15 Tips for Choosing a Wedding Photographer

Assess Photographer’s Personality Compatibility

Your photographer’s personality is just as important as, if not more important than, their work.

You definitely want to love your photographer’s style, but if we’re being honest, there are many photographers out there who take similar photos and edit in similar ways. So, after you’ve found photographers with a style that appeals to you, make sure you chat with each one and assess if their personality complements yours.

Your wedding day is one of the most memorable of your life, and you deserve to feel completely comfortable throughout the entire day. If your photographer doesn’t feel like your best friend, the situation can sour rapidly. Whether you’re looking for someone to bring the hype or a sense of calm, be sure to find someone aligned with how the rest of your wedding party feels. This creates an experience (and photos) that you’ll love!

Focus on Style and Work Ethic

When choosing a wedding photographer or videographer, look beyond just pretty pictures–focus on their style, approach, and work ethic. Their editing and shooting style should resonate with you, whether it’s true-to-life, moody, or cinematic. But just as important is how they capture the day. Do they prioritize candid moments over posed ones? Do they give lots of direction or take a documentary approach? Make sure their process aligns with what makes you feel comfortable. And finally, work ethic matters. A great photographer isn’t just showing up to take photos. They’re invested in your experience, problem-solving when needed, keeping the energy positive, and ensuring the day flows smoothly.

Most importantly, find someone you genuinely connect with. The best photos happen when you feel at ease, and that comes from trusting and enjoying the person behind the camera. When you find someone whose style speaks to you, whose approach fits your personality, and who you can truly be yourself around, that’s when the magic happens.

Prioritize Comfort and Connection

When choosing a wedding photographer or videographer, one of the most important factors—beyond style and portfolio—is how well you get along with them. Your photographer will be with you for most of your wedding day, often during your most intimate and emotional moments. If you feel comfortable and at ease in their presence, it will make a significant difference to your experience and the authenticity of your photos.

This is especially important if you’re looking for a more documentary, natural, or candid style. The best documentary wedding photographers capture the real, unguarded moments of your day—but that’s only possible if you feel relaxed around them. If you’re tense or aware of the camera, it will show in the photos.

So, when choosing a photographer, take the time to meet them—whether in person or on a video call. See if their personality puts you at ease, if they listen to what’s important to you, and if you can imagine them being part of your wedding day. A great connection with your photographer will lead to more natural, heartfelt images that truly reflect your story.

Find Passionate Photographers

My best advice is to find a photographer who has “passion” for the job and is beyond happy to capture your big day.

I promise if you hop on a phone call with them, you can feel if they have it or not. I have worked with all types of vendors, and I can tell you that it matters.

Because let’s face it… weddings are, without a doubt, one of the most important days of your life! But that also comes with a lot of emotions.

All professional wedding photographers should be able to take solid pictures. I think the first decision for any couple is the style or “look” they want.

So beyond the actual pictures, it’s super important to pick someone who can take those pictures with that extra level of care.

I would HIGHLY recommend hopping on a phone call or Zoom meeting. See if they are someone you would actually vibe with on your wedding day.

Some people like more documentary-style vibes, while others want very stylized photos. But whatever you choose, make sure the person doing it makes you FEEL something extra and different.

Seek Emotional Intelligence and Technical Skill

As someone who began my career in video production in the 1980s videotaping weddings, I would advise couples to choose a wedding videographer or photographer who truly understands how to capture the joyful, meaningful moments of the day — not just the staged ones. Although we no longer shoot weddings and now focus on corporate, event, and broadcast video productions, we still know what it takes to tell a beautiful story through video.

My biggest piece of advice is to look for someone with both technical skill and emotional intelligence — a person who can anticipate those special, unscripted moments and knows how to be in the right place at the right time without being intrusive. Also, make sure you feel comfortable around them because that ease will shine through in the footage.

And here’s a fun side note from my early wedding days: we used to joke that if a couple smashed cake in each other’s faces, it was a bad omen — and sure enough, every time we followed up, those marriages didn’t last! So, my bonus advice? Be sweet to each other — and to the cake!

In all seriousness, your wedding day is a once-in-a-lifetime event, and having the right team to capture it makes all the difference.

Choose Resonant Style and Personality

One key piece of advice is to choose a photographer or videographer whose style and personality truly resonate with your vision for your wedding day. Rather than simply relying on curated highlight reels, take the time to review full wedding albums or complete films to see how they capture the flow of an entire day from the big moments to the intimate, unscripted ones.

When I was selecting my own team, I focused on several critical criteria:

Authenticity and Storytelling: Look for someone who doesn’t just document events, but tells a story through their work. I was deeply impressed by professionals who could capture both the grandeur of the ceremony and the subtle, candid moments that reflect genuine emotions and interactions.

Consistent Aesthetic: Ensure that their portfolio reflects a consistent style that aligns with your taste. Whether you prefer a classic, documentary approach or a more modern, artistic flair, their previous work should make you feel like your vision is achievable.

Personal Connection: It’s important that you feel comfortable with the photographer or videographer. Meeting them in person (or virtually) and discussing your expectations can reveal whether their personality and approach will fit well with the vibe of your wedding day. Their ability to blend in without being intrusive yet still capture every meaningful moment is crucial.

Technical Proficiency: Pay attention to how they use lighting, composition, and creative angles. I was particularly impressed by the technical skills and the creative use of both natural and artificial lighting that transformed ordinary scenes into memorable visuals.

Client Testimonials and Experience: Reviews and testimonials can offer insight into their professionalism, reliability, and how they handle unforeseen challenges on the day of the event.

