Minnesota Wedding Photographer: How to Find the Perfect Person to Capture Your Big Day

With such a wealth of wonderful wedding photography options available in Minnesota, how do you know which photographer is right for you?

Of all the Minnesota vendors you will book for your wedding day, photography and videography are the only ones you can truly say are an investment. Because your cake will be eaten, your dress is unlikely to be worn again, and those boutonnieres won’t last forever! But your photographer is going to create something for you that will last forever, a timeless memento of your Minnesota wedding that will be cherished for years to come. Just imagine your kids’ reaction when they see your wedding photo album for the first time, they’re going to be so amazed! And they’ll love its contents almost as much as you. That’s why it’s so important to look beyond just the reviews, and discover which Minnesota wedding photographer is right for your big day.

As wedding photographers, we cannot tell you how many of our Minnesota couples have come back to us months and years after their nuptials and thanked us for our work on their photography. And it’s because it truly is an investment that keeps on giving. Couples are always finding new favorite shots, bits of their wedding video they hadn’t noticed before, or moments from their big day that they didn’t even know took place! Especially now that wedding photography no longer exists solely in dusty old photo albums, and can be viewed on computers, or cellphones whenever a couple wants. Which is why your newly married friends are always posting new Facebook profile pictures, or spamming your feed with wedding pics. It’s because they’re so easy to access, and couples love that!

But how do you decide which wedding photographer in Minnesota is right for you? Because unless you’re a professional, it can be hard to compare each one, and really work out whose photography style is best suited for you. That is why we talked to our expert wedding photography team in Minnesota, and asked them, as professionals, how they would choose the perfect photographer for their big day. Scroll on, and discover their top tips!

How to Find the Best Minnesota Wedding Photographer For You

Get Some Recommendations from Loved Ones

Scouring the internet for your dream wedding photographer, and reading all their reviews will help you find countless talented vendors in Minnesota. But, if you’re lucky enough to have lots of married friends and family around you, hit them up first. Because there is no truer recommendation than one that comes from a loved one. They’ve got your best interest at heart, and they’re not trying to sell you anything. So ask around in person, or on social media, and request some unsugarcoated views on their photographer. Make a folder, and save the good, save the bad, and move onto step two.

What is Your Wedding Photography Style?

Before you start contacting any prospective Minnesota vendors, it’s vital that you understand which wedding photography style is right for you. Otherwise, you’ll either end up picking the wrong photographer, or a photographer can lead you down the wrong path. Get some knowledge behind you by understanding the main photography styles out there, such as contemporary, candid, traditional, photojournalistic etc. Analyze these styles by looking at real weddings, and decide together if you can imagine your photo album looking like that. Once you’ve decided, then you can move on to looking at which individual wedding photographer in Minnesota should be contacted.

Start Making a Shortlist

Now you have a better idea of what’s out there, it’s time to start jotting some names down. Hopefully, you may have found that some of the recommendations your friends and family gave you actually fit into your chosen category. Or, by osmosis, you’ve actually found a wedding photographer or two in Minnesota just by researching different photography styles. Google is clever like that! While searching for vendors, be sure to explore beyond their fancy homepages, and look through their full sets of real weddings (you may need to request this), and their social media. What you’re looking for is consistency. Because any average photographer can capture one amazing image and use it on their homepage, but a great photographer will have a portfolio full of uniformly good work. While browsing their shots, try to imagine yourselves in their imagery and ignore any elements that aren’t to your taste. You may not like their venue or their outfits, but did their photographer capture the big day beautifully and to your taste?

Set a Budget for Your Photography

Once you’ve trawled the reviews, and subsequently seen the work of every wedding photographer working in Minnesota today, it’s now time to start contacting them. But before you do, take a good hard look at your big day budget. Because there’s no point setting your heart on one or two photographers without knowing how much you can afford to pay. Discuss together how much you can realistically spend, and always keep that figure in mind when contacting vendors. But, a word of advice, don’t cut corners or try to save cash with your photographer. We may be biased, but honestly, your wedding photography is one of the most important investments you can make on your big day. Therefore, attempt to shave a little off somewhere else in your budget, in order to give you the opportunity to book the vendor you want.

Meet Your Prospective Photographer Face to Face (or Face to Screen)

Your Minnesota photographer is going to be following you, your partner, and your guests throughout your wedding day, so you need to know that this person is right for you! Therefore your interview with them should be almost like a date! But seriously, you do need to see if you get along well and maybe even laugh together. Find out if they’re familiar with your chosen venue (please say you booked this by now!), and if they’ve shot a wedding there before. If they have, this is obviously the easiest way to gauge if they’re right for you. The photographer will hopefully share past work instinctively, but if they don’t, make sure to ask for specific examples of shots that you know you want from your wedding. Like group shots, the morning of your wedding, drone work etc. And, find out if your photographer works alone, or do they have a team of assistants taking care of individual elements? Get as much information as possible, and don’t be afraid to take notes. They’ll come in handy when you discuss the next point.

The Cost of Your Minnesota Wedding Photographer

No one likes discussing money, but when it comes to planning a wedding, and more specifically booking a Minnesota wedding photographer — it has to be done. You may find that your prospective vendor has a price list readily available that states hourly/flat rates and fees for certain add-ons. If this is available, take a good look over it and make sure that you understand everything listed. Then, regardless of price list availability, ask your photographer for a quote. And you’ll need to request one that has a breakdown of each individual costing, that way you have a point of comparison with other photographers, and you know exactly what you’re being charged for. Additionally, find out how long you can expect to wait for the delivery of the photographs. You should expect a little teaser shortly after the big day!

Organize a Test Shoot

An engagement shoot may or may not be included in the final quote from your prospective Minnesota wedding photographer, but you should plan one regardless since having them actually take photos of you will help you make that final decision on whether they’re right for you. It’s also a good opportunity for you both to lose any nerves you may be feeling about being in front of the camera while building a rapport with your photographer. And if you’re super organized, you could make this one big test day! Arrange to have your hair and make-up test before the shoot, and then you’ll know if they’re right for you too — and you’ll have a professionally prepared look for the engagement photographs! Win-win!

What Does Your Gut Feeling Say?

All the wedding photographer reviews in the world will not help you decide on ‘the one’. Only you and your partners’ gut feeling can make that decision. It’s vital that you do all the things above, it truly is, and if you don’t, you’ll run the risk of overspending or not getting what you deserve. But if your final decision comes down to two great Minnesota vendors, you’ll have to go with the wedding photographer that you both feel most comfortable sharing your big day with. Regardless of cost, will this person fit in with my wedding party? Do you both genuinely like them? Do you believe in them? Mull it over, and book the person that just feels right.

We hope we have informed your journey to find the perfect Minnesota wedding photographer. It would be wonderful if we could go one step further and actually become a part of your big day! At Star Media Weddings, we have a team of talented wedding photographers and videographers available, who would love to capture every one of your special moments in just the way you imagined. Please don’t hesitate to browse our wedding photographer portfolios here, and check the reviews from their Minnesota couples here. And if you have any questions about our services or availability, feel free to get in touch via our contact page!