Your photographer is one of the most important investments for your wedding day. When the flowers have wilted, the food has bee eaten, and the dancing has ended… the only thing you have left to remember your day is your wedding photos. Because they’re so important, it’s equally important to make sure you choose a wedding photographer that’s the right fit for you. With so many to choose from, it can often seem SO overwhelming on who you should choose.

Yes, you want to make sure you LOVE their editing style. You want to ensure they are capable of being entrusted with shooting your wedding. But I believe the MOST important aspect of who you should choose should be based on whether or not you connect with the photographer as a person. At the start, you can usually get a feel for who they are based on their online presence. Their website, more specifically their about page and blog, will help you to get to know them a little better. However, I would encourage you to go even further online. Find a social media outlet (like Instagram) they regularly use and read through a few posts. This will give you an idea of who they are personally and what they love besides photography.

Although their online presence can point you in the right direction, how do you know for SURE this is someone you want to spend a lot of time with on (and before) your wedding day?! The BEST way to know for sure if they are someone you want there is to meet them. This is why I highly encourage couples to either meet in person or to set up a Skype/Facetime chat with their favorite photographer. By doing this, you’re given the chance to talk and interact with them. It’s usually pretty clear by the end of a consultation if you’ll be a good fit! :)

Loving your photographer as a person is so important because you’ll be spending a LOT of time with them. I mean, just think about it… by the time you’re finished with your consultation, engagement session, wedding, phone calls, emails, planning, and any other meetings with them, you’ve probably spent at least 15+ hours communicating and being around them. You definitely want to have someone who you connect with well. A photographer who understands you will ultimately serve you SO much better than a photographer who doesn’t connect with you well at all. When a tricky situation comes up on a wedding day, you will be able to trust your photographer with the situation a WHOLE lot more if you have trust in them before your wedding day. Ultimately, this will leave you loving your wedding photos even more, because of the experience you had with them.

With all this said, yes, I also think you should also LOVE your photographer’s style. Look through their portfolio, blog posts, and an entire gallery so you are aware of what the style of your photos will be for our wedding day. Pay attention to the way they shoot each aspect of a wedding, so you know exactly what to expect when you receive your wedding photos. This is really important… but I think what’s more important is how well you connect with them on a personal level.