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Top 5 Reasons to Hire a Professional Wedding Photographer

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Thinking about skipping hiring a pro to capture your wedding day? Here are 5 reasons hiring a professional photographer to shoot your wedding is essential.

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Many of us won’t leave our homes, let alone go on a trip without our smartphones. After all, one of the perks of the device is the camera that can make us feel as though we are professional photographers. While Apple and others have made it possible for everyday people to capture incredible quality photos, there is still a disconnect between what we can do and what a professional photographer can accomplish. Equipment aside, experience is key- especially on your wedding day!

Although it may be tempting to ask a family member who is skilled with a camera or agree to work with a new-to-the-industry creative you found on Craigslist, your wedding day really is a time to lean into working with a professional photographer. So, below we’re sharing the top five reasons why you should hand the lens over to a professional. Yes, it comes with a cost, but this is one occasion you don’t want to leave to an amateur. 

1. You Can Relive Your Wedding Day, But You Can’t Redo It

The moments you spend getting ready, your walk down the aisle, the euphoria you feel just after your ceremony, and every moment from your reception — it will all be captured in photos for you to relive. And unless you also choose to work with a wedding videographer, your wedding photos will be the only tangible piece you have from your wedding day that allows you to truly see every detail from your day. 

A professional photographer understands their craft and the nuances a wedding day can bring, and they know how to make sure they don’t miss a beat. In order for you to be able to relive your wedding day in the ways you’re envisioning, you want to work with a professional who knows what they’re doing. After all, you want to be able to relive your wedding day. But if anything is missed, you can’t redo it. Realize and lean into the difference. 

2. Lighting Matters…

Even though a space might be advertised as a wedding venue, every nook and cranny of it might not have the best lighting. This can be particularly true for getting-ready spaces and older churches. But not to worry, professional photographers know the settings they can use on their cameras and when and how to position a flash for the best portraits. An amateur photographer might not know all of the tricks of the lighting trade, and you don’t want to look forward to viewing your photos for the first time only to realize the lighting has distorted everything about them. 

3. …And So Does Timing

Wedding planners carefully craft a timeline that incorporates almost every moment that will happen during a wedding day, and they often consult the photographer while creating the day’s flow. A professional photographer knows when couples need to start getting ready, how much time is needed for getting ready photos, when to capture your first look, and how to capture the key moments from your reception without staying beyond their contracted time. Not to mention, photographers also know when and how to work with your team of wedding professionals to move things around if time is lost. They are masters of their trade, which matters because once timing has shifted, it takes teamwork to get things back on track. 

4. Professionals Can Handle Even Your Trickiest Family Members

People management skills are one of the top things wedding photographers possess (outside of their skills as photographers, of course). They know how to help you to navigate tricky relationships with family members and friends in ways that won’t allow any discomfort to show in the photos they present to you after your wedding day. Photographers also know how to get kids interested in capturing fun photos! A hobby photographer might not have needed to develop this same type of skill set. Inexperience handling groups can cause unnecessary loss of time or feelings of stress. So, stick to working with professionals. 

5. A Pro Will Make You Feel Stress-Free 

Knowing that you have a professional working behind their camera to capture every moment of your wedding day will help to ease your mind, even though the cost will be higher than teaming up with a newer photographer or a friend with a camera. Ultimately, you have carefully planned every detail of your wedding day, and you have likely imagined experiencing some of the most important moments. Working with a professional will help you to stay in the moment and enjoy all that you have planned. After all, why plan a wedding if you can’t have fun with the people you love who will make it even more special? 

There are times to set a timer and capture your own photos or to let a family member hone their skills with you and your love as the subjects in front of the lens. But there are also times when a professional photographer is 100% the way to go — and your wedding day is one of those times. You have carefully planned your celebration, and we already know you will want to relive it. So, work with a professional photographer who can make that possible. 

Now we’re turning the tables back over to you! Why are you working with a professional photographer? What helped you make your decision? Let us and our community know right here!


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