You’ve just gotten engaged! Congratulations!! Now you are starting the long road of planning your wedding, which also includes selecting your team of vendors. And a photographer is one of them!
So what do you need to consider before reaching out to a wedding photographer Lafayette? What questions do you need to have answers to so that your photographer can craft the most perfect package that will fit your needs?
Well let me tell ya, these are the TOP 4 QUESTIONS I ask every couple who inquires with me because they are the most important questions when it comes to recommending which packages will give them the most bang for their buck. So here goes..
#1- What is your Photography Budget?
This is such an important question to think about before reaching out to a wedding photographer. It helps you determine how much you are willing to spend on the photographer who is going to be capturing all your memories. Honestly, and I’m not just saying this because I’m a wedding photographer, the wedding photographer should be at the top of your priority list when it comes to budgeting money for your wedding.
I know when I was planning my wedding, my parents asked me what my top priorities that I wanted to spend the most of my budget on. PHOTOGRAPHY was at the top of the list and I’m SO GLAD it was. I got everything I wanted from the engagement session, bridal session, wedding day coverage, and heirloom wedding album with all our favorite photos in it. Budget for these things and you’ll be so glad you did. Pricing depends on the region too so take that into consideration. If you already have a photographer in mind that lives far away, also think about their travel fees when planning your budget. There are plenty of photographers available and they should be able to provide a website with a gallery with previous shots they’ve taken, just like olgatopchii.com do.
#2 Are you having a First Look or a Traditional Aisle Reveal?
Make sure before you start reaching out to photographers, that you talk with your fiance about whether you want to do a first look or an aisle reveal. Don’t know what the difference is? Check out my post about it HERE! This question makes a big difference on how much coverage you’ll need on your wedding day. For my couples that want to do a First Look, we usually start photography coverage around 4 hours before the ceremony starts so that we have time for all the portraits. If a couple wants a traditional aisle reveal, then we start coverage around 3 hours before the ceremony starts.
Something else to consider (when it comes to deciding how much wedding day coverage you need from your photographer) is if there is going to be a lot of travel on your wedding day. Are we traveling to and from a church? Will we be driving somewhere special for portraits? Are you getting ready somewhere other then the venue? Calculate that total travel time because you’ll need to add that into your wedding day coverage. Not sure how many hours you’ll need? Download my guide HERE to get 4 different Ideal Wedding Day Timelines!
#3 Do you want an Engagement or Bridal session?
I love engagement sessions because not only does the couple get beautiful portraits to use for Save-The-Date’s, but it also gives us the opportunity to work together and get comfortable with each other before the wedding day. Many couples are nervous before getting their pictures taken, so having an engagement session first helps calm the nerves. I’ve had many couples tell me that they were very nervous before the engagement session. But then they have tons of fun and are so much more excited for photos on their wedding day!
Bridal sessions are also very popular (especially with brides in the southern states). The bride gets her hair and makeup done, has her florist create a bouquet, and puts on her wedding dress for a gorgeous portrait session with her photographer. These brides will also use one of the bridal portraits to display at the reception which is so cool!
If either of these portrait sessions are important to you, make sure you let your photographer know!
#4 Do you want an Heirloom Album?
Is having an heirloom album of all your favorite wedding day memories important to you? If so, then decide early on so you can find a photographer who offers those! When talking to my wedding photographer, I hadn’t even thought about a wedding album until I saw one in her office. My mom and I immediately thought, “this is gorgeous and we need to have this included in the package!” I’m so glad because it’s the first thing I pull out when I have house guests asking about our wedding! It has thick pages, beautiful spreads, and has lasted the test of time. We’ve been married for almost 8 years and moved 5 times and it still looks brand new!
Lots of photographers provide discounts for albums within the packages rather then getting them a la carte. If an album is important to you, find a photographer who offers them and get it in your package from the beginning. Parent albums are also available if your parents want one. Take a look at the albums that I offer HERE!
Hope this helps you as you are starting your wedding planning! Comment below with any additional questions you may have!
