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5 Things to Look for When Hiring Your Mountain Wedding Photographer

meet the pros | Sarah Roshan | Mountain Wedding Photographer

Picking a photographer can be intimidating, so here are a few things to look for when selecting a photographer. After all, your wedding photos will all you have left after the day is over. They help keep the memories alive and can even help keep your marriage strong as you look at them and remember your love for one another.

Today Sarah Roshan is here with 5 things to look for when hiring your mountain wedding photographer. So you can make sure the memories of your wedding day last for generations. Sarah is a Colorado wedding photographer and Mountainside Guide recommended vendor. See Sarah Roshan’s portfolio HERE

1. Do you connect with them?

Couples often forget that they have to hang out with this person all day on one of the happiest, most memorable days of their lives. Definitely take the time to read their about me section, does this sound like a person you want to hang out with? Would they jive well with your family, friends, guests? Could you see yourself having coffee (or hot chocolate) outside of your wedding with this person? Does the photography company tell you who is shooting your wedding the day of or do they just assign it to a staff photographer? Making sure you connect with the photographer is one of the most important things. This will effect how you experience your wedding and how smoothly your day goes. I definitely recommend knowing who your photographer will be on your wedding day and at least having a conversation over the phone with them.

2. Where do they usually shoot?

Are all the photos on their website of downtown urban venues and you are getting married in the mountains? Probably should look at a different photographer. Also, on the flip side, if you are getting married downtown and all their works seems to be outdoors. The easiest way to pick a photographer is to see what they shoot most often and contact those who seem to work most with the type of wedding you have.

3. Do they specialize in weddings?

Is there every type of photography under the sun on their website? Babies, families, nature, etc? Wouldn’t you rather have someone who’s only focus is to photograph your wedding? Even better if they specialize in a certain type of photography (i.e. outdoor, mountain, urban, churches, etc), and extra bonus if they specialize in a certain type of person (i.e. adventurous, carefree, independent, nostalgic, etc). Bonus if they are a full time photographer meaning that they don’t have an outside job other than photography.

4. Check out their blog.

Typically active photographers spend a lot of time updating their blogs. This is where real stories live and their most recent work. You can really get a sense of who the photographer is by their writing and an overall sense of style and what your whole day would look like through their eyes. Remember that your wedding is unique to you, so you will never get exactly what is on their blog but it should give you an overall feel for what your wedding would look like. Are beautiful portraits of your and your future spouse your priority? Fun dancing photos? Group Photos (family formals)? Photojournalistic style (very candid)? Traditional? Dramatic? Write a list of two-three things that are really important to you and look for those things in their photos. They may have amazing dramatic photos, but maybe connected images not looking at the camera of you and your future spouse are your priority. Definitely comb through their blog and see if you find what you are hoping to have. Have a conversation with your potential photographer about what is really important to you. You will get a sense really quickly if they are a good fit for you or not.

5. Do they offer an engagement session?

You’ve probably read this over and over again on blogs and wedding sites, but I believe an engagement session is so important. Have I done events without a session? Absolutely. Is it the end of the world? Nope. Is it easier on everyone if you have done an engagement session? Absolutely. Here’s the thing; we are trained to know where the light is best, how to pose your body so it is most flattering, how to shoot inside, etc, but you aren’t a model. Practice always makes perfect. An engagement session is an awesome time for me to photograph you and see how you interact with each other, see what poses, angles, etc work on you. You get to work with me and see how your day is going to go, and when I show up on your wedding day it is a hug instead of a hand shake. We are like buddies instead of a stranger with a camera in your face. After the session you know I am going to make you look amazing and it takes the pressure off of everyone. I know your best poses and how to make you look your best and you trust me completely. Do. It. If your photographer isn’t even offering this or at least suggesting it, that should be a huge red flag. This is why it is included complementary in every single one of our packages, it is part of the experience.

Bonus:

When in doubt ask for references. A variety of references will give you a good sense of the strength of the photographer’s work, how well they work with others and their customer service. Be sure to check out their online reviews, or ask your venue or other wedding pros about them. :)


Mountainside Guide

Mountainside Bride Preferred vendorsSarah Roshan is a distinguished member of the Mountainside Guide, an exclusive vendor directory featuring the best and most reliable mountain wedding vendors in North America. Mountainside Guide members are screened and vetted for quality of work, reliability, and professionalism, both among their peers and on review web sites.

See Sarah Roshan’s portfolio HERE.