This piece is the 3rd in a series of articles on vendor contracts. You can also click to read What to look for in a Catering Contract and What to look for in a Florist Contract. For this article, I’ve gone a step farther with a few tips on selecting the best photographer for your wedding, and then we’ll get into what to look for in their contract.
Before signing a contract with a photographer, be sure to check out their website and Instagram to evaluate whether their style is a good fit for your wedding. Is it light and airy or dark and moody? These photos from Cody & Allison Photography were taken outside, but are very dark. It’s part of their style and I love it, but it may or may not be what you are looking for on your wedding day.
Do they have pictures posted of indoor photos as well as outdoor shots? Outdoor photos are much easier to shoot, and even a terrible photographer such as myself can take some decent outdoor photos. It’s the indoor shots that require real talent, and they will be important if your ceremony and/or reception will be held indoors. Just look at this photo from Rachel at Brass Penny Photography:
They were shot at The Clementine, which can be a very dark venue by reception time. But she’s done a great job of making sure that the couple got gorgeous images. So even if you are hosting an outdoor wedding, consider the rain plan. Take my advice and make sure that the photographer’s indoor shots are just as gorgeous as their outdoor photos.
Next I suggest actually meeting the photographer in person for a sense of their personality. Perhaps even do your engagement photos with him or her to see how well you work together. Some of us are very uncomfortable in front of the camera, and having a good connection with the photographer will make things so much easier. Remember that this person is going to be following you around and sticking to your side for about 8 hours. That’s a lot of time together! If they can make you comfortable, even get you laughing, then you’re going to end up with much more natural photos.
I am one of those people that hates having my photo taken, so when it came time to do a styled shoot showcasing some of my work, I turned to Jackie of J Mikado Photography. She was able to give me tips for how to look my best as well as made me comfortable in front of the camera. I also love how she captures my preferred style of working with bold colors but in a light and airy way.
Finally, is the photographer working for a group practice or are they independently owned? There are pros and cons to each, so you’ll need to choose which is best for you. With a group practice you may not be guaranteed a specific person until right before the wedding, so you won’t get as much opportunity to build that relationship prior to the wedding day. But on the other hand there are more back-up photographers available within the company on the off chance that your photographer is sick or otherwise unable to show for the wedding.
Now, moving on to the details of the contract.
Once you’ve selected a photographer that you love, it’s important that you get all of the details in writing.
First thing is to confirm how many hours the photographer will be on site for the event. When writing the day-of timeline, this will be the first thing that the planner will take into consideration. I recommend at least 8 hours on site, especially if you want getting ready photos. If you want lots of getting ready photos all the way through a grand exit, then you may consider 9 or even 10 hours with your photographer. If you’re trying to cut cost, then you may consider doing a fake exit so that the photographer doesn’t have to stay through the entire reception. Either way, get this in writing so that you can plan the timeline around it.
Next, will they have an assistant? If I’m paying $2,000-5,000 for a photographer, then I expect them to have a second shooter with them. These photographers tend to get more detail shots of the décor (which you invested a lot of money in, so trust me you want these photos and not just portraits). They are also going to be able to shoot the ceremony and other key moments from different angles, and ultimately you end up with more quality photos.
How long should you expect to wait to receive images? This is a big one. It is excruciating to wait 6-12 months for wedding photos, especially when you don’t have an official date for when they are coming. When I got married we had a lot of people who sent us gifts but were not able to come to the wedding. I wanted them to be able to see photos from the wedding as soon as possible. So in my photographer contract I negotiated that they would send me 10 edited photos within 7 days, which I then used to make a collage type of thank you note via professional printers. Everyone loved seeing photos in our thank you notes! It’s very unusual to get any images within a week of the wedding, so negotiation was key on this. For your wedding, know that anything under 30 days is excellent, 2-3 months is acceptable. If the wait is longer, consider looking for another photographer.
How will you receive images, and what rights will you have to reproduce images? We are in a digital age, so you should always, always get digital copies of your photos. Some photographers still provide print photo albums, and I think that is so sweet, but it should not be the exclusive way you get photos. It is also nice if you have the rights to reproduce and print your own copies of the photos so that you do not have to order prints from the photographer every time you need.
I hope that these tips have helped you find your favorite photographer as well as shown you what to look for in their contract. If you need a recommendation for a photographer in Nashville, I can personally highly recommend any of the artists mentioned in this post.
