Choosing your wedding photographer may be the hardest decision you make when it comes to planning your wedding. After all, photography is the one thing that you can’t preview until after your wedding day has passed. As both a wedding photographer and a former bride, I know how hard this choice can be. There are so many types of modern wedding photography and photographers available that it can feel like a daunting task – especially if you don’t know what you are looking for.

Since this is the time of year when brides begin their photography search, I wanted to help those of you who may be feeling overwhelmed. To help simplify your search, here are seven tips on how to find the right photographer for you! *drum roll please*

Tip #1 – Find Your Vision
This is important when you are starting to plan your wedding. But I believe this is also a key factor when choosing your photographer. If you want your wedding to be elegant yet relaxed – look for a photographer whose images have an elegant feel but also capture a relaxed side of the couples. If you are planning a formal evening event – look for a photographer who can beautifully capture weddings at night. This is the first step and a great way to begin narrowing down photographers to those who can capture your day as you are envisioning it.

Tip #2 – Be Inspired
Once you know how your wedding will look and feel, start searching for photographic inspiration. Introduce yourself to what is available and possible for your own photography. Check out magazines (both wedding and non-wedding related), websites and blogs, friends’ wedding albums – even movies, artwork and clothing catalogs. Today’s wedding photography is no longer restricted to what weddings should look like but rather art that can express your creativity and uniqueness as a couple.

When you find an image that resonates with you, ask yourself – what is it about this that I love? Am I intrigued by the fashion-inspired poses and look? Do I love its candidness and how the couple is not aware of the camera? Do I like the setting, the colors, the composition? Is it emotional or telling a story? Likewise, ask yourself, what part of this photograph do I not like? Being able to see the differences between images and identifying what you truly love will help you make a more educated decision when narrowing down potential photographers.

Tip #3 – Start Local
Ask your friends for referrals for photographers that they have had a good experience with. Look through local photographer blogs, sites and wedding magazines. Organizations such as the WPPI, the WPJA and Wedfog are also great resources to find professional wedding photographers in your area.

When viewing a photographer’s site, search for their most recent weddings. Just like in Tip #2, ask yourself what you like and don’t like about their photography. Do these images fit how you want your wedding to be captured? It is also important to look at the people in the images. Do they look comfortable and relaxed? This is a direct reflection on how well the photographer is interacting with them.

If you are not finding anyone locally, try searching nationally. Many photographers can travel for their couples and have reasonable travel rates. Although doing this will give you a much larger pool of photographers to sort through, it can also increase your chances of finding that amazing photographer that is perfect for you.

Tip #4 – Get Specific
Pick your top three photographers and contact them about your date. Most brides at this point will simply ask a photographer, How much? It’s alright to ask this since wedding photography is an important investment. However, asking only this does not help the photographer understand your needs or your wedding. Tell the photographer how you envision your day. Ask them if they have photographed a wedding like yours before. Also, say which of their images you love and why you love them. Providing them with this information, gives them a very clear picture of what you are wanting for your wedding photography and if they are the right photographer for you. If they aren’t, they can tell you right away thus freeing you to move on to the next candidate.

Tip #5 – Don’t Let the Price Stop You
Something worth mentioning is just how common it is for couples to underestimate their photography budget. Most of us have never invested in professional photography before our wedding and have no idea how much it should cost. The truth is, you get what you pay for. I underestimated my budget and ended up paying more than I ever thought I would. But do I regret it? Well, my fancy wedding dress is in a cardboard box. My wedding cake was inedible before our first anniversary. My bouquet wilted before I could preserve it. What do I have left that perfectly captured the beauty and meaning of my wedding day? My wedding photographs. I fell in love with my photographer and trusted his vision because he knew and understood mine. Even though he was outside of my budget, I still kept an open mind and found that he was the right one for me, despite the price. My advice: find the photographer whose work you love and who you believe is worth paying for. Gorgeous wedding photography is an investment you will never regret.

Tip #6 – Pay Attention to the Man (or Woman) Behind the Curtain
Just like in the Wizard of Oz, there is always a mysterious man (or woman) behind the curtain – pulling the strings and making all of the magic happen. Well, now that you have told them a little about yourself and have decided that you like their work, it is time to see who is the photographer behind the camera.

Here are some questions to keep in mind. Do you feel comfortable with the photographer? Do they seem comfortable around you? How about their personality? Are they friendly and outgoing? Do they seem like they will get along with your family and friends and other vendors? Are they open to your opinions? The photographer will be with you more than anyone else during your wedding day. Do you cringe at the thought with this photographer or are you excited to see what they will create?

