gay-weddings-choosing-a-photographer-jessica-lacey-elizabeth-lloyd

Photo of Jessica and Lacey by Elizabeth Lloyd

How do you suggest I start in my search for a good wedding photographer?
A.  By good, I’m assuming you mean ridiculously talented and gay-friendly. One of the reasons we launched Equally Wed is to showcase wedding vendors—including photographers—who fit this bill. We offer a Local Resources section that features gay-friendly (and some even gay-owned) wedding vendors from photographers to caterers to florists and everything in between across the United States and Canada, as well as internationally. I’d suggest starting your search there to find someone who’s going to respect your wedding.

Once you find the page for your region, start clicking on these photographers’ websites and explore their photography styles. While photojournalism-quality photos are on the rise, some wedding photographers still go for the old-fashioned pose-and-grin look. Some photographers work in black and white, and you might want a lot of color. You’ll want to make sure you mesh well with their artistic personality. If you want all of your friends and family to be photographed on that day, make sure your choice photog isn’t only all about snapping shots of you and your beloved.

Once you’ve narrowed it down to a few photographers, set up a meeting with him or her and your fiancé. You’ve got to make sure you get along before inviting this person (or team) to be the one who records this historic day for you as a couple.

 

Make a list of questions to ask the photographer, including:

  • If an emergency arises and you cannot make it to our wedding, who will you send in your place?
  • What is your backup plan if your camera malfunctions?
  • Will I get all my images in high-resolution without watermarks? (This is key, because many photographers charge only a little up front just to make bank when they overcharge you for every print. If you get your hi-res images on a CD, you can take your files anywhere and have them printed out on the quality of paper you choose at your leisure, and for much less.)
  • When will I get these images? (Three months is amazing, but six months to a year is standard. It can take awhile to edit all the images.)
  • Can you provide me with three couples’ names and contact info for me to call on for reference?
  • How open are you to creative suggestions that we have?

Once everything is decided upon with your dream photographer, don’t just trust him or her—get it all in writing with a signed contract.

For more on choosing a wedding photographer, visit our Planning section for Photography and Video.

To have your wedding questions answered, send an e-mail to Kirsten Palladino, Editor in Chief, at kpalladino AT equallywed DOT com.