DO YOU KNOW THE #1 REASON WHY CLOSE TO 40% OF BRIDES HAVE REGRETS WITH THEIR WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY & Videography

Because it’s so tempting to skip a pro shooter or to ask a friend to take photos—but trust us, not hiring a professional photographer is one of the biggest, most common wedding regrets for couples who didn’t. If you're on a budget, missing out on gorgeous images isn’t the answer.

Unlike your wedding dress or flowers, your wedding photos will last forever, so you obviously want them to be amazing. Hiring a professional wedding photographer is truly the one and only way to get those crisp, high-quality images that capture every moment from your special day. Realistically, you should plan to allot 10–12 percent of your overall wedding budget to photography.

Before hiring a photographer make a list of the style you want and what you want in your package. Is it digital photo files or prints or wall frames and albums. That way, you'll go into the hiring process knowing what your package should look like. This allows you to pay only for exactly what you need, whether that’s a certain number of hours of coverage, extra sessions, multiple shooters or access to digital photo files, prints, wall frames and so on. Some photographers have some fantastic packages that will meet your needs and have good amount of variations but if not ask for to build your own package.

To know what to prioritize, don't underestimate the value of your recently married friends, but also potential pros you interview. Ask them to walk you through the ins and outs of the services they offer, like whether you can realistically fit all your must-have shots in the minimum amount of coverage they offer or how many assistants make the most sense for the size of your guest list.