Photographer: What was a must-have for you?

Swazzle

Hi ladies, I'm meeting with a photographer on Wednesday after doing a bit of research online. I really have no idea what I need/want/should have as far as albums, pictures, number of hours, how many photographers, etc. goes so I'm really interested to see what's important to you guys to get a better idea! 

What did you HAVE TO HAVE in your package with your photographer?

rlavach

I HAD to have an engagement session. Besides the fact that they looked so fun & I wanted pro pics of us, it is a really great way to get a feel for your photog and get comfortable with him/her. They get to see what your good angles are and how you interact. Plus, if they're horrible or the pics are terrible, you have time to back out and find someone else!

DoubleAS

For us it was someone who had to have worked with our venue before and the area.  We wanted someone who knew the ins and outs of the venue, as well as the area, for great pics with the feel that we are trying to achieve.  We also had to have an engagement session... It was sep. priced but worth it and then some.

annandted86

Here was my list, pretty much in order:
  -  He had to shoot in a style that I loved
  -  I had to feel confident he could produce those looks without taking over my day
  -  He had to be a good guy:  someone we won't hate by the end of the day
  -  He had to be a good guy:  someone we could trust from a business perspective
  -  He had to represent a good value (not to be confused with inexpensive; we had to feel we were getting good quality at an affordable price)
  -  We wanted flexibility with respect to albums, packages, etc.

We had no desire for a second photographer or engagement portraits.  And because our photographer is a la carte (there are no packages, you buy what you want when you want it), we don't even have to make decisions about albums, etc., until after our wedding.  That said, he's already shown us his albums and we love the one we already have in mind.  But I love that flexibility to not buy the album until after we've seen our pictures.

Giaspo

We wanted someone whose style matched what we are looking for (it's amazing how you can get a feel just from looking at different websites).  We also wanted a DVD with all of the photos, not just the ones in the album, with the ability to use them however we liked.  And we wanted to like the guy... we didn't want an e-shoot at first, but after having it, we're glad we did it because we got to know him and how he worked.  That made it a lot easier on our wedding day. 

Good luck!

shoebie

My must have was full day coverage 10a-10p I want every moment captured of our day.

sfennell1

For me I wanted a photographer that had a romantic style to photography. A must have was bridal album as well as parent albums

buttrflyah

A good photographer was really important to me.  I had a list of various photographers whos style I really enjoyed.  So for me, having an artistic sense of photography was top on my list.  Other things that were important: 2 shooters, full day coverage (without ridiculous overtime fees), all rights to photos on a DVD, and various album options.  

agu101

 It was very important for us to get along with the photographer- you won't know that until you meet with them.  There were some we met with who just made us comfortable right away, and others who were just there to take pics and that was it.  Beware of photographers versus studios.  We met with a few studios, and they offer you tons of packages with things you don't want, and usually assign you a staff photographer rather than you getting to pick someone who you like.  That was a huge NO for us.  It was also important that our photographer got lots of candid photos and truly captures the moment of the day and doesn't just pose us for a bunch of pictures.  When we met with photographers, we knew we wanted to negotiate packages that had the following: - album including a fair # of photos (we met some photographers who would only let us choose 30 to put in our album, and others who let us put 100 in)
- parent albums that can be customized to each parent and is not a clone of our album (this is important because you may want to put more pics of friends in your album that your parents may not care about. And my FI's mom probably doesn't want a bunch of pics of me getting ready like my mom would)
- all proofs and rights to your photos.  That way you can use your photos however you would like and don't have to worry about a watermark on your pics or only getting those photos that you put in your album
- engagement session.  We really wanted this because it's a great way to work with your photographer before your wedding, plus we wanted to use the pics for things like STD and a guestbook. And we wanted to be able to pick the location.
- a second photograher. You may not realize it, but a 2nd photographer gives you great candid shots and different angles that one person just can't possibly get in one day
- all day coverage.  Some places may only come to you for 8 hours, and others will be with you from whatever time you want them until whatever time the party ends.  The worst thing is to have to base your wedding times around when you can have your photographer.  Get someone who will cover you all day and don't worry about being on the clock.
Once you start meeting with photopgrahers, you'll get a better feel of their personality and what you're looking for.  We met with a lot of photographers who offered so much stuff that was absolutely useless.  Most photographers are willing to negotiate items in their packages for other things, such as engagement session, thank you cards, or more photos in your albums.  Once you know what is a must-have, don't be afraid to ask for it!

mrsR12

we wanted full day coverage and all rights to the pictures after the wedding.  

we ended up with a lot more (including the e-session) but we def felt comfortable with him and like his sense of humor and work ethics.  

Melvin7712

We are getting the following:
*rights to all our pictures
*all pictures on DVD
*all pictures on a website for an unlimited amount of time for us & guests to view & purchase pictures
*a flush-mount album for us (with an inexpensive option for parent albums and portraits)
*a selection of about 100 pictures on a DVD to our wedding song
*an e-session
*1o hours with our photographer and 3 hours with a second photographer (for guys pre-ceremony prep and for additional ceremony shots)

We are very excited with everything we are getting!

Swazzle

Thanks for all the insight ladies!!!