Ultimately, what impressed me the most was the artist’s ability to create an emotional, timeless narrative that felt personal and true to the spirit of the day. This kind of creative synergy ensures that every glance at your wedding photos or videos will transport you back to the magic of the moment.

Value Photographer’s Client Experience

Choose a photographer who truly cares about helping you preserve the memories of your special day. Select a photographer who genuinely cares about their work and clients. Look at their reviews online. What do other clients have to say about them? Reviews should not be the ultimate deciding factor for selecting a photographer, but they can help you get an idea of what to expect from a photographer you may be considering hiring.

Talent is very important, so it is crucial to choose a photographer who really knows how to capture stunning images. However, it is also important to hire a professional who truly values customer experience. Personally, I would not advise going with a large photography company because they usually have so many clients that you end up being just another number. Instead, go with a freelance professional photographer who is passionate about their work and watch their passion shine through in your wedding photos!

Trust and Intuition Are Key

Choosing a wedding photographer or videographer is about trust and intuition. The right person doesn’t just capture images; they preserve emotions. Connection matters. If you’re not comfortable with them, it will reflect in the photographs. The greatest experts become part of the moment, leaving room for natural feelings instead of imposing poses. Comfort leads to natural expressions, and natural expressions create timeless images.

A true professional anticipates moments before they happen. They adapt to bad lighting, unexpected weather, and shifting timelines without hesitation. Their focus remains on storytelling, not just documentation. Engagement sessions reveal how a photographer works, offering a chance to see if their approach fits. Beyond portfolios and pricing, attention to detail and adaptability set exceptional artists apart.

One image from my wedding stands out—genuine laughter shared with my husband, captured without us noticing. The best moments aren’t staged; they’re felt. A skilled photographer knows how to see what others miss. When looking back years later, the right images won’t remind you of the camera. They will bring back the emotions, exactly as they were.

Find Photographer Reflecting Your Values

To capture one of the most intimate events, a wedding photographer or videographer is crucial. My wife and I came to the conclusion that discussing our alternatives alongside the portfolio and price over a video call or, better yet, in person was essential.

Why? We believe someone who captures our most intimate celebration should reflect the same life values we have. We weren’t just looking for someone with technical skills; we wanted someone who felt right, someone who brought an energy that matched the way we wanted our day to feel. We value transparency, calmness, kindness, and a fun, lighthearted spirit. So we looked beyond the pictures and the films–we looked at the person behind the camera and if they represent what we believe in and make us confident to have them by our side.

Thus, try to look for this connection.

Match Personalities with Photographer

Speaking from both the perspective of a wedding photographer and someone who has searched for a photographer for her own wedding, there are two things that I find to be the most important aspects of choosing your wedding photographer:

1. Ensure that you are able to see some of their full galleries. In a world of styled shoots, workshops, copyright theft, and AI, you want to make sure that your photographer is legitimate and that their full wedding galleries are consistent with their portfolio.

2. Make sure your personalities match. Your photographer is going to be with you for nearly the entire day, and to get the best photographs of you and your partner, you should be totally comfortable and at ease with your wedding photographer.

Research and Communicate with Photographer

Do your homework. Go through the photographers’ profiles on Instagram, wedding magazines, or websites, and start narrowing down what kind of pictures you like or don’t like. Based on this, meet up with the photographer/videographer and have a discussion with them. Share details about your wedding, your budget, and ask how they would plan and execute your shoot. See how comfortable they make you feel. Are they over-promising and saying yes to everything, or are they directing you and telling you what can be done? Experience will show not only in their work but also in how they communicate with people.

Get a Vibe from Contractor

By trade, I am a video editor, and during my student days, I filmed a few weddings as well. When I got married recently, I explained to my fiancée that on top of the “normal things” like budget, showreel, location, and transportation costs, you have to get a vibe from the contractor. This can be from a 10-minute chat before you sign the contract or over a coffee. Because at the end of the day, they are spending the entire wedding day with you, and it’s normally a 10-12-hour day. If you don’t like or can’t enjoy their company, then it will be extra stress on the wedding day.

It is for that reason we only had a photographer and not a videographer, as every single videographer I met during countless trade shows I wasn’t happy with either their portfolio, budget, or their vibe.

Understand Location Lighting Challenges

One important piece of advice we always give couples is to choose a photographer who truly understands their wedding location–especially when it comes to lighting. For instance, here in Hawaii, the sunlight can be incredibly intense, and photographers unfamiliar with our island conditions often end up capturing harsh shadows and unflattering images. Hiring someone who knows how to navigate the unique lighting challenges beautifully ensures you’ll have photos you’ll genuinely cherish forever.

Align Style with Portfolio

When choosing a photographer or videographer, review their portfolio to ensure their style aligns with your aesthetic. A common misconception is that all photographers and videographers can seamlessly adapt to any style. However, to achieve the best results, working with someone whose existing work reflects the look and feel you envision is essential. You should be able to point to something in their portfolio and say, “This is the style we want.” This minimizes risk and ensures you receive imagery that authentically represents you and that you’ll be proud to showcase.

Consider Content Versatility

As a photographer, I always advise clients to think about content versatility when choosing a photo and video package. The goal is to create assets that can be used and re-used across all platforms—social media, websites, ads—so you get the most out of every photo and video. A mix of high-quality images and shorter video clips designed to be adapted for different formats is what I would suggest. This way, you’re not only getting content that looks professional and engaging, but you’re also maximizing your investment, creating a sustainable online presence without needing constant new shoots.