Wedding Photography and Videography Forum

Meet the photographer. Yes or no?

Is it that important for me to meet my photographer? I've narrowed my list down to three and can't decide. Would a meeting help me make my decision?

Re: Meet the photographer. Yes or no?

  • For me, photography was very important (and very expensive!).....I wanted to meet him and see his work in person.  I would suggest meeting the photographer and asking him or her to bring albums of work to see in person.
  • I had a Skype meeting with the 3 I narrowed it down to and knew right away which one I wanted to work with.
  • This person is going to be following you around like your shadow on your wedding day.  Don't you want to make sure you're comfortable with this person?  I can't imagine not meeting my photographer first.
  • Yes, meet them in person.  Don't be fooled by pretty websites (that happened to my sister) and ask to see several completed weddings (even the bad/blurry shots) so you can get better examples of what to expect from your wedding.  Anyone can get lucky and get a handful of great shots from a wedding but it takes skill to get a ton of great shots.

    Also make sure that all of your top choices give you fully edited images (not just proofs) and give you the release to reprint on your own.  Those are my top priorities other than price, but I realize that that may not be important to you.  A lot of people assume that those services are included and don't find out until after the fact.
    photo composite_14153800476219.jpg
  • April above gives good advise.   I am a pro wedding photographer with 40 years experience.  I won't book a wedding until I speak or meet the bride (maybe the groom but less important)  I book many destination weddings so many times it's impossible to meet in person.  But I insist on speaking with the bride on the phone.  Not email or text,  PHONE!  I want to hear her voice and want her to hear me.  We usually speak for 30 minutes or more.

    Sometimes I get contracted by the MOB  (Mother of bride)  but I will not finalize a contract un til I speak with the bride,  regardless of who hires me.

    Speaking with the photographer should give you confidence in his/her tech skills and personality.  If you don't feel comfortable speaking with him then you will definitely not be comfortable with them on your wedding  day.

    Ask lost of questions,  look at lots of photos and make sure that person is the photographer you will have on the wedding day,  especially with big companies.   License,  Insurance,  hours of coverage,  back up equip. how long after wedding to see images,  reprint rights ,  Image DVD, etc etc.
  • Yes, meet them. We met a photographer for e-photos. We LOVED his pictures so went for it. We didn't click at all, the whole thing was awkward and forced for everyone, and I left feeling deflated. Now we are having to start from scratch. We would've saved a lot of time and money if we had just met the guy first and had a chat.

    Wedding Countdown Ticker
  • Yes.  You need to find a photographer that takes the kind of photos you like as well as get along with for all the time that he or she will be spending with you on your wedding day.  
    image
  • Oh yes you should meet your photographer. Since we are paying a lot of money for our photography, I want to make sure it will be everything that I've wanted. I would communicate as much as possible about everything, as well.
  • It's best if you can meet them in person. When we were looking we met with a photographer that looked good online but when we met their photos weren't as good and besides they acted weird. So I'd say meet.
  • Absolutely! It's hugely important to meet the photographer beforehand; even if just for coffee, it's important.  What many brides don't realize is that photographer's portfolio should only make up part of your decision. His/her personality and how well you both mesh makes up the other part.

    I'm a professional wedding photographer and in addition to meeting, I like to include engagement photos with all my packages because it gives me an opportunity to get a feel for what the couple is like in front of the camera before the big day. It also gives us all an opportunity to get comfortable with each other, which can certainly have an effect on the quality of your photos.

    In fact, I'd say meet with two or three photographers before making any decisions.
This discussion has been closed.
Choose Another Board
Search Boards