Photographers-how many did you talk til you found the one?

We emailed back and forth with probably 12-15 photographers, but we only liked two of them enough to actually meet with them and discuss contract specifics. Our top priorities were obviously budget, style, number of hours in their package, and that they had a second shooter.

I started with my budget and made a firm line on what I was willing to pay. I did a lot of research on photographers in my area first by looking at their websites and Facebook accounts. I wrote down prices and called or emailed if their prices weren't listed.

I contacted only 2 photographers after they lined up with my expectations: price and quality. Then one photographer really stood out because she said I could keep all of my photos in the end and was allowed to duplicate when needed, and the other one said I could not and that the photos would be hers.

I met up with the first one at a Starbucks and we got along so great I didnt bother meeting anyone else. We signed papers that day! We've actually hung out a couple of times since then because we have some things in common and I'm so excited she'll get to be a part of my day!

We emailed about 4-5 photographers but the one whose style we really liked is the only one we talked to over Facetime. We didn't feel the need to compare and meet others. The price was a bit more than we were thinking of spending, but we got engagement photos, he will set up a photobooth at the wedding, and we were good with 8 hours of coverage. Most of all we loved his moody style of photography.

I talked to 2 photographers. The first one I didn't like and my FH didn't like her either. Then we met with the 2nd one, that was a recommendation from my hair stylist. We immediately clicked with her. We had a phone interview with her only then spent the night stalking her Facebook page. By the morning we were ready to sign the contract and send the deposit. We did just that. She is so nice, what really sold me is that she has a 2nd shooter (her husband) and then we have all rights to the photos after the wedding; she doesn't include in the contract but she has stated in emails that she will ask our permission to use photos for her website and Facebook. I already gave her the go ahead to do so because I feel they have the right to since they are spending time and making an effort to take our pictures.

I saw the work of the photographer we chose and messaged about 4 others, with only one of them coming close in quality...but honestly in the end I always found myself comparing the others photographers' work to the one we chose. So even the others I messaged was just for the sake of seeing if someone had an unbeatable deal. In the end I couldn't compromise on the photographs because that's the most important thing (outside of each other!) we'll have once the day is done.

We only talked to one and loved her so much that we booked her. Her portfolio was great and the style that we were looking for with a great price!

I got pricing for about 10 but only seriously talked to one! She does beautiful photos, and she had a great special happening when I talked to her that included photography, videography, and a photo booth!

Originally, my priorities were price, hours of coverage, engagement shoot included, second shooter, etc. I actually emailed 5 or 6, but only 2 ever responded to my inquiries, so I only talked to them. In the end, I only needed one conversation. Once I found her, it was an easy decision. First, her website intrigued me more than all the others. I liked her photographic style, and also she put a lot of information about herself, and why she does this for a living. It just really spoke to me. When FH and I met her in person, I felt an instant connection. She's super laid back, and really wants to get to know as much about the couple as she can, in order to tell our story through her pictures.

It just so happened, that she had packages that gave us everything we were looking for. She's not cheap, but she's also not the most expensive we saw, and we feel like for this particular part of our wedding, she's going to be worth every penny!! We're already over the moon about the engagement photos she took. They are awesome!! I can't wait to see our wedding photos!

I reviewed an absurd number of photographers. I finally narrowed it down to about 5, then I had phone calls with 2. We were then able to narrow it down to the photographer we ended up hiring.

We considered budget, editing style, number of hours, and if a 2nd shooter was included.

We went to 2 bridal expos to chat up photographers and look at their portfolios. Some of the photographers had seriously mediocre pictures. We narrowed down who we liked best and interviewed 2 in person, for little over an hour each. I vetted their reviews and looked through their photos again.

When looking for a photographer, we considered:
-budget
-photographer's personality
-second shooter
-back up plan if they have to call in sick? Have they ever missed a wedding?
-have they been doing wedding photography for at least 10 years?
-do they take good photos of people of all different shapes, sizes, and colors?

Good luck!

I contacted a few but only met with one. I was in love with her photography style. She was the only one we met face to face with and we clicked right away! When I was looking, I was looking at the style (I wanted very natural looking photos, not super staged) and I wanted an engagement & wedding package!