If you’re in the process of booking a wedding photographer, there are a few things that actually matter — beyond what you see on Instagram.
1. Get on a call
Before anything else, just have a conversation, even if the price seems steep. After a good conversation you might feel that the extra value is actually worth it.
A big part of wedding photography isn’t really about cameras — it’s about people. You’ll end up spending a big part of your day with your photographer, at least more than the average guest.
So it matters how it feels.
Do you feel comfortable? Does the conversation flow? That first call usually tells you more than any portfolio.
2. Ask to see a full gallery or at least bigger selections from the same wedding
A strong Instagram doesn’t mean consistency. A wedding gallery is composed of several hundred photos, not just a couple really good ones.
Most photographers only show their best images — often from ideal moments, sometimes even from styled controlled shoots to make you believe its a real wedding.
What actually matters is how they handle a full wedding day. The messy parts, the low light, the fast moments, the lack of time, etc..
Seeing one or two full galleries or at least a collection of 50 photos from each wedding will tell you a lot more than a highlight reel ever will.
3. Take “best of” lists, awards or Vogue features lightly
A lot of those lists are, in reality, marketing tools. These days the vast majority of those top lists are just paid publicity. They are very different from top lists of wedding photography competitions that are juri based and not paid to be seen ads.
The same goes for Vogue or other visible magazines or luxury weddings platforms, in which the photographer actually paid to have an add in the magazine without little or no editorial relevance. But there is trick you can use to find out if the feature was editorial or a paid ad disguised an editorial choice. Is the feature about the wedding or the supplier. If it’s about the supplier it’s definitely a paid add.
Some “awards” are also fake or really easy to achieve or even minor competitions, specially if they are awarded without a panel of judges. the best thing to do is actually check if those awards are real or even worthy.
They help with visibility, but they don’t necessarily reflect experience, people skills, or how someone handles a real wedding. They reflect, more times than you think just how much a photographer payed to be seen.
Your taste matters more than someone else’s ranking.
4. How do they handle pressure?
Weddings are unpredictable. Things run late, light changes, plans shift.
What matters is how your photographer reacts.
Do they feel calm? Do they help you relax? Or do they bring stress into the day?
It’s not always obvious, but you can usually get a sense of it from a conversation, especially if they feel empathetic.
5. Pay attention to how the images feel
Beyond style, there’s something else.
Do the photos feel natural? Relaxed? Or do they feel a bit forced?
Do they how emotion? Do they catch the person being photographed looking their best? Do they tell little stories of what happened?
Because in the end, those images reflect the experience itself.
Choosing the right photographer shouldn’t feel complicated.
It should just feel right!