The 5 P’s
Congratulations on your engagement…and on your new job!! That’s right; you’ve now become the “hiring manager” of your wedding! One of the biggest jobs of a soon-to-be-bride is to sift through the resumes of caterers, officiates, musicians, florists, photographers, and more. As a photographer, I often interview with brides who tell me “Gosh, I’m not even sure what to ask! You’re the first photographer we’ve talked to.”
Most wedding professionals realize that this is your first time to hire a photographer or a string quartet and will try to offer as much useful information as possible. However, it doesn’t hurt to come prepared. When a client tells me they don’t know what to ask, I give them “The 5 P’s”:
Photography
When you look at the photographs, do you love the style? Did the photographer capture the kinds of moments that you want to see in your wedding photographs? Do you see a range of weddings and conditions that suggests that the photographer has experience? Do the photographs meet your quality standards? If you’re not sure, ask to see a complete gallery for one particular wedding.
Personality
When it comes to your photographer, you’ll be spending most of your day with him or her close by. If you don’t get along superbly…it’s going to be a long day. You should seek to eliminate stress on your wedding day by selecting professionals who you connect with and who your family will get along with too. If you aren’t comfortable with your photographer it will show in your wedding photographs.
Professionalism
You are paying your photographer a good percentage of your total wedding budget because your wedding photographs are too important to gamble. It’s incredibly important that your photographer has appropriate contracts and policies in place to define how they will protect that investment. Punctuality, good communication, and organization are all signs of a true professional.
Products
What do you want to do with your photographs? Make certain that your photographer offers the products that are important to you. Do they offer traditional or modern albums? What print types and sizes do they offer? What about canvases or special art prints? Do they sell the digital negatives or offer online proofing? You don’t need all the options, but you do need to make sure that he/she offers what you want.
Pricing
Truth is, you do have a budget. Sit down with your fiancé and make a priorities list. (Of course, I recommend that your photographs should be in the top tier.) If photography is a priority for you, be open shifting your budget around so that you can afford a photographer that meets all your expectations. In five years you’ll forget what the beef wellington tasted like…but you’ll be stuck with (or happily glued to) your wedding photographs. If your ideal photographer still isn’t in the budget, it’s ok to ask if they have any recommendations.
So, before you hire any photographer, see how they hold up to the 5 P’s. When you find someone that meets all your expectations for photography, personality, professionalism, products, and pricing…it’ll be true love. Best wishes!
Jillian Kay Cocklin
Jillian is a wedding and portrait photographer in the San Francisco Bay Area.