Five Ways to Know You've Found a Great Long Island Wedding Photographer
Long Island wedding photo of the bride and groom at Planting Fields Arboretum. © Dan Wagner 2023
Finding the best photographer for your Long Island wedding photos isn’t easy. As an experienced wedding photographer, I understand what you’re going through. I believe my Five Ways to Know You’ve Found a Great Long Island Wedding Photographer will help you choose wisely.
Why is Choosing a Long Island Wedding Photographer so Difficult?
The main reason choosing a photographer is difficult, is because there’s no way to know in advance what your wedding photos will look like—much less if you’ll be happy with them. That’s due in part to the fact that every wedding is different. Even if it was possible for the same photographer to shoot an identical wedding twice, the photos would look similar, but not identical. And in the case of a large photo studio with multiple photographers, where it’s hard to know which photographer shot what, it’s as risky as driving blindfolded.
Knowing if you’ve found a great wedding photographer might be your toughest vendor decision. Take wedding cakes as an example. Choosing a wedding cake is risk-free because the sample photo will be an exact match of the cake you will receive. It’s the same thing for choosing flowers or limos—what you see is what you’ll get.
Long Island wedding photo of the bride and groom at Planting Fields Arboretum. © Dan Wagner 2023
I know great is a subjective word. I could’ve written good or okay instead. But why aim low? The same ways you deserve a great wedding, every bride and groom deserve beautiful wedding photos.
Five Ways to Know You've Found a Great Long Island Wedding Photographer
Look at the photographer’s work. Try picturing yourself in similar photos.
Do the bride and groom look happy and relaxed? That’s important!
Great wedding photos should be enjoyable to view, and make you want to smile.
Communications with the photographer should be friendly and inspire confidence.
Sensing your wedding photographer is looking forward to working with you speaks volumes.
I know this list isn’t the be-all and end-all of ways to know you’ve found a great Long Island wedding photographer! Everyone has their own ways of making good decisions. Nonetheless, it’s helpful to put your thoughts to paper, and come up with a plan that works for you. That said, please consider this list and accompanying information as a starting point for creating your own list.
Long Island wedding photo of the bride and groom at Planting Fields Arboretum. © Dan Wagner 2023
More Ways to Find The Best Long Island Photographer for Your Wedding
Recommendations from friends, and fellow brides and grooms can be helpful. Try to be mindful of well-meaning brides who act like wedding vendor missionaries, by insisting you use their photographer and other vendors. The funny thing, is I doubt your BFF bride would be comfortable seeing you in an identical wedding gown. However, if you met your BFF’s photographer at her wedding, and liked their photos—then why not hire them? That’s happened to me! I’ve even photographed brothers and sisters from the same family. Talk about wedding photographer déjà vu!
Pricing should be reasonable, and in line with local wedding photographers. Still, if you find a Long Island wedding photographer you prefer at a higher price, it might be worth hiring them. After all, your wedding photos are family heirlooms. Also, lower prices don’t always mean lower quality. Some wedding photographers simply have a business model that functions well at lower price points.
If you’re really on the fence regarding choosing a wedding photographer, then you could always consider hiring them for an engagement photo session. That’s one way to see if you like the way they interact with you as much as you like their sample wedding photos.
What Can Couples Do if They Don’t Like the Same Wedding Photographers?
That’s a tough question! It’s very natural for couples to have differing opinions—especially with wedding photography. So, please don’t be too hard on each other if this happens to you. Here are a few ideas on finding a wedding photographer you’re equally happy with.
Write a pros and cons list for the wedding photographers you’re considering. This activity will help you find areas where you can agree. Ranking this list from most to least important will help you reach consensus. Finding objective ways to make decisions regarding wedding plans involving subjective choices is very helpful.
However, if either spouse is adamant about not liking a specific vendor, then it’s best to continue looking. Whatever methods you use to make wedding vendor choices, I for one support your decisions. It’s your life! I wish you all the best!
Stay tuned for more Long Island wedding photography blog articles!
“Dan Wagner was the best money spent on our wedding. He was nice, professional and did a great job. He took great candid photos—which I love. Not only did we get every picture he took, but the photos were full size and without any writing on them, and they arrived just a few days after we came back home from our honeymoon. We got to choose many pictures for our album. Because everything was digital, he e-mailed me exactly what the layout of the album would be before it was printed, and I was able to make changes. Our album was the nicest I have seen, and everyone who has seen it wishes they had hired him.”
—Genevieve and William
Every Bride and Groom Deserve Beautiful Wedding Photos!
Please feel free to share your thoughts and experiences about finding a great Long Island wedding photographer in the comment box below. Have a wonderful wedding, and many thanks for visiting my Long Island wedding photographer blog!