with the other photographer that you might not have been happy with that you didn’t stick with them. We are big on choosing a photographer that you love for life and one that gives you everything you want. One that grows with your family and knows just how to deliver beautiful images every time for you.
Do you want Photo or video coverage or both?
Photo and video both have a place on wedding days. A beautiful wedding video can compliment beautiful photos and complete the story of your day. The problem often becomes when you choose a photographer and videographer with two different styles or from two different companies. Do the photographer and videographer shoot in similar styles or will your photos end up bright and airy and your video dark and moody? Have these two professionals worked together before and understand how the other works? Not saying this cannot be achieved easily with two working professionals but if you hire two companies it is important to consider more than just their own individual styles. We offer both services with our weddings. Two photographers offering either photo or video or both. Same style and you save a little from hiring two different companies. But we challenge you to consider a few things. Will you watch your wedding video in a few years? Will you go back and look at your photos more? What do you truly want? If we add video into the equation that means sometimes you will have to do things 2x to get both the photo and the video. Or you prioritize one over the other. This is especially important when you hire two different companies. You need to establish which product you value more so that company can be your lead on the day and to avoid each company with different understandings of your expectations.
Recap
Our goal here is to not persuade you one way or another. We just want our couples to spend some real time thinking about what is important to them and making the best decision for them. Stop allowing the internet tell you what you want and make your dream wedding YOUR dream wedding.
