10 Tips for Perfect Collaboration with Your Wedding Photographer

Beautiful photos from your wedding day are a lasting memory. In your own apartment or on your loved one’s refrigerator, they bring those unforgettable moments back to life again and again. Choosing the right photographer and good collaboration are essential for creating unique photos.

What is most important when collaborating with a wedding photographer? For collaboration with the wedding photographer to work flawlessly, clear communication of expectations and wishes is important. A wedding briefing and a shot list can help with planning. Finally, the bridal couple should trust the professional.

To ensure that collaboration with the photographer on your wedding day is successful, we have compiled some helpful advice for you. In this blog post you will find 10 tips for working with your wedding photographer.

For your wedding photos to turn out as you imagine them, the wedding photographer should know how to implement your wishes . He should be able to apply your desired style accordingly – whether romantic-playful or modern and cool.

To achieve this, you should start looking for your wedding photographer early. Here are some ideas where you can begin your research:

• Google
• Online platforms
• Recommendations from acquaintances
• Wedding fairs

Since photographer is not the same as photographer, you should compare your options. Pay attention to the following criteria to find a suitable wedding photographer:

• Portfolio: Experienced photographers present their portfolio on their website or send it to you upon request. This way you can see which styles the photographer has already gained experience with.
• References: Personal recommendations from people who have already worked with this photographer are best. But reviews on the internet can also be helpful.
• Prices: Depending on experience, prices for wedding photographers can vary greatly. However, you can also adjust these yourself somewhat with factors such as the length of photographic coverage.
• Personality: The chemistry should be right so that the best possible snapshots can be created. Arrange a personal meeting to find out if you find the photographer likeable.

With the help of a briefing, your wedding photographer gets an overview of the framework conditions of the wedding as well as your wishes and expectations. This way he can plan better and more likely implement your ideas in the end. Among other things, this wedding briefing should contain the following points:

• Location and date
• Planned schedule of the day with times
• Style and aesthetics of the wedding and the pictures
• Desired photos (e.g. group photos, greeting guests, bridal couple shoot)

Try to make the briefing as comprehensive and clear as possible . Divide larger points into categories and try to record your expectations in as much detail as possible.

A personal meeting with your wedding photographer is important to see if you get along well. You can recognize whether you find each other likeable – after all, you have to work together for a whole day.

Furthermore, this gives you the opportunity to go through the briefing and the wedding schedule with the photographer in detail. Especially ideas about style and aesthetics can often be described more easily this way than in writing. Open questions can also be clarified easily in this context.

This is how you can prepare for a personal meeting with the wedding photographer:

• Print out the briefing and bring it with you.
• Look for examples of photos on the internet that you like.
• Write down your questions about the wedding for the photographer.

A shot list lists all the photos you would like to have from your wedding – often also with instructions on the angles from which they should be taken. This way you can ensure that you get pictures of all the important situations you wish for. Usually, among others, these Categories are included in the list:

• Couple photos
• Family photos
• Group photos
• Detail photos
• Decoration photos

To create a useful shot list, you should proceed as follows:

1. Think about which photos you definitely want to have in the end, such as snapshots of greeting guests or detail shots of the decoration.
2. Describe as precisely as possible how you imagine the mood, e.g. from which perspective the photos should ideally be taken.
3. Limit yourself to the most important photo groups. This gives the photographer artistic freedom and the opportunity to capture spontaneous moments.

A mixture of natural wedding photos and posed pictures works best. What you personally prefer, you decide for yourself, of course.

Only with open and honest communication will you achieve that your photographer understands your expectations. At the same time, the photographer should be honest with you, for example if one of your ideas cannot be implemented so well. Various channels are available to you for communication:

• In person: Ideal initially for getting to know each other and for going through the wedding briefing.
• Email: Perfect for sending documents, e.g. the contract and briefing as well as for recording agreements in writing.
• By phone or WhatsApp: For short interim questions or for communicating information.

Don’t hesitate to formulate your wishes and ideas clearly and distinctly. Try to be as precise as possible – only this way can your counterpart understand what you’re getting at.

Even though thorough planning and communicating your vision are important for wedding photography, trust your photographer and give them creative freedom.

• He is the professional: Even if you have precise ideas, the input of a professional photographer is invaluable. This creates unique and professional pictures of the unique day.
• Stress-free wedding day: When you give up control a little, you can also relax better on your big day.
• Open and ongoing communication: Both during wedding planning and during the event, you should communicate honestly with your photographer. Discuss concerns in advance and say on the wedding day if something bothers you.

