If you're like most people, you consider your wedding day to be one of the most important days of your life. You'll probably end up spending a lot of time, money and effort to make this day live up to your dreams, too. After all, the average wedding cost in the United States is over $20,000! Because your wedding is a once-in-a-lifetime celebration and you want it to be as perfect as possible, you probably consider recording these memories a very big priority. The bad news is there are many ways to make a mistake and hire a Miami wedding photographer who won't live up to your expectations and dampen your beautiful day. Here's some important advice to help you avoid that!
Always Do Your Homework
The biggest mistake people make when choosing among the many wedding photographers in Miami is failing to do their homework. People have the tendency to hire a photographer that worked at a friend's wedding or even a relative, regardless of how well they did the job! This can be a costly mistake, so be sure to look into a few photographers before making your decision. Look through their portfolio and schedule a meeting to ask them questions about their style and experience level and make sure you like their work.
Have a Good Budget
Another big mistake is failing to set an adequate budget for your Miami wedding photographer. Many people set a budget too small, and end up disappointed. While you may think your photographer is only going to be working a few hours, snapping pictures, it's really one of your most important considerations because your photographer is given the major responsibility of recording these once-in-a-lifetime memories. They will not work for just the day of the wedding, but for weeks in post-production. Your budget should cover the required photography expenses to ensure you'll receive beautiful pictures you will share with your loved ones for the rest of your life. Keep in mind wedding photographers in Miami don't necessarily cost a fortune, but you shouldn't be cheap when it comes to such an important subject.
Understand What Makes a Great Photographer
You should also understand ahead of time what makes Miami wedding photographers great. The most important thing that goes into photography for a wedding is planning, and most Miami wedding photographers start their planning months before your big day. You want to make sure your photographer has the planning skills necessary and remains committed to the event with a good backup plan ready if something happens.
While a photographer in Miami, FL may cost you thousands, keep in mind you are not paying for a days' work. A great photographer will spend weeks in the editing and post-production phase, making sure your pictures are absolutely perfect when you receive them. Some photographers will simply cut corners, using the exact same setting for every picture. Real photographers know one setting doesn't work for everything, and they will spend hundreds of hours to manually adjust hundreds of photos. Your money is definitely well spent.
Finally, don't forget the three features that go into an awesome photographer: talent, planning skills and a commitment to maximizing your budget.