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You Said YES! Now What?
Things to Consider when Shopping for a Wedding Photographer

By: Eileen Hall

You said yes! Congratulations! You’re most likely starting the “internet search” portion of your planning. Just yesterday, I was chatting with one of my favorite venue owners about how confusing wedding planning has recently become for so many couples who are browsing the internet. You see, this venue owner and I, both in our 40’s, recall a time when if you wanted to hire a professional, the first step was to open a phone book and look in the yellow pages. Automatically you knew you were about to contact a licensed, insured, brick-and-mortar business owner. Facebook, Instagram, websites, and search engines weren’t yet in existence. The internet has brought about many wonderful changes, but it has also made finding a professional wedding vendor, especially a photographer, quite confusing.

This conversation motivated me to write a quick blog about some key things you should look for when hiring a wedding photographer. No, I’m not going to tell you the “obvious” things you can read anywhere. I want to point out some things that you may not think of, and they all fall under one main point:

Now is Not the Time to Hire a Hobbyist

Weddings are a one-time event. When I say moments pass by in the blink of an eye and the click of a shutter, I’m not trying to coin a cute turn of phrase. They really do. Johnny and I have heard some HORROR STORIES. Often, they are from couples who had a family member who had a heart-wrenching wedding photography experience and they came to us to avoid a similar fate, but they’re occasionally from couples who want us to “fix” their wedding photos taken by a hobbyist. (This is not an option, by the way. When a photo is out of focus, poorly edited, etc., there is no “fix.” Even if there were, it is both unethical and illegal for a photographer to edit another photographer’s photos.)

“But Eileen, how do I know if I’m hiring a professional or a hobbyist!” There are a few red flags to look out for, and only one has to do with picture quality.

RED FLAG ALERT: Not Legally Registered as a Business

Don’t assume everyone accepting money as a photographer is legally registered to operate a business. Although anyone wanting to photograph weddings professionally can, and should, take the step to legally register their business regardless of experience and this red flag alert doesn’t guarantee that you’ll get awesome photos, hiring a photographer who is running a legally registered business ensures that you are working with a person who is on the “up and up,” following the law, and isn’t just dipping their toes in the water as a hobby. Although a brick-and-mortar business isn’t necessary for a wedding photographer, there is a peace of mind that goes along with hiring a photographer who has an established studio that you can visit in person.

RED FLAG ALERT: Not Collecting Sales Tax

Make sure your photographer collects sales tax (at least in PA) and has documentation showing they are doing so. I don’t know the laws for all states, but in Pennsylvania, photographers are required to collect 6% sales tax and pass that money along to the state. This is all a part of running a legally registered business in the state of Pennsylvania. Our sales tax license document is clearly displayed in our studio, as required by law.

RED FLAG ALERT: No Business Insurance

All reputable venues require photographers to carry liability insurance, and some ask for proof of insurance before allowing a photographer to work on their property. You don’t want to find out on the day of your wedding that the person you paid to take your pictures in not allowed to perform their duties because your venue asked for proof of insurance that they could not provide.

RED FLAG ALERT: No Wedding Photography Contract

Our wedding photography contract was written for us by our lawyer and is a legally binding contract protecting both parties. Without a legally binding wedding contract, you have no legal recourse if your photographer decides to skip town with your deposit, or, worse, decides they no longer want to hold up their end of the deal and bails on your wedding the day of.

RED FLAG ALERT: Consumer Grade Equipment

To be blunt; the only people who say equipment doesn’t matter in wedding photography are those who don’t own professional equipment. I’ll keep this section brief to avoid a Photography 101 lesson, but, in short; a professional photographer using consumer grade cameras and lenses can take awesome photos when lighting conditions are ideal, but no skill level is going to change the fact that professional, full-frame cameras and lenses are needed to capture high quality, clear, printable images in low-lighting conditions as well as in extremely bright lighting conditions. Also, professional camera bodies have two memory card slots, which ensures that each image is instantly backed up as soon as the shutter is clicked. And, your photographer MUST have backup cameras and lenses. Remember those horror stories I mentioned earlier? One was of a photographer who only brought one camera to a wedding and dropped and broke it during the getting ready pictures.

I hope this blog entry helps you on your journey to finding the perfect photographer to capture your once in a lifetime event! If you’d like to sit down with Johnny and me to decide if we’re the right fit for your wedding photography needs, get in touch to schedule your free consultation at our studio’s wedding lounge!

Eileen Hall is the co-owner of, and second shooter for, Red Door Photography located in Sayre, PA.