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Don’t worry this article is not about losing your Trinidad wedding photographer on your wedding day (although that would be interesting to write about if it ever happened).

This article also does not talk about where to look to find a photographer because the fact that you found this article, means you can do that all by your lonesome. I’m actually writing this as a kind of unofficial guide to choosing the right Trinidad wedding photographer for your day and how to close the deal and make yourself a happy bride (or groom) to be.

1. Love their work.

This is generally the easy part. It doesn’t matter what style they do because you know what you like…well most times. If you look at a photographer’s previous weddings and you can’t see yourself in the pictures they took, then most likely you won’t see yourself in the ones they’ll take of you.
If the work makes you exclaim, cry, feel warm and fuzzy inside, smile, immediately call your best friend or fiancé or makes you say “This is the one!” then you’ve found the style you love.

Finding the style you love makes it easy to relax on you wedding day.

2. Things have to click.

Ok good…you like their style, it gives you goose bumps, so you set up a meeting and they arrive late with no explanation, then they plop down and begin to talk about how good they are and how much weddings they’ve done and how lucky you are, that your date is free for them and the fact they have the most expensive camera available on the market and that this meeting will have to be short because they have to meet another couple in 5 minutes, all the while not once asking about your day… and you are thinking “What a moron!”

My advice is look for the nearest exit.

You have to like your po-pho (potential photographer) and they have to like you. If you aren’t comfortable with them now, its almost guaranteed you won’t be on your wedding day.

Now I know some of you are saying, “I can’t possibly meet my po-pho in person, I live hundreds of miles away!” No need to panic, just give your po-pho a call and see how the convo goes. Are they shifty and sporadic or are they witty and clear? Do they try answer your questions or do they feed you whatever they want?

And as far as e-mail convos go, no need to be too professional because you won’t be in office gear on the day. Just be yourself and see how they respond. Note how well and how quickly questions are answered and you should be able get a sense of their personality in the way they write back.

3. Close The Deal

Ok, so you and your Trinidad wedding photographer hit it off. Conversation is flowing and you are talking about your wedding day like old school friends, delving into all the details of the grand time you’ll have.

Your po-pho is taking your suggestions and churning out a plethora of creative photo ideas just for your day… and you are thinking. “Wow…I like my po-pho more than their photography! Yup, this is the Trinidad wedding photographer I want” So you shake hands and tell them you’ll confirm soon.

Then for the next two months you do nothing.

I assure you that some other bride will snatch up your photog before you know it.

The good thing is, your po-pho knows things can get crazy when planning a wedding so they would normally give you deadlines, for getting all the boring payment and contract stuff done. They would even contact you if someone wants to have your date but if you want that photographer and by extension photographic assurance and peace of mind for your Trinidad wedding day, I suggest you close the deal A.S.A.P.

Other things to consider

Find out from people who know:
You can eliminate heartache, headache and unnecessary back and forth just by asking your po-pho’s past clients (if you can find them). In wedding photography, a ton of a photographer’s business comes by referral so it makes sense to talk to someone who knows.

The early-bride catches the photo
I know you have a long list of wedding to-dos and you may think you have tons of time but before you know it you’ll wake up married. Make contact early because the good ones go fast.

It pays to ask
So you’ve worked out your budget and you realize that you fall slightly short of the photography package you want, no need to be in a quandary, just let your po-pho know and see what they can do for you. Most photogs won’t split hairs over such matters, providing you were a picture perfect client in the first place.

If for some reason you can’t get the photog you want for your day, you can always do a TTD (Trash the Dress) Session or a post wedding shoot, like Joyce and Andreas here.

At the end of it all, it really all comes down to what you desire personally. If you are happy with your choice now, you will happy with your photos many years after your Trinidad wedding.

Juma Bannister

Trinidad Wedding Photographer

Flowfoto photography

http://flowfoto.com