Finding your perfect wedding photographer is like finding that perfect pair of jeans. You have to try them on and feel them out, compare prices, check reviews, and determine if they fit you as a person or not.
It’s difficult to know who will really match you both aesthetically and personally until you meet in person!
After meeting for a few minutes, I can tell when someone is put together, knows what they are talking about photography-wise, and has done their research online. These are all important signs that they have invested in themselves to be a successful professional photographer.
A wedding photographer in Dubai or Abu Dhabi will make at least an hour appointment every week, sometimes more depending on how busy they are. This gives you enough time to get to know them as people before investing in their services as paid professionals.
Be wary of photographers that only offer “lifestyle” photos or limited number of pictures outside of weddings. It is very expensive to hire a professional photographer and there are many resources available with experienced photographers willing to share their knowledge and equipment.
Make sure you are comfortable with this person, and that they have shown proof that they can take good photographs. A friend or family member could also do some informal testing to see if they are worth hiring.
Find the perfect location for your wedding
A great starting place to determine if you should have a beach or pool party is by looking at the seasons! If spring, summer, or fall are in the forecast, a water-based event would be best.
If winter or autumn is the predicted weather, then a land-based event would be more appropriate.
Having a casual, fun outdoor party is the best way to go when planning an engagement session as well as the wedding itself. Having a beach ceremony or reception is very possible at most locations in the UAE where weddings are permitted.
Making sure that enough parking is available and that there are facilities like bathrooms close by will play a big part in how successful the day goes.
There’s no need to exclude any potential sites due to lack of space or resources – you can hire these out! More about this later.
Ask your friends for their favorite photographers
As wedding season is in full swing, it’s very important to know who your favorites are!
As you begin looking into possible vendors, there will be A LOT of weddings being photographed by different people. Some might even feel professional, while others could use some improvement.
It’s totally normal to get nervous about hiring someone new to take pictures of your wedding, but don’t worry! This is completely natural and something every bride experiences at least once during her planning process.
Before booking anyone, ask all of your close friends for their opinion. Chances are they have already done research and found out what great things these individuals can do and how much they like them.
By having lots of input, you’ll gain valuable information that helps you determine if this person is worth the investment of time and money.
Read reviews of photographers on the internet
It is very important to read reviews of wedding vendors you are planning to work with. You will find lots of brides and grooms posting their experiences as a vendor, or even as a customer!
By reading these posts, you will get an idea of whether this person was happy with the service they received, if there were any major disappointments, and what areas the business seems to be focused in.
It’s also a good way to learn some tips and tricks from other people who have worked with the company. By doing your research, you will know what to expect before agreeing to pay for services.
There are several websites where couples can share their experience as a wedding photographer. Some examples include WeddingWire, Bridal Guide, TheBudgetBride, and Pinterest. These sites offer interactive features such as creating a profile, leaving comments and messages, and sharing photos and albums.
In addition to reviewing how the professionals handle themselves during events, you can check out whether they mention refunds, return policies, and compensation for lost items.
As mentioned earlier, review postings aren’t just for professional vendors – reading them is a great way to ensure that you don’t waste your money by investing in expensive products or services.
Be careful about buying things online only because you feel that it is a safe option, however.
Ask your partner which photographers they like
As you already know, wedding photography is not an easy career. There are so many ways to do it, and no two styles of weddings are the same! Luckily, there are some fundamentals that all professional wedding photographers have in common.
A lot of people assume that being a good photographer means having a large camera with lots of lenses. While having a nice camera is important, knowing how to use it well is what really sets the artist level photographers apart.
What most people don’t realize though, is that even when a photographer doesn’t use very many tools up front, he or she still has something crucial going for them.
They have invested time into learning about light, composition, and storytelling. These are all integral parts to producing quality pictures that make someone else happy to look at them.
So why not help those artists get exposure? Create a page on Facebook or LinkedIn profiling yourself as a wedding photog and invite others to comment and give suggestions. Some may just want to say “I hired him/her years ago and he was great,” or “He is my go-to photographer,” etc. – VALUABLE INFORMATION!
Keep looking until you find someone you connect with and who seems like they would be reliable and trustworthy, then arrange a meeting. This can be at their place, yours, or somewhere neutral where both of you feel comfortable.
Ask family and friends for their favorite photographers
As wedding professionals, your success as a photographer will rely heavily on your network!
Running out of inspiration is very common at this stage in most brides’ journeys towards finding their perfect photographer.
Luckily, it’s easy to tap into the talent that you have around you. Guests who have attended weddings like yours may have received gifts or acknowledgements from the couple. If they enjoyed meeting the people they met there, these recipients could be a great source of information.
Ask each person if they would let you use their pictures as wedding photos. If someone says yes, ask if they know any professional wedding photogs so you can get some referrals.
Pay a photographer to take photos of you and your partner
It is totally normal for some people in the wedding party group to feel left out when there are already too many people taking pictures.
This can sometimes be even more frustrating for the couple, who may want their friends to join them as they both value this person’s input.
As the parents of the bride or groom, it makes sense that you would like to have our photo album covers designed by someone close to the marriage.
Use a photo editing program to edit your photos
After you have taken all of your wedding pictures, it is time to start editing them! There are many free software programs that can be used for this. Some popular ones include Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom.
Photoshop is an excellent tool for most people to use. It has several different editing features such as picture tweaks, contrast adjustments, color changes, and more. While some things in photoshop may cost extra, there are ways to get much needed help through their website or social media pages.
Lightroom is another very common editing app. Just like Photoshop, these files are able to be updated via their own site or by purchasing a premium plan. Many professionals use lightroom due to its ease of use.
Both apps make it easy to organize and find your photographs. You can either drag and drop from A to Z or sort by category. Both apps also have quick tools which can be used to fix certain issues, such as creating new images, removing backgrounds, etc.
Get your photos printed
A wedding photographer is definitely not someone who sits around waiting for people to invite them to take pictures! They spend their time planning, scouting locations, gathering props and finding ways to create beautiful candid photoshoots or formal portraits.
Most professional photographers have an assistant that they train and collaborate with while they are working. This person helps set up lights, handles taking of permission forms and other legal documents, and even does some of the talking for you if you’re too busy chatting away.
After the event, the photographer goes through all of the photographs and edits those he/she has retained copyright over. These may include retouching, editing colors, changing contrast, and incorporating special effects or artistic touches. The rest are left to the owner of the copyrighted work to use however they like!
Many couples hire a third party company to print their albums and/or distribute digital copies so that others can enjoy the wedding photography. There are many companies that offer this service, so check out several before choosing one.
Make sure to go into detail about what services each company offers as well as how much cost per album there will be.