Don’t shy away from honesty: In the end, you’ll only regret it if you didn’t address something and it then didn’t turn out to your satisfaction.

Even though everything should be perfect at the wedding, you should definitely stay calm. Only this way can you on one hand stay relaxed yourself and on the other hand let the wedding photographer do his work stress-free. These tips will help:

• Plan sufficient time buffers. In case something goes wrong, there is still time for the important things and photos.
• Delegate tasks to clear your own head. You don’t have to take everything into your own hands on your wedding day. Hire a wedding planner or assign family members and friends with specific tasks.
• Remind yourself that you have planned sufficiently. Make it clear to yourself that you have done everything in your power to make your day and your wedding photos perfect.
• Take a deep breath. Not everything always goes as planned – and that’s okay too. Try to relax and focus on the beautiful moments with your loved ones.

The wedding photographer serves as your support: He helps you enjoy the day carefree and ensures that beautiful photos are created in the end.

Feedback is an important point that belongs to wedding photography. Only this way does the photographer know if you were satisfied or if there is room for improvement. Which way you should convey your feedback depends entirely on:

• Verbal feedback: It can be easier to explain things verbally. This way you can convey more extensively what was well implemented and which points could be improved.
• Written feedback: But maybe it’s also easier for you to express yourself in written form. Moreover, written feedback in the form of online reviews is helpful for the next clients.

Constructive feedback is important so that the wedding photographer knows where he stands. So don’t just say that you don’t like the photos, but describe what exactly you don’t like about them and how it could be done better.

Actually, a photographer should add a certain fun factor to your wedding . Here are a few tips so you can enjoy the teamwork with your wedding photographer:

• Be brave and contribute your own ideas. Dare to make suggestions to the wedding photographer and reveal your wishes unfiltered.
• Creative poses and locations allowed. Get tips and inspiration for your wedding photos from the internet. Don’t shy away from suggesting crazy poses or unusual location ideas.
• Joy is in the foreground. Don’t take the whole topic too seriously. Fun should be at the center of collaboration with your wedding photographer.

For the ultimate fun factor at your wedding, you should also add a photo booth to the wedding photography. This serves as an entertaining addition and gives your guests the opportunity to become active themselves. This creates authentic memories for your guests and yourself. At Fotichaschte.ch you will find various packages that suit different weddings – whether small or large.

Not only is wedding planning important, but there is still quite a bit of work left afterwards. In addition to thank you cards, you should also consider how you optimally store or save your wedding photos. There are various possibilities for this:

• Share online gallery: So that your guests can access the photos and save their favorites, you can upload them to Dropbox or another online gallery.
• Create photo album: Create a photo album or photo book of the special day – with all the important moments and highlights.
• Make prints: Have your favorites among the photos printed – both for yourself and for your closest friends and family. This way you always have the beautiful memories in front of your eyes and think back to your big day full of emotions.

By the way, your wedding photographer also appreciates a small thank you. A printed card with your favorite snapshot from the wedding and a personal dedication is perfect.

A Smooth collaboration with the wedding photographer is essential for creating high-quality and beautiful photos of your big day. Furthermore, this is indispensable for a stress-free day that you can enjoy.

For your teamwork to function flawlessly, you should definitely become clear about your ideas and wishes beforehand. Communicate openly and honestly throughout the entire process. Share all important details with the photographer and try to relax: Micromanagement not only takes away the wedding photographer’s artistic freedom, but also creates pressure and stress for yourself. Take a deep breath and focus on enjoying the special day with friends and family!

How early should we book our wedding photographer?

As early as possible! Especially if you’re getting married during wedding high season in summer, you might otherwise not get your desired photographer. Therefore, start looking for the right wedding photographer immediately after setting your date.

What does a wedding photographer cost on average?

How much photography costs for your wedding depends on the photographer’s experience and the length of the engagement. For a full-day wedding reportage, amounts starting from CHF 4,000 are not uncommon. A cheaper alternative or fun addition is a photo booth: You can get our photo booth starting from CHF 399.

How many photos do we get after the wedding?

That depends entirely on the agreement with the wedding photographer. Normally a certain number of edited photos is included, for editing more pictures you usually have to pay separately.