The Danger of Not Clicking with Your Wedding Photographer

You may be wondering to yourself, while starting and going through the wedding planning process, why certain vendors charge what they do, and how on earth they can possibly be worth investing into. Wedding Photographers especially seem to have this question asked a lot of them, and many couples are shocked to learn, that their value has less to do with the portraits you receive, and more to do with the experience they provide you. So, before investing in someone to photograph your perfect day, remember the following rationale and avoid the danger of not clicking with your wedding photographer.

1. Let’s face it, your wedding photographer will be there all day, and beyond

I’m sure when you’re contemplating your wedding, you’re likely thinking about all the great times you’re going to have with your family, friends, and (of course) your better half… Which, isn’t wrong, however, there is one (or two, if you hire us) person that you will actually spend more time with over the course of your wedding day: your photographer. From the moment you start getting ready, until you say your final goodbyes and dance your final dance, your wedding photographer is your (almost) literal shadow, working hard to capture every fleeting moment as if it is their last.

While researching for the perfect wedding photographer, remember this as you look through their work. Liking them as a person (or as a couple in our case) is just as important as liking their artwork. You will definitely spend more time with them before, during, and after your wedding day, than with any other vendor. This is why it is so very important that you sit down and meet with the potential wedding photographers, before booking them to immortalize your perfect day. Make sure your potential photographer(s) make you feel comfortable, inspired about your portraits, and that they can get you to laugh! (You think real smiles happen without this last point? They don’t!) If you hire someone you would feel relaxed hanging out with outside of a professional setting, then you know that you have found the perfect professional to make your wedding photography experience both exceptional and effortless.

2. You have seriously got to trust your photographer(s)

Yup, that’s right. You not only have to like your photographers for who they are, and what they do, but you also have to trust them! That means trusting them with more than simply showing up on time, or delivering your portraits on or before the contractual due date. It is beyond important that you trust their process and the experience you are about to take part in. You need to trust that they already know that you want a portrait with your bridesmaids and of you and your new spouse cutting the cake. You also need to trust them in the fact that they know to go for the real and unscripted moments that only your wedding can possess. (These are also known as the portraits you truly want from your wedding.)

This is most likely the first wedding you have ever planned, but your wedding photographer has surely been to a few weddings and knows, at least generally, what to expect. Not only will they play the role of the person taking your wedding portraits, but your photographer can truly be your biggest champion throughout the entire process. We always ask our brides and grooms to lean on us, especially when it comes to creating the timeline of the wedding day. Wedding photographers work hard at learning how to get the best portraits in the best light. But that’s not all… A good wedding photographer is also happy to help in other ways… From our experience, we feel that a wedding photographer should do their best to help you keep calm, cool, and collected throughout the day. Thinking about it, we’ve never heard a bride or groom tell us how much they looked forward to being stressed out and simply “done”. We’re sure you are no different. No one benefits from stress… Your timeless portraits certainly won’t! Rely on your wedding photographer’s experience and advice to ensure that your wedding day goes by without a hiccup!

3. That initial connection you made, will show in your portraits

Not to be outdone, the connection you make with your wedding photographer(s) is just as important as the amount of trust you have in them. If you truly want real smiles and emotions to be displayed in your wedding album, then know that that just doesn’t happen out of feeling awkward with your photographer. No, you need to have a much deeper connection with the professional behind the camera, to look your absolute best, in front of it. Trust is a key part of this connection as well, and trusting your photographer’s experience allows them to fully become the artist you hired them to be. In order to create the sort of portraits seen in their portfolio, you need to let them guide you throughout the day to make both of your visions happen.

Certainly, all wedding vendors can be artistic in their own way, but there is something amazing about what a photographer can create in that exact moment in time. They have a couple who are madly in love with one another, dressed in their finest, celebrating the happiest day of their lives… and despite all of the mounting pressure, they will create a magical portrait (or two) in an instant. If you think about it, your other vendors will have ample time (we’re talking months here) to perfect each and every detail they bring to your wedding day. Your photographer, however, will rely on the connection forged throughout the beginning of the process, to capture the true love and romance between you and your spouse. You and your new spouse are unique and unlike anyone else in the entire world, and as such, your photographer will work hard to encapsulate the little quirks between you, relying completely on the connection from before. This is the key to receiving portraits that don’t just look “pretty”, and instead, receiving portraits that will take your breath away.

4. The value is seen long after you say “I Do”

You might be thinking, “Wow, a photographer sure does a lot!” Yes, they do, and they should! What they do for their clients (hey, that’s you!) is pretty much twofold: they create an experience for you to enjoy leading up to the wedding day, and then there is the delivery of the portraits after the big party is over. Sure, you will have a few iPhone shots that your friends and family take and share on Facebook, but really, your wedding photographer’s portraits are all that you will have to truly remind you of the smaller and larger moments that happened throughout your day. Regardless of how much you splurge on reception chair covers and matching napkins, food that will (at best) be half eaten, or flowers that will wilt from overuse… the one thing you will have to keep everything fresh and beautiful, are the portraits taken by your photographer.

While you feel the weight of your leather or linen wedding album, with your children or grandchildren looking over your shoulder, you will vividly remember each fleeting detail as if it were only yesterday. You will fondly look back and remember exactly what song was playing during the reception, the excitement you felt as you tap your soon-to-be-spouses’ shoulder for the first look, the overflowing love and affection as you say your vows to one another, and so much more. Other vendors simply cannot compare to the value and legacy that is left behind by your wedding photographer. This is ultimately why you should avoid the danger of not clicking with your wedding photographer. They will believe in you, from start to finish, if you believe in them too.

P.S. Like what you have read here? Intrigue Photography provides all of this and more! Contact us today to set up a complimentary consultation to see if we are the perfect fit for your amazing wedding day!