The Perfect Wedding Photographer

A picture can say a thousand words, and what better day to capture precious moments than on your wedding day.  Finding the perfect wedding photographer at a reasonable price can be challenging, especially if you want the photographer to be knowledgeable about Jewish wedding customs and details that tell your Jewish Wedding story.  Of course, going with top photography vendors that have won awards may be a great way to feel comfortable with a photographer’s reputation.  Wedding Wire has their list of top photographers given the Bride's ChoiceAward for 2012. 

My fiance had the heavy responsibility of choosing our wedding photographer mainly because this falls under Groom’s expenses (see my blog about FLOP), and his top criteria for selection was budget (as in, the cheaper the better).  The good news (for me!) was that the photographer he chose happened to be an award-winning photojournalist, having won First Prize in the World Press Photo competition and nomination for the Pulitzer Prize.  My fiance did not know this at the time but he had seen some recent wedding photographs taken by Gulnara of our friend’s wedding and also knew the price may be negotiable. 

 Factors that impact Pricing and Negotiations:

• Number of Hours for the Day:  Depending on the photographer and the package, they may charge extra if the number of hours expected to take photographs goes beyond a limit.
• Travel Time and Travel Expenses:  A longer commute for the photographer could mean a higher price tag for you, so be sure to think about where the photographer is traveling from to get to your wedding site.
• Number of Locations:  Maybe you want a backdrop of Times Square, a yellow cab, a bridge in Central Park, or The Pop Art Love Sculpture by Robert Indiana located on Sixth Avenue in NYC.  The more places to travel and sites to shoot will increase costs.   
• Number of Photographers:  The number of photographers needed to cover all of the details throughout the day could get pricey, so you may want to be more selective on when it is most necessary to have additional photographers on site.
• Defining the “Package”:  Typically, photographers will provide different Package options that can impact costs. 

Prior to the wedding a photographer may have you fill out a questionnaire to get a better sense of the flow of your wedding day and expectations on what is to be photographed.  A good photographer should discuss what you envision for the day and try to identify the most important details to capture.  While some items may seem like common sense to include, it is far better to remind your photographer of critical photographs to take rather than find out after the wedding that the photographs were not shot. The walk-through of your vision is the perfect opportunity to include a list of critical Jewish customs expected to occur throughout the day. 

The following table provides a list of some items that will help tell your Jewish Wedding Day story:

 

Lastly, enjoy being photographed and have some FUN!  The best pictures can be when you are in a most spontaneous moment.