Before You Book Your Wedding Photographer, Read This

First let me say, there are a LOT of wedding photographers out there.

Seriously. Type “wedding photographer Lawrence, KS” into Google and you’ll find plenty of talented people holding beautiful cameras and showing you beautiful weddings. So how in the world are you supposed to decide?

After photographing weddings for more than a decade, I’ve learned that choosing your photographer is about a whole lot more than liking their Instagram feed. Your photographer is going to be around you for some of the happiest, most emotional, chaotic, ridiculous, and meaningful moments of your wedding day. You aren't just hiring someone to take pictures. You're inviting someone into your day.

And that matters.

First, Look Beyond the Pretty Pictures

Of course you want beautiful photographs. I do too. But when you're looking through a photographer's portfolio, don't just look at the pretty stuff. Look at the people.

• Do the couples look comfortable?

• Do their smiles feel genuine?

• Can you feel the emotion in the photographs?

• Are there little moments happening in the background that make you stop and look twice?

Those are the photographs I’m always watching for. Because your wedding gallery shouldn't just show you what your wedding looked like. It should remind you how it felt. Years from now, I want you to remember the way your husband looked at you, the ridiculous thing your bridesmaid said while you were getting ready, your dad trying very hard not to cry, and the tiny moments you didn't even realize happened.

The pretty pictures are important. The meaningful ones are the ones you'll keep coming back to.

You Need Someone Who Can Handle the Chaos

And trust me... Something will go sideways.

Timelines run late. Someone will forget a boutonniere. It will rain when the forecast promised sunshine. A family member will wander off right before family photos.

This is a wedding. Not a controlled laboratory experiment.

After years of photographing weddings, I've learned to expect the unexpected. I'm watching the clock, the light, the people, and what is happening around me while still paying attention to what is happening right now. And most importantly, you shouldn't have to carry that mental load.

That's my job.

Your photographer should know how to adjust when the plan changes without making you feel like the entire day is falling apart.

You're Going to Spend a LOT of Time With This Person

This one is huge.

Your photographer is going to be there while you're getting ready, during portraits, in the middle of family chaos, during cocktail hour, through the tears, the laughter, the nerves, the hugs, and probably at least one mildly questionable dance move. So please don't choose your photographer solely because they have the “cheapest package” or because someone told you they're “really nice.”

• Talk to them.

• Ask questions.

• Get on a call.

• See how you feel around them.

You don't have to know how to pose, either. That's my job. I will guide you when you need direction, but I'm not interested in turning your wedding portraits into a two hour modeling session. I want you to look like yourselves. Laugh when something is funny. Get close. Move. Talk to each other. Be a little weird if that's who you are.

I want you looking at your wedding photos and thinking:

“Yep. That's us.”

The Work Starts Long Before Your Wedding Day

A wedding photographer's job doesn't start when they arrive with a camera. There is a LOT that happens before that. I spend time getting to know my couples. We talk about your timeline, your family, your priorities, the things you're excited about, and the things you absolutely don't want to miss.

I don't want to walk into your wedding day knowing only your names and what color your bridesmaids are wearing. I want to know your story.

Those conversations help me photograph your wedding instead of simply photographing another wedding. And yes, that takes more work. But I think you're worth the work.

I Hope I Don't Disappear After Your Wedding

Your wedding day ends. But honestly, I don't want our relationship to. I don't want to be the photographer you never hear from again after your gallery is delivered. I want to be the person you call when your first anniversary rolls around. When your family grows. When you need updated family photos. When your kids suddenly aren't so little anymore.

I want to watch your story continue.

I've had couples come back for anniversary sessions, family photographs, maternity sessions, newborn photographs, and all the little chapters that come after “I do.” That is one of my favorite parts of this business. Your wedding isn't the end of your story.

It's the beginning of a new chapter.

Love Knows No Bounds

There is one wedding day I don't think I will ever forget. I arrived at the wedding expecting the usual wedding day chaos. Instead, I found out the bride had a ruptured appendix. She was supposed to be in the hospital. Obviously, this was a pretty big deal. But this bride was very, very much in love with her groom, and she had decided she wasn't going to let an appendix stop her from getting married. She actually begged her doctor to let her leave the hospital long enough to get married, with the understanding that she would return afterward for surgery. So that's exactly what happened!

We photographed the wedding.

She got married.

They celebrated.

And then, instead of heading off for a honeymoon like most newlyweds, we met the bride and groom in their wedding clothes and made sure they got safely back to the hospital before she went in for surgery.

And yes...

Of course we got a selfie. Because if you're going to get married and then immediately head to the hospital for surgery, you might as well have photographic evidence that you did it.

But here's why this wedding has stayed with me. It wasn't about the perfect timeline. It wasn't about everything going according to plan. It wasn't even about the photographs. It was about two people who loved each other so much that, even in the middle of something completely unexpected, they still found a way to say, “We're doing this. We're getting married.” That is what I mean when I say I want to photograph more than what your wedding day looks like.

I want to photograph what it means. Because sometimes the most unforgettable photographs come from the days that don't go according to plan.

So, Who Should You Choose?

Yes, look at portfolios.

Yes, compare pricing.

Yes, read reviews and make sure your photographer is professional, organized, insured, and has a solid contract.

Those things matter. But don't stop there.

Ask yourself:

Do I trust this person?

Do I feel comfortable around them?

Do I like the way they see people?

Do I feel like they actually listened to me?

And maybe most importantly... Can I imagine having this person beside me on one of the biggest days of my life? Because your wedding photographer isn't just the person holding the camera. They're the person you're trusting to notice the moments you might miss. The person helping you when the day gets chaotic. The person standing beside you when you're nervous. The person laughing with you when everything goes completely off script. And eventually, the person handing you photographs that let you relive it all.

That's a pretty big job. And it's one I don't take lightly.

Looking for a wedding photographer in Lawrence, KS?

If you're looking for someone who wants to know you, not just your wedding date, I'd love to hear your story. Let's talk about your plans, your people, the things you're excited about, and the things you absolutely don't want to forget. Because I don't want to simply show up with a camera. I want to show up knowing exactly who I'm there for.