So you’ve gotten engaged–congratulations! After popping open a bottle of champagne (or sparkling apple juice!) it’s time to start planning your wedding! One of the first things couples book just after setting a wedding date is 1) a wedding planner 2) a wedding venue and 3) a wedding photographer. This post will be all about what things to bear in mind when choosing your Calgary wedding photographer.

Style

This is a very obvious one. The first thing you’ll notice when you go to a photographer’s Instagram page or website are their photos. That’s the number one thing most couples notice when they’re looking through galleries or highlight reels. So, when you stumble across a photographer, what is it you like about them? Do you like how their couples look polished & how they could be on the cover of Vogue magazine? Do you like all the candid in-between moments they capture, grandma hugging a bride or dad getting teary-eyed? Are you drawn to the way their images look–bright and airy, dreamy film-like, bold and colorful, or dark and moody?

When you’re searching through a photographer’s website, portfolio or Instagram feed, make sure you take note of their style and if it’s consistent from wedding to wedding. (Bearing in mind things like weather and a couple’s wedding aesthetic will make their images look different, but a good wedding photographer will edit their images in a similar way no matter what.)

Personality

This is a less obvious one! How on earth can you be sure that a photographer’s personality will mesh well with yours and your fiance on the most important day of your life? Well, you may be able to get a little glimpse of it through their website and social media feeds, but the best way to make sure your photographer’s personality is a good fit for you is through chatting with them one on one! Either through zoom or Facetime or at a cafe if you prefer in person. As you chat with your potential photographer candidate, take note for how you and your fiance feel when you both are in his/her presence. Does your photographer make you both laugh? Make you both feel comfortable and at ease?

Experience

Some photographers have been in business for over decades. Many have been in business for 5 years or less. And some are just starting out. There are many talented photographers out there who have taken education courses or had a more experienced photographer that they’ve photographed alongside with. If you decide to go with a newer photographer, you can still have a great experience! It’s all about asking the right questions–have they shot at your wedding venue before? Are they comfortable in photographing dark ballrooms or indoors? Have they ever photographed X, Y, Z?

A great way to gage a photographer’s experience is asking for full galleries. What we see on Instagram and inside a portfolio is a photographer’s best or favorite photos. Asking for full galleries (especially ones similar to your wedding) is a great way to see how they’d handle every lighting & wedding situation from start to finish.

These photos above were from my 2nd year in business. I was just starting out but even after all these years, I’m still proud of these images!

Vendor Relationships

This one is a not so obvious one, but still an important factor in choosing your wedding photographer. How well does your photographer get along with wedding planners or videographers that you’ve hired? Do they “play well” with others? Do they take control of a wedding day or are they graceful in allowing other important vendors like videographers, content creators, wedding planners etc. have their chance to do their job? It’s great to ask what other vendors your photographer has worked with to get an idea for who they’re familiar with in the wedding industry.

There may even be a special perk for couples who book a certain wedding planner or venue or videographer! For example, any of my couples who book their venue at Coutts Centre, Lougheed House, Archway Manor, Rouge Restaurant, Deane House or Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel gets a free hour of wedding day coverage! I also have an exclusive offer for any couple who books Megan Sawchuk Weddings or Abbi from Avea Wedding Co as their wedding planner. Reach out to me for more details 😉

Adaptability

This I thought I would include separate from experience since sometimes they don’t always go together. How well does your photographer deal with unexpected situations? If it rains or snows, do they have a backup plan for photos? How do they make up for timing if things run late due to a dress malfunction or family mishaps? What is their plan for tackling large family photos? Choosing a photographer who can think on their feet on your wedding day is crucial in keeping you and your fiancé stress-free. It also ensures everyone (mom, dad, Grandma, Great Uncle Fred) has a wonderful experience.

For example, Janelle and Mike’s wedding day was forecasted to rain. Instead of waiting till the day of to figure out a plan, me and Mike decided to book a space in the Ampersand building in order to make sure we could tackle couple portraits, wedding party portraits and family photos in a nice, pretty, dry building. This made their day way less stressful. Instead of running around town trying to find a place for photos, it was one quiet, intimate place where everyone was dry and warm.

It rained their entire wedding day, but I still wanted them to have beautiful, golden hour sunset photos. So I made sure that we could go back to their same wedding venue on a day they could both dress up in their wedding day attire when it was nice and sunny. Below are some photos from their rainy wedding day and from the separate post-wedding session I offered them a week later.

Conclusion

And there you have it! Those are my top 5 things to consider in choosing your Calgary wedding photographer. If you’re still looking for someone to capture your special day, please reach out to me here! I’d love to chat more to answer all your questions and ensure that your wedding photos are something you can cherish forever.