You’re engaged!!! Heck yes, babe. I hope that you’ve been doing nothing but celebrating with your lover + soaking up every second of this exciting chapter in your lives. If you’re just diving into wedding planning, booking your wedding photographer is one of the most important things to tackle. It can also be one of the most overwhelming tasks 😅 But that’s where I come in. As a full-time wedding and elopement photographer, I like to consider myself an expert in this area. I’m sharing alllll the details on how to book your dream wedding photographer. Let’s dive in!

Booking Your Dream Wedding Photographer

Find a Photographer

It might be obvious, but the first thing you need to do to book your dream wedding photographer is to find your dream wedding photographer. Trust me when I tell you that you don’t have to rely solely on Google as your search engine. I highly recommend utilizing Instagram! Maybe you already know (and follow) a wedding photographer whose style you like. But if you don’t, there are a few ways to go about using Instagram as a search engine.

Looking for a photographer located in Southern California? Type in “Southern California Wedding Photographer” in the search bar – a ton of photogs will show up! Or maybe you’ve booked your wedding venue already. Search through your wedding venue’s tagged photos, who they’re following, etc. That’s a great way to not only see how the venue photographs, but who the venue recommends and have worked with in the past. 

Pinterest is also one of my favorites when it comes to finding a wedding photographer. Try searching for the vibe you’re going for with your wedding. Perhaps you’re planning a boho elopement. Try searching for “boho elopement photographer” or “Joshua Tree elopement”. You’ll find tons of inspo, styles, and photographers by searching with this method. 

Okay, now what?

So you’ve found some photogs that fit your style and vibe. Now it’s time to reach out! As a wedding photographer myself, I encourage you to go to the photographer’s website to fill out an inquiry form. Many inquiries get lost when sent in DMs on Instagram. Of course, follow whatever preference the photographer has. I also love look at their websites for their portfolio, style, pricing, etc. 

Most inquiry forms are pretty simple and don’t dive too much into detail. Once you’ve had a chance to get the initial questions out of the way – date, venue, etc. – you can start asking some other questions to ‘interview’ the photographer. 

Questions to Ask a Wedding Photographer

Depending what vibe you’re looking for and what you’re looking to get out of your wedding photos, here there are a variety of questions you can ask. Some that I recommend are:

• How do you pose your couples? 
• How would you describe your photography in 3 words?
• What does the process look like from start to finish, if we were to book you.
• Is an engagement session included?
• What is the turnaround time like for images?
• Do we have printing rights to the photos? 

The list can honestly go on and on. You can feel free to ask these over email, or save them for when you talk on the phone (or in person)! Which leads me to…

Form a Connection

Easier said than done, I get it. But before you book a wedding photographer (even your “dream wedding photographer”), talk to them! Whether that’s FaceTime, Zoom, or over coffee, I encourage you to connect beyond an email. I don’t know about you, but when I talk to someone, even if for a few minutes, I can tell right away whether we connect or not. That feeling is hard to replicate over email or texts. You don’t need to rush the process of booking a photographer. Take your time and form that connection.

Establishing a connection with your wedding photographer is so incredibly important. It’s true when people say that you’ll end up spending more time with your photographer than your spouse on your wedding day. Make sure that you feel comfortable with your photographer. Not only will you feel more relaxed, your photos will reflect that. The more relaxed you are will allow your photographer to capture the emotions to tell your love story to the best of their ability. 

BONUS: Try to book your engagement session with your photographer. Some photographers include it in wedding packages, but if they don’t – book them! This gives you another chance to spend time with your photographer, learn how to work with one another, and form an even deeper connection.

Alright babe, now that you know how to book your dream wedding photographer, it’s time to pop that bubbly! 🍾 I’m so dang excited for you to marry the love of your life. If you’re still searching for the right photog for you, I’d love to CONNECT🥂 And I’d love to be friends over on Instagram (@sierrabrookphotography). Happy planning, lover!