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How To Choose Your Wedding Photographer in 2025
Below you will find 4 Most Important Things to Consider and 5 Common Mistakes
4 Most Important Things to Consider
When Hiring a Wedding Photographer
1. THE BASICS: Photography Style and Service (+ My Own Experience)
When planning my own wedding, my husband and I prioritized photography as the lasting memories of the day. We chose a photographer based on both style and service, opting for timeless rather than trendy edits or old-fashioned photography, and selecting someone who took the time to understand our values and preferences.
Aesthetics: Do you prefer more Candid vs Posed/Editorial photos, or a mix of both? Do you prefer “Dark and Moody”, “Bright and Colorful”, “Light and Airy”, or fairly “Natural and Balanced”? When we chose our wedding photographer, we had a certain style and “colour tone” that we liked. But more than colour tones, are they creative? How are their compositions?
Emotional Attributes: In a photographer’s portfolio, do you see candid smiles and laughter? What kind of emotions do you feel when you look at the photographs as a whole? I wholeheartedly believe that your wedding photos should be more than JUST pretty colours and aesthetics, so my style is very focused on capturing the loving, intimate connections and most of all, the JOY of the moment!
Consistency: This might be something that is difficult for most couples to pinpoint. But really look through the photographer’s portfolio. Are the colour tones consistent from one photo to another? Do some of their photos look more yellow, orange or brown, while others are more blue or even grey?
When you look through their portfolio, do the photos look like they are produced by the same photographer?
Most importantly, how are the SKIN TONES of the subjects in the photographs? Sure, every wedding and scenario is different, but the best photographers are the ones who produce consistent results.
Service: We made appointments and met with a few photographers. The way that the various photographers communicated with us also helped us decide who we were comfortable with, and who seemed to only want our business by selling to us with “cheap” or “affordable” prices, but not really take their time to understand what we need and what our preferences were. If I were to make a very relevant and contemporary analogy… I would say, think “fast fashion” vs “boutique, quality pieces”.
Remembering that these will be the first heirloom photographs of our new chapter together helped us eliminate many potential photographers who only fit our budget.
2. Do you like the photographer as a person? What’s their personality like? Can they handle crowds or groups of people?
When choosing a photographer, it’s essential you like them as a person as much as their work. The photographer’s personality matters, especially if you feel generally awkward in front of a camera. Enjoying their presence and knowing they are available and responsive brings peace of mind. Consider if they are personable and if you like your interactions before hiring them.
As a former bride, I’m glad I enjoyed my pre-wedding session and having my photographer with me on my wedding day. It’s valuable to have engagement photos taken by the same photographer for a seamless experience. This way, you’ll get comfortable in front of their camera, making your wedding day portrait time more efficient, and your photographer can learn about your personalities more.
3. Does the Photographer offer Any Tangible Heirlooms? How is the Quality of The Printed Products? Will They Stand the Test of Time?
If the photographer offers tangible heirlooms, ask about them!
- What’s the quality like?
- Are they archival and designed to last for years to come?
- What are the pages like?
- How’s the craftsmanship?
- Will the printed colours be reflective of the photography?
They should be worth your investment!
Don’t let your memories become lost as “digital dust”
These memories that you cherish, these fleeting moments captured in time, they are worth so much more than being “digital dust” in your hard drive, buried within thousands of other files.
The albums that my family has created throughout the years mean so much to me. Every time I flip through them, gratitude and joy swell up from within my soul, and there is a growing appreciation for the most important people in my life.
From finding a good trustworthy lab to designing and proofing, most couples are too busy. I help take it off their plate, so they too can have this experience for years to come.
4. Does the Photographer Have Good Reviews and Testimonials?
Google Reviews and Facebook Reviews are the most common places to look for authentic feedback from a photographer’s past clients, and see what their experiences were like working with that photographer. Why do past clients like working with this photographer? What stood out to them? Do you see a trend or consistent kind of comments? Be wary of fake reviews – whether fake positive or fake negative.
Even if a photographer (or any other wedding vendor) does not have a “5-Star Rating”, be sure to read the other ratings and see if those lower rated reviews are legitimate. Nowadays, there are a lot of spammers and people who want to ruin someone’s reputation just for the sake of it. How is the photographer’s response to the negative review? Consider if there could be a different side to the story (oftentimes, there is).
Read a few Vivian Ng Photography Google Reviews below:
BONUS: TWO MORE THINGS TO CONSIDER
5. How does the photographer backup your photos during and after your wedding?
Disclaimer: a professional photographer can shoot with any camera, so it matters less whether they have the most expensive gear, than whether they know what they are doing. Having said that, having the right gear for the right occasion is still important. Here’s why…
During the wedding day
This is not to say photographers who only shoot with a camera that only allows one card slot are not professional photographers. Many of them are! I personally prefer to shoot with cameras that allow two memory cards recording at the same time. This is because memory cards can become corrupt, so having a camera that has two card slots helps ensure I have a backup even as I shoot.
