Wedding Photographer Red Flags: What To Look Out For

While in the middle of wedding planning, you're probably in the midst of trying to find and book your wedding vendors. Not just any vendors, but your dream vendors for your wedding day. This can seem like an impossible task at first. So many to choose from, and how do you even pick? Especially when it comes crunch time to find your wedding photographer. Now that is a mission, let me tell you. There are thousands of photographers out there, each talented and unique in their own ways. However, for someone who has never shopped for a wedding photographer before, you may not know what to look out for. That's why knowing these wedding photographer red flags and what to look out for will help you in finding and choosing your perfect wedding photographer.

One of the most important things you should look out for when working with any wedding vendor, but especially your wedding photographer, is poor communication. Now, don't get me wrong. We all understand when an emergency happens and it's a bit more difficult to reach someone than usual. Totally understandable. What I'm talking about is the kind of communication where it can takes weeks to hear a reply. If you're finding yourself having to beg to get any sort of attention from a photographer or even to receive a response, this may be a red flag to look elsewhere.

Another major red flag when looking to hire a wedding photographer is their refusal to show you their work. You are going to be investing your hard earned money into this wedding photographer. The least that you could have is some examples of work that they have done in the past to show their skills, experience, editing style, posing prompts, etc. This is a major factor in determining if your potential wedding photographer is the right fit for you. Ultimately now, a lot of wedding photographers will showcase their work strictly on their website and social media platforms. However, if you're in talks with a wedding photographer and you're requesting a look at their portfolio and they refuse, well... that may be a red flag to watch out for.

Along with not wanting to share their portfolio work, if your potential wedding photographer wants to hide their experience - run. Now, I'm not saying that you need to have a million years of experience to be a talented wedding photographer. What I am saying is that your experience should never be a secret especially when working with couples who want to see your skill. If you ask your wedding photographer how much experience they have and they either beat around the bush or worse... lie, then this is a major red flag. Your wedding photographer should be able to openly share their experience and skills and have an open and honest conversation with you.

As a wedding photographer and small business owner, one of the most important things that we can have set in place is a contract. A contract is not only for our, the business owner's, protection but for you, the couple/client, as well. It sets terms, rules and regulations along with a detailed breakdown of what to expect when working with said business. If you stumble across a wedding photographer who either A.) doesn't have a wedding contract in place or B.) has a misleading contract, this may be a major red flag to look out for.

The conversation that you have with your potential wedding photographer should match with the information they provide you in their contract. If you find things aren't adding up or their is some misled information from what they are telling you vs. what is in their contract then maybe this is a good sign to start searching elsewhere. What do you think?

I am not going to be the one to tell you that you should only hire someone with five stars and no negative reviews. However, I am encouraging you to pay attention to those reviews and witness your potential wedding photographers client experience. Much like any business, there are instances where a wedding photographer may get one or two negative reviews. Although they maybe had one or two negative experiences, their overall client experience is phenomenal. What I am saying is a red flag is tons of negative reviews that support a negative client experience. Reviews are there to help the business grow and improve, however if this business is constantly getting negative reviews maybe it's a good idea to listen to what the people have to say.

You know how everyone says to listen to your gut? Well, that definitely applies here when you're looking for your wedding photographer. If your gut is telling you that it might not be the best fit, listen to it. Whether it be a personality clash issue, or you just feel like something is off, listen to what your gut is telling you. The most important thing is that you want to feel calm, confident and comfortable in front of your wedding photographer. If you're getting these "off" feelings from your potential wedding photographer, I suggest to keep searching for someone who makes you feel on top of the world.

Hiring a wedding photographer does not have to be as complicated as everyone makes it out to be. In fact, getting to meet so many new and amazing couples is one of my favorite parts about my job as a wedding photographer. So why shouldn't it be fun for you too? Hopefully when it comes time to hiring your dream wedding photographer, these wedding photographer red flags and knowing what to look out for will help make the search a little bit easier.

In the meantime, if you're wondering if I am in the search of some amazing couples weddings to photograph you are right! Click here to fill out my inquiry form and we can chat all about capturing your special day!