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Choosing Your Wedding Photographer

08/25/2009 | 4:23 PM | Author: Meredith Bronte

When planning a destination wedding, most couples don't have the opportunity to fly to Hawaii prior to their wedding to meet prospective photographers in person. Planning  a wedding and choosing the right vendors from afar can be tricky. For most brides, photography is one of the more important elements of a wedding. Our best advise is to find an experienced wedding planner to be your guide. However, if you decide to go it alone, here are some tips to help you.

Start Early
Popular photographers may take bookings over a year in advance. If your wedding date is set in stone, it's best to start early. If your date is flexible you have a better chance of booking the photographer that you really want. With most destination wedding, having your wedding on a week day might be wiser than on the weekend. The beaches tend to be less busy on week days and vendors are more likely to be available.

The Search
The first step is to build a short list of photographers that appeal to you (start in our directory). Photography, like most creative arts is subject to interpretation. A photogrphers web site should give you a feel for their photogrphic style. Make sure to note which island the photographers are located on and if they service your wedding location. Some photographers will travel to other islands and may have a travel fee.

Make Contact
Call or email your list of prospective wedding photographers and check to see if they are available on your wedding date. If they are available ask them to email their rates and booking info. If the photographer that you really wanted is unavailable, you might consider changing your wedding date if invitations have not yet been sent out.

Evaluate
Compare the photography plans, pricing, and style of the photographers that are available. If you have any questions about their pricing or packages email or call them to make sure you have the right information. At this point, if you're still undecided, revisit the photographers web sites and have another look. Then call or email your top choices and ask some of the questions below.

Just Ask
The more questions you ask, the more confident you'll be of your choice. Below are a few questions you might consider asking before finally committing to one wedding photographer.

• How long have you been in the photography business?
  
• Have you shot at our venue before? How did that go?
  
• Do you shoot film, digital, or a combination of both?
  
• How many photographers will be shooting? Do they work with an assistant?
  
• Is retouching included? On how many photos?
  
• How long after the wedding can I expect to have the finished product?
  
• How many images can I expect to receive?
  
• Do you offer other products such as bounded wedding books or custom prints?
  
• Will I receive the negatives or digital full resolution files (tiff or jpeg)? If not, what is the charge for this?
  
• What happens if you fell ill on the wedding day?
  
• What's your policy for wedding date changes or cancellations?
  
• What's your payment policy?

Ready to Commit
By this stage you should be ready to book your photographer.