After the wedding
The files are transferred onto my computer hard drive and uploaded to a secure cloud backup system, and not deleted off the memory cards until the gallery is delivered to the clients. This way, there are four locations where your raw memories are stored: two memory cards, computer hard drive, and cloud-based storage.
Backup Camera
Most of the time during the wedding, I also bring two cameras with me. This means, if one camera stops working, I still have another camera to continue photographing. In the UNLIKELY event the WORST case scenario happens, even if both of the cards in the same camera become corrupt, you will at LEAST still have memories from the other camera, rather than losing everything. If you choose to have a second photographer there, that is another level of insurance that another professional is there to photograph your wedding with yet a third camera!
6. Can the photographer show you examples from different lighting situations?
A wedding day is fast paced and involves many types of lighting scenarios (ex. blazing high-noon sun, glowy sunset, venues with tungsten lighting, outdoor nighttime, indoor low-light receptions, etc). Even if you do not see a complete gallery of every single photo from a particular wedding (for reasons such as if the couples have requested their photos to be private, etc.), the photographer should still be able to show you what their photographs may look like from getting ready through end of reception, and seeing photographs that are shot from different lighting scenarios. Can the photographer handle low-light situations? Do you like their photos taken from dimly-lit venues?
5 Common Mistakes When Hiring A Wedding Photographer
When it comes to hiring a wedding photographer for your big day, I have seen some common mistakes that people tend to overlook before signing a contract with a photographer.
Mistake #1: Portfolio Skimming
Not looking thoroughly through their portfolio! Here are some questions to ask yourself when you look at their work:
- Are their photographs taken and edited in the style that you prefer?
- Do you believe you will enjoy looking at them even 30 years later, or will you think to yourself “that’s so 2020’s… What was I thinking”?
- Do the skin tones of the people in the photographs look natural or are they kind of wonky?
- Is their work consistent? After looking through their blog/client galleries, are you confident you will receive similar quality and results? Just like how you go into a certain coffee shop and order a latte, you expect it to taste a certain way because they consistently produce the same flavour. The same line of logic goes for your photographer as well!
Mistake #2: Not Talking to the Photographer in Person
Not talking to the photographer in person or virtually or at least on the phone: I get it, we are all busy people, and email seems to be the best way to communicate. But it’s so important to get a sense of who your photographer is. When you are able to talk with them face to face, you will see how they interact in person and hear their tone of voice. Are they easy to communicate with? Do they seem fun and easygoing? Are they professional?
Mistake #3: Not Considering the Full Experience
Not considering the complete experience the photographer can provide. This actually ties into the second point I talked about–with regards to meeting with the photographer at least by phone and video chat, not just email. Keep in mind your photographer will be with you the entire day! You should feel at ease when they are around.
Some things to consider:
- Do they respond in a timely manner?
- Will they help you plan and style your photo session(s)?
- Will they help with your wedding timeline?
- Will they be connecting with you before the wedding day, or will they be pretty much MIA until the day of your wedding?
- Will they make you feel comfortable so that you and your fiancé can just be yourselves when they are there?
In other words, what will the overall client experience and process be like?
…#4: Forgetting the Physical Heirlooms
This is not really a “mistake” per se.
If you only want digital files, that’s perfectly fine, but if you are sentimental, love flipping through your parents’ and childhood photo albums, value printed tangible heirlooms, then this should be important to consider!
Most of my brides and grooms are busy people.
- Who has time to choose which photos to include, let alone design the album?
- Who has time to research into which lab to print the photos from?
- What if the colours print out funky?
- What if the album starts falling apart after a few years?
Printing a story-telling album can certainly be a daunting task.
You know you won’t have time to do it after the wedding–even if you intend to–and do it well.
A photographer who offers quality professional prints will save you the headache of figuring out which lab to print your photos, which products will last for a lifetime and more. They may help you design your album or help fill that blank wall in your forever home with sweet and beautiful memories.
Mistake #5: Being Laser-Focused on Price alone
Budget is extremely important, but it shouldn’t be the determining factor. Remember, when the day is over, your spouse and your photographs are pretty much the only things that continue to last after the wedding!
When my husband and I got married, the last thing we want is to regret not having beautiful memories of our relationship and our commitment to each other.
When our memories start to fade, what will remind us of that special day? What will remind us of the family and friends who were there to celebrate with us? What will remind us of the people we love and cherish?
Remember, you should be able to trust the photographer you hire and be confident that you will love the photos!
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