Slavik Yasinsky - Northern California wedding photographer

When couples plan a wedding, one of the biggest and most stressful aspects of planning is finding the perfect wedding photographer. People want to make sure that ten, twenty, or fifty years down the line, they can look back and relive their wedding through the photos. So how can you make sure that you hire the right photographer for YOUR big day? Here are five of the biggest mistakes you should avoid when choosing the right photographer:

1. Booking a photographer only based on the price.

According to one survey, about 30% of brides wished they hired a better photographer on their wedding day. Again, the photos are what you will be looking back 20 years down the road, and the photographer’s responsible for how amazing they turn out… or not. You’re not paying for the few pictures that the photographer will use for his/her portfolio, you’re paying for the experience, professionalism, back-up gear, and peace of mind--the ability to relax on your wedding, and enjoy it without having to stress about one more thing.

2. Hiring your friend who has a professional camera.

The very first wedding I shot was my sister’s, and then my other sister, and then my friend.. All within three months! Although I’m very grateful for the opportunity they gave me to jumpstart my wedding photography career, I wouldn’t recommend hiring somebody like that! Yes, I did a ton of research, I had albums of inspiration photos on my phone just in case I run out of ideas, I was as prepared as I could be.. for a photographer that has never shot a wedding. But boy did I not know how stressful it was going to be! Weddings fly by--everything happens very fast, sometimes things don’t go as planned, and everybody looks at the photographer for direction. Thankfully everything went right during my first few weddings, but it took about two years of shooting weddings before I started getting comfortable with the pressure I had to deal with as a photographer. After having shot 70+ weddings, I’ve now dealt with almost every type of situation and scenario that can happen. The more experience, the better!

3. Only looking at a handful of photos before booking the photographer.

Many brides will look at the photographer’s website, see the ten featured photos, and instantly fall in love--or they browse through the photographer’s Instagram page and book them based off of those images. DON’T MAKE THIS MISTAKE. I’ll be honest here: WE ONLY SHOW-OFF OUR VERY BEST PHOTOS FOR EVERYONE TO SEE! I’m speaking for all the photographers, even those who won’t admit it. Make sure you request to view an entire wedding gallery so that you don’t only see the best of the best photos, but everything else in between.

4. Booking a photographer before meeting them.

Preferably, meet the photographer in person. If that’s not possible, meet them over facetime. AT LEAST schedule a phone call and have a conversation with them. How do you know if your photographer isn’t just a great writer but very awkward face-to-face? How do you know if your personalities click with the photographer? How confident are they in what they do? You don’t know these things unless you meet with them. It’s important to have a photographer that you’re comfortable with. You’ll be with them your entire wedding day, make sure you actually like them!

5. Not defining your vision and style for your wedding photography before looking for a photographer.

Do you want creative, artistic photos that you can hang on your wall? Do you care a lot about the details? Do you like lots of posed pictures? Do you want your wedding pictures to look real and emotional and candid? These things are important to identify before looking for a photographer, because every photographer has his/her own style, and things that they focus on more. My style is a mixture of candid and artistic. I love capturing the real emotions and paying attention to details that happen during the wedding, but I also try to see what’s different about every wedding, and get some creative and artistic photos that couples can later print or hang on the wall.

Thanks for reading and best of luck with all the wedding planning! Feel free to contact me if you have any other questions about wedding photography, or if you’re interested in booking us for your wedding!

Contact me

Get more valuable information that will help make your wedding planning much easier!