This is also a good chance to find out about the photographer’s approach. The approach or style is how they interact with their couples and how they photograph a wedding. Some choose to be very active in creating their images and will direct and pose you. Others will step back and simply capture the day as it unfolds. Most common is a mix of both styles with one being dominant over the other. By talking with the photographer about how you want your wedding experience to be, they can tell you which style will be best for you.

Throughout the meeting, look for a connection between yourself and the photographer. Do you have common interests? Do they feel more like a friend than a wedding vendor? Are they excited about being apart of your day? Are they ready and willing to help you throughout your photographic experience with them – before, during and after your wedding? When a photographer gets what their couple is looking for and that is what they specialize in and you are comfortable around them and able to be yourself in front of them and their big camera, that is when the magic happens.

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And now, here’s a bonus tip: To avoid disappointment, communicate with your photographer upfront about what you are looking for. If you feel strongly about something, say so. If you are unsure or unclear about anything, ask. Don’t leave it up to chance or that they might figure it out.  The easiest way to disappointment in your photography experience is to not share what you really want or to assume a photographer will understand what you want without being told. But this can be avoided if you communicate with them about what is significant and meaningful for you – both in your photography and in your wedding day. If you do, they will be glad to create photographs that you will treasure for a lifetime.

So what do you think? Are you inspired to begin your search? How has your experience been so far with wedding photographers? Please do share. I would also invite you to leave any questions or other topics you would like to see on this blog. Happy hunting to you!

~Heather

Have you seen the Fall 2009 RARE Weddings Section? It’s inside this October issue of RARE magazine. Such a great resource for Austin brides and wedding day inspiration. I have been waiting to share this exciting news with you and now that the issue is out, I finally can! Phyllis and Joe’s wedding is being featured! (Page 98)

It’s been several months since Lindsey, the art director at RARE contacted me about featuring their wedding. I was so thrilled for them! Phyllis and Joe are such a fun and genuine couple and their wedding was one of our all-time favorites. I loved Phyllis’s personal touches throughout the wedding that made their day uniquely them. Plus, Green Pastures Restaurant was a great venue for their elegantly stylish and relaxed affair.

We’re so happy for you two! Congratulations!

Special thanks to all of the vendors who helped in creating their wedding experience:
Venue: Green Pastures Restaurant
Coordination: Tanya Wood from Green Pastures Restaurant
Florist: Central Market
Wedding Gown: Siri, Inc
Bridal Boutique: Unbridaled
Hair + Make-up: Cameo’s Atomic Hair Salon
Music: Rock and Roll Rentals
Tux for Kingsley the Dog: Furr Factor (512) 502-5750

Last week, I had the pleasure of attending Dane Sander’s Fast Track Workshop for photographers. I had my own pre-conceived notions of what I wanted the workshop to be: shoot for a bit, talk about business, meet fellow photographers, and then tackle some technical stuff. You know, the usual line-up. Well, I’m glad to say that those two days were not what I wanted but rather, they were exactly what I needed. Really. Some times were harder than others and yes, tears were shed. But by the end, I was filled with daring inspiration, new ideas, and whirling excitement. I also emerged with 14 amazing friends who also happened to be great photographers. (best workshop ever)

I’d like to share some images from our downtown engagement shoot with Stephanie and Todd. Such a fantastic couple! They were so easy to photograph and up for anything – even the 5 o’clock thunderstorm. Sunlight and rain is a perfect mix!

If you’re a photographer, I would highly recommend this workshop to you. Dane is an incredible inspirational speaker and also a genuinely caring person. He’ll be speaking a few more times this year so be sure to check out his site if you’re interested. Dane also has a book which the workshop draws from. It is a powerful read for photographers at any level.

Big thanks to Studio 563 for hosting all of us. And to Dane, Christine, Danielle, Angelle, Kristi, Erin, Alan, Paul, Mattias, Chasity, Cory, Mary, Jenna Dee, Amy, Andy, and Eric: thank you for one amazing experience! You guys rock!

Until next time! ~Heather

Today I came across Nole’s post about her trip to the New York International Gift Fair (NYIGF). With lots of inspirational pictures of her favorite paper goodies, it definitely has my creativity flowing! I was one of those girls that decorated their room with paper snowflakes, glitter, Christmas ribbons and fabric swatches, pretending to be a fairy princess. ^_^ It’s neat to see a modern take on our childhood whimsy. (Can you imagine an archway draped with these paper flowers for a ceremony? A reception with a flower-filled ceiling? How about a reading nook with a flower and paper theme? Sooo pretty!)

Courtesy of Nole (Oh So Beautiful Paper) - A paper lamp from the Artenica6 booth at the NYIGF

With this being the first of her recap posts, I’ll be checking back to see what else she’s discovered! Craving a little wedding inspiration of your own or simply wanting to indulge your inner fairy princess? Click here to see all of the beautiful eye candy.

Happy Wednesday!

A few weeks ago, our friends Mel and Paul were married at the Irie Bean Coffee Shop. It was the first wedding the shop had played host to but it totally worked for their ceremony and relaxed celebration after. Plus, they’re regulars =) Being guests at a wedding was fun too but we still ended up photographing here and there. Big thanks to the Irie Bean! Such a pretty place to get married. And can I just say they have the most awesome Green Tea smoothies ever!? Yum!!

Mel made these cute favor bags to hold different colors of chalk so guests could doodle after the ceremony.

I really liked Mel’s ensemble. (very cute)

One cool feature of the Irie Bean’s outdoor area is the cement mixer. It actually has a cutout in the middle so you can walk through it. Mel and Paul almost got married under it but the stage won out.

And this is Mel and Paul’s very short (but sweet) ceremony. Almost whirled by but we caught it! ^_^

Can anyone guess which comic book hero this pays tribute to? (Paul loves his comics!) =D

I have to say it. Mel is awesome. She baked her own fondant wedding cake. (awesome)

Remember those chalk favors? Well, a talented artist friend decided to create this masterpiece in celebration of their wedding. He titled it ~ The Marriage Dragon. Epic!

Mel loves chalk. Mel also loves the Irie Bean’s cement mixer. Prettiest mixer …ever

And a little cross-processing just for fun (^_^)b

I’m happy to announce that Shirley + Tony’s Wedding Gallery is now open. You can find their gallery on our client page by clicking here.  To access the images, please use the password provided on their gallery guest cards. You may also view their awesome 4th of July wedding preview here.

Happy (1 month) Anniversary, Shirley + Tony and enjoy the show!

This morning, I learned that we have been experiencing technical difficulties with our email for the last two weeks. We have corrected the issue and are now receiving emails normally. We kindly ask that if you have emailed us and have not yet received a response, please contact us again either through our form here or directly at info@juneblossomphotography.com. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused and appreciate your patience and understanding during this time.

On a happy note, here is an image that Jeremy took of the Michigan sunset. It was during our flight back from Shirley + Tony’s Wedding. At the same moment he saw this, a song titled, The Birth and Death of the Day started to play on his ipod ^_^ (very fitting) Happy Wednesday!

Yesterday, we photographed Mel and Paul’s Austin wedding at the Irie Bean Coffee Shop. Very cool, very unique, and a very, very fun event!  Going through their images, this one just popped out to me and I had to share it. I love the colors and the hearts! (Chalk is an awesome addition to any wedding ^_~)

More images from Mel + Paul’s Wedding coming soon! Cheers!

Last weekend, we flew up to Michigan for Shirley and Tony’s wedding. They were married underneath an old shade tree strung with tiny white lights and Chinese paper lanterns (so pretty) Because they wanted a fun and relaxed day with their family and friends, they ended up doing things a bit differently (We loved it!) Best of all, since they were married on the 4th of July there were plenty of fireworks and sparklers to celebrate!

Shirley and Tony chose to have their pictures taken at the beginning of their day which gave them more time with their friends and family. It also let us capture this wonderful moment.

Shirley and Tony had their reception and cake cutting after the pictures and a quick rehearsal. Everyone was laughing and enjoying themselves. What a great way to relax before the ceremony!

Since Tony is an independent filmmaker (UFO) and Shirley both acts and produces too, they had some very talented film and actor buds come to celebrate. We decided to unleash their creativity with Guest Cam!

Their poolside reception gave me a cool idea.

As dusk began to fall, a path marked by flickering candles led the way for their guests to the old shade tree. The lights and lanterns glimmered against the evening sky, setting the perfect scene for their ceremony.

Sparklers were handed out at the end of their ceremony to make the evening even more festive and fun!

And then it was time to end the night with a bang!

We hope you enjoyed Shirley + Tony’s preview. There’s much more to see so be sure to come back on August 4 when their Wedding Gallery debuts. Until then, cheers!

~ Heather  ^_^

I’m happy to announce that Katy + Matt’s Wedding Gallery is now open for viewing. Please click here or on Katy and Matt’s picture to be taken to our gallery. As all of our galleries are password protected, you will need the password provided on their gallery guests cards.

Thanks for visiting and happy viewing!