Finding a talented yet affordable wedding photographer can be a difficult endeavor, as photographers, along with everything else at a wedding, are often tremendously overpriced in the grand scheme of things. Many charge thousands of dollars for the big day, plus time for color correction and printing of your photos if you so desire, putting their hourly rates higher than most doctