Written with love, by Andy Macpherson

So this is it! You have your engagement ring and are stepping into the world of planning your wedding. You are researching your but off and you bought an armful of bridal magazines, not to mention setting up a Pinterest board or two...or ten.

If you follow the normal procedure, you have picked out your wedding venue, figured out the reception location and catering, and have tried a few wedding dresses on. Now its time to start looking for a photographer! You grab your trusty list of ‘questions to ask when hiring a photographer’ which can be found in EVERY bridal magazine or on any blog and you are ready to go!

Lets go over some of the questions and see if we can shed some light on a few of them. This should help you and free you up from the stress those big lists un-necessarily create.

How long? How many?

One of the first questions on those lists is: “How long have you been in business?” or “How many weddings have you done?” As a photographer this question is very annoying and un-necessary. It IS important to make sure your photographer is capable, but you can do so by asking to see other wedding clients' complete gallery, and if you really need to, ask for recommendations from past clients.

Upfront and Honest

The number of weddings and if the photographer has ever been to your venue, is really not as important as you might think. However, if the photographer is trying to tell you they are very experienced and you find out they have only photographed one other wedding, run away as fast as you can. If they aren’t honest and upfront with you, DO NOT do business with them.

What about the equipment?

Another good question they tell you to ask is, “What kind of equipment do you use?”. This meme sums it up.

Just like the typewriter doesn’t write a book, the camera only does what the photographer wants it to. If you like the photographer’s work, does it matter what camera he used to take it with? Do you know the difference between a Nikon d3, d300, d3200, d800? Or the difference between a Canon mark III and a Nikon d4? When you start hashing it out and breaking it down it doesn’t matter.

Are you a good match?

If you absolutely LOVE the photographer's work, just go have a conversation about your wedding and what you are looking for in your photos, and see if you get along.

One thing we like to do to see if we are a good fit with the couple looking for a photographer is to offer them a engagement shoot. By spending some time with them and having some fun shooting and delivering great results, it helps us and the couple feel comfortable working together.

As you continue on your wedding planning and shopping for a wedding photographer, hopefully this will help you out a little bit. Have some fun and find a photographer you get along with and connect with. Other than that, as long as you are confident in their ability to deliver great results, the rest are just minor details. Remember, your wedding is YOUR day so make sure you have people around you that you feel comfortable with.