consider

finding the best professional photographer for your wedding

How to find and hire the best wedding photographer in manhattan brooklyn and new jersey

Choosing a wedding photographer is like choosing a narrator for a movie. YOUR movie. Is their voice soft and sweet, bold and in-your-face, or informative and to-the-point? Matching your wedding vision to a photographer's voice can be difficult. And I get it, weddings are expensive. You might even be considering having a friend who likes taking pictures to do the job for you.

You don't know what to look for when you're comparing photographers. Why are the prices so different? What kind of style are we looking for? Does it really matter? Keep reading for some insight on why hiring a professional you trust who's work resonates with you is important. 

On the other hand, if you think all wedding photos are the same, you can stop reading here!

(P.S. we're not a match)
↡

things to consider when hiring your wedding photographer

experience

their approach

Professional

personality

composition and style

Consistency

Timeline Advice 

Genuine emotions

Committed to your date

editing

cost

After photographing over 100 weddings I’ve started to Mr. Miyagi the crap out of knowing when things are going to go down. I can calculate how much time we have left with a cranky toddler, feel when your patience with your family is wearing thin (and take you out of the room for a moment). I know how to scan a room and find the emotional tears during a heartwarming speech and know when the build up of a giant laugh attack is going to go down. Reading people’s emotions and anticipating key moments before they happen is a big part of this job that not everyone realizes.

This all comes down to how formal or informal you want your story to be told. Some photographers have a hand in each moment of the day styling picture perfect posed photos, or have advanced lighting set ups and assistants holding lights and gear with them. Some photographers are pure photo journalists, who don’t involve themselves and take purely “this is what happened” photos, no awkward posed photos, no group shots, no involvement. 

I mix an unobtrusive style with a creative and editorial edge. I give direction for you to look your best while balancing the need for space to ensure genuine moments and emotions can come through. I photograph most of the day like a fly on the wall. I prefer to tell the story of your day with minimal interference (I won’t lay on the middle of the floor during your first dance, or climb up on the alter while you’re saying your vows). I work with you on capturing timeless formal group photos, creative and editorial portraits for you, and engage with your family and friends to ensure capturing a wide range of thoughtful images of the people you love.

You may be temped to hire a friend for familiarity, convince, or budget reasons. But don’t you want your friends to enjoy the day and party with you? Hiring a professional photographer means there won’t be feeling strange in front of the camera or awkward conversations about missed moments that can’t be recreated (because they didn’t even know they were going to happen). I show up to my dream job ready for the best day ever. Each unique celebration is a day that i get to be of service to my clients and their families. I love wedding days! 

It’s important to remember that you’ll be with your photographer for most of the day. They might even see you in your underwear. You’ll go through a wide range of emotions while they are around. What will your photographer be like? I think knowing how pull genuine and joyful emotions out of people, and quell awkwardness, is a very different skill set than taking pretty photos. I will leave you alone when I know you need some space, and I’ll try my best to keep you laughing all day.  

Matching your aesthetic and finding the right photographer that resonates your tastes and style is important. Most professional photographers aren’t just vendors hired to do what you tell them. Photographers are also artists with a certain vision and they use their vision to translate your day into a set of creative images for you. If you love their vision (do you like how they see light, how the colors look, how they fit the subject in the frame), book them. If it isn’t quite a match, don’t expect them to change their editing or shooting style for you, because neither of you will be happy with the results. (square peg/round hole analogy). 

Be sure to check out a full gallery by your photographer. Anyone can take a lucky photo on a wedding day. Looking at full weddings will give you a good idea of how the photographer performs on the day, what their usual process is, what you can expect from your photos, and how consistently they can deliver. Wedding days are long with different parts and lots going on. Don’t forget to look into reviews and see what other people are saying about them. 

A professional photographer can help you plan your photography timeline to ensure we have enough time enough time to take all the gorgeous and creative images of you as possible without feeling rushed or panicked at the idea of missing your party. 

Long gone are the days when I was first starting out the idea that I had to control every moment of the day. I thought thats what my couple’s wanted and realized I needed something different. These days I prefer to take more of a back seat to let your genuine moments shine through. 

I hear about it all the time. Someone hired a friend of a friend, a cousin, or even a new photographer to photograph their wedding. But then just a few weeks before your wedding they back out because something fun was planned for that weekend. This isn’t a side hustle for me, this is my career. I look forward to wedding days more than anything. I book clients up to two years in advance and miss out time with my loved ones because I love this job more than anything. 

My editing style will be consistent throughout your gallery and each of your images will be edited for that little extra pop that keeps your photos feeling timeless and still you. No funny looking filters that are going to go out of style and I’ll be sure to get rid of any surprise pimples.   

I can only shoot like me! You can only be you! Let’s be the best versions of that (instead of recreating someone else’s day) and everyone will be happy with the images.

You’re wedding planning and thinking about certain numbers, and of course your budget has to be kept in mind. But the great thing about being human is that we have the ability to adapt our plan when we find something that perfectly suits our needs. This is going to be one of the best days of your life. Trust a professional, you won’t get a do-over.

↡

↡

Are you ready to talk wedding photography and think that I might be the best NJ Manhattan Brooklyn wedding photographer for you? Maybe you have questions that I can help you with? Click the links below and tell me about them plans!