Hello, 

After a few months break from blogging I'm back into it and ready to share all of the exciting projects and photo sessions I've been working on! With this first post I wanted tell everyone the exciting news that I got engaged and take the opportunity to share some of the things I learned about wedding photography by having the tables turned and all of a sudden finding myself as the client. 

As a photographer, I'm with the bride all day and really get the chance to connect with her as she goes through the stages of the day and the emotions that accompany them. From the excitement of getting ready, to the nervousness of going to the ceremony, to the joy of seeing her groom at the end of the aisle, and finally to the letting loose and having fun at the reception. It's such a wonderful feeling to be able to capture all of that so that they, and future generations, can look back at everything that made that day special and unique. 

So when I get the half joking question, "So are you going to photograph your own wedding?" the answer to that is a definite no. My wedding is my day to be the client- I want a photographer who I felt comfortable with and who I trusted to give me great photographs so I'm not worrying about anything other than 'what if I cry walking down the aisle and mess up my makeup?' Which is exactly how I want my brides to feel. To ensure each bride gets that experience I've put together a little list of steps that may help in finding your perfect photographer. 

Steps to Finding the Perfect Wedding Photographer

Step One: Determine your budget. Don't go looking at portfolios and fall in love with a photographer who has a base package of $7,000 if your total wedding budget is $10,000. I know the importance of having a great photographer but at the same time I knew what my budget was and going in with that information I was able to find an amazing photographer within my price point. 

Step Two/Three: Look at online portfolios and set up phone calls or in person meetings with the a few photographers whose work you really like. This is kind of two steps, you need to find a photographer whose images match the style you like and are looking for- every photographer has a unique style and it's important to find the one for you so you will love your images. If you are drawn to light, airy, and romantic don't book someone whose portfolio is all dark, dramatic, and artistic. The second part is meeting with the photographer because even more important than matching styles is matching personalities. Speaking from personal experience, I met with a couple photographers whose portfolios I really liked but after actually talking to them I found that we were just not compatible- they were too pushy, too ditzy, too unorganized etc. And that's okay, they were probably perfect for another bride, just not me. So when I spoke with the photographer I ultimately hired I knew he was the one... kind of like that feeling you have with your fiance and when you pick out the dress. 

Step Four (optional but encouraged): Do an engagement session. It really gives you and your fiance the chance to get to know your photographer and feel comfortable with them so the day of the wedding when they show up it's like, "Hey, how are you doing?!" rather than, "Hello, my name is Chantelle, I'm the bride." 

I definitely feel that having experienced this process myself has now made me a bettering wedding photographer and more able to help and understand my clients. I hope this post is helpful to those women who are currently looking into photographers or who will be in the future.

Thank you very much and check back next week for a looking to my recent work! Have a great weekend!