How to Choose a Wedding Photographer + a Sonoma Golf Club Wedding | Amanda + Christian
Oh swoon swoon swoon! This Sonoma Wine Country wedding was a dream. AND Amanda and Christian are the kind of couple that wedding photographers just really live for. We are so excited to share their wedding with the world, but ALSO, we want to give you some helpful tips on how to choose a wedding photographer! Sound good?! Great!
If you follow these tips, we are pretty confident that you are going to have just as much fun as this darling couple did, and you will have the memories to prove it!
The biggest advice we can give soon-to-be brides and grooms is to find vendors that you truly feel you can trust, and then actually allow yourself to TRUST them. This is so important when you are trying to choose a wedding photographer!
Sounds so simple…because it is!
There are a lot of wedding photographers out there. I am pretty sure the market is saturated in many parts of the country, but holy moly, the bay area has a boat load of wedding photographers. How’s a gal/guy to choose?
Ready? Here are a few tips on how to choose a wedding photographer:
1. Set the highest budget that you can manage. We know we are biased, but these are your memories.
2. Find someone with a big gorgeous portfolio.
3. Talk to them. If you like everything you are seeing on their website/blog/social AND you totally love chatting with them, trust yo gut.
There are a lot of DON’TS when you choose a wedding photographer, but here are some key ones: DO NOT (I REPEAT: DO NOT) hire someone
1. without looking at their work. We would run out of fingers and toes if we counted the couples who came to us after booking someone else without making sure they liked that person’s work.
2. without making sure that you LIKE them as a person (they are with you for the majority of the wedding day…don’t hire a jerk.)
3. just because they are giving you a deal (Deals are totally fine if you love them and their work!)
We read a blog recently that was written by a former wedding blogger-turned kick-butt web designer, Heather, at the Editor’s Touch! She really laid things out so simply: your wedding photos are one of the ONLY things you get to take away from the wedding other than your spouse (YIPPEE!) and your own memories (which PS: will get hazy pretty much immediately if your brain is anything like mine!) Make sure that those memories are going to be beautiful. Favorite quote from Heather: “Will it help that you saved $3000 but get to look at hideous images for the rest of your life???? IMO, no.”
Preach, Heather.
Okay, back to Sonoma.
We are going to get back to Amanda and Christian’s wedding since that is what we are here to discuss today. LOL.
This wedding was gorgeous. It glittered and shined. FUN WAS HAD. This couple was so celebrated and so loved. They trusted us every step of the way. In fact, they trusted their whole team, and it really showed. I just am so excited to share these images!
If you are looking for some stellar vendors, peep those below, and keep scrolling to see more from Amanda + Christian's perfect day!
{Vendors}
Photography: 1985Luke Photography
Videography: Jensen Films
Venue: Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn and Sonoma Golf Club
Wedding Planner: Pretty Occasions, Solmaz Burke
Florist: Vanda Florals
Bridal Gown: Galia Lahav
Bridal Salon: Kinsley James
Bridal Shoes: Jimmy Choo
Beauty: Megan Carey Artistry
Bridesmaids: Jenny Yoo
Bridesmaids Jewelry: Kendra Scott
Menswear: The Black Tux
Catering + Cake: The Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn
Invitations: Minted
Officiant: Scott D. Keenan
DJ: DJ Aykut
Strings: Bella Rose
Signage: Chalk Chica
Linens: La Tavola
Rentals: Encore Event Rentals
