Congratulations!!! You got the ring and are so excited to spend the rest of your life with your favorite person! You can’t wait to plan the perfect wedding to share your joy with friends and family. But you are also struggling a bit with decision fatigue and figuring out how to find vendors to trust with your most important moments.

As vendors, we have seen the good, bad and the ugly of the wedding industry. So we have the 411 on how to make this stuff a bit less stressful so you can feel confident in your decisions.

The two biggest questions we see when brides (and grooms) are searching for photographers and videographers are related to budget and aesthetic. While both of these are important, there are several other factors that can help you avoid the horror stories and help you not only have better artistic results, but even enjoy your day more and have more fun with your planning process when you choose the right people! So take a deep breath and lets dive in.

1. Personality

It might not seem as important as aesthetic or budget, but trust us, finding photogs/videographers you vibe with is honestly of utmost priority. You will be spending more time with these people than virtually anyone else on your wedding day. Are you more of an introvert and private? You might want to to find vendors who share your dynamic. Want the roller-coaster of wedding day emotions while having someone to laugh with? Those vendors are out there. We aren’t everyones cup of tea, and that’s great! You need someone who makes you feel the most comfortable to be yourself.

You also want someone you can build a relationship before your big day. Someone who goes beyond acquaintance and you can be yourself around. You want to be able to be at ease on your day, not up-tight around a stranger as they capture your most vulnerable and treasured moments.

2. Style

This is partly aesthetic, but also HOW they capture your moments. Do you want someone coaching you through every pose? Or would you rather someone who hypes you up through your day and documents real moments? Every photographer and videographer has a specific style and process of how they capture the day, edit and assemble your story. For some it’s just a job, for others telling your specific story is truly their passion.

3. Offerings

Do they offer the products and services you are looking for? Good vendors are very candid with explaining their offerings, helping you through the decision making process without being pushy. You deserve a customized experience that gives you exactly what you want and need, nothing more, nothing less.

4. Communication

This is a doozy. There are unfortunately SO many vendors with poor communication. While just as many out there with good. Do they just do things their way or truly listen to what’s important to you? A genuine human being will be receptive to any questions you have and give you a high level of service from the first contact throughout the planning process and beyond.

5. Turn-around time

In today’s economy, vendors often spread themselves thin trying to make ends meet. Unfortunately this often leads to clients receiving products in many months (or upwards of a year). If they meet all the other criteria in your search, it might be a worthwhile sacrifice. However, it’s certainly something to bring up in conversation so expectations are clear.

6. Professionalism

How do they conduct themselves? Do they act professional in conversation and web presence? Do they have that excellent level of communication? Do they require a clear contract to ensure confidence and protection of all parties involved? Do they have insurance? Will they provide an adept and reliable replacement should disaster arise? You deserve to be set at ease in your decision making, not more stressed by a messy process or unprotected should the unforeseen arise.

7. Reviews

Please take the time to read reviews! These are a life-source that will give a lot of insight into the character and necessary info laid out above. Even more valuable than the word of the vendors are the testimonials of those who have worked with them.

8. Gear

Though artistic ability is often more important than cameras and other gear, you also want to make sure they are equipped for all scenarios. That means having gear that can perform in all lighting situations, can produce clear audio of your most important moments, and that they have backups should malfunctions occur. The last thing you want is to lose treasured footage that can’t be relived!

8. Budget

Budget is often set without considering all of the above. These are not decisions to take lightly. Often those on the cheaper side will not fit all the boxes, either out of inexperience or often taking on too many jobs to really and truly value each client. We have heard the horrific stories of photographers and videographers leaving bride and groom high and dry right before (or on) their wedding day.

Those who truly personalize the experience, have good communication, and value excellence in all areas, do not come cheap. But we promise, the memories and peace of mind are completely worth every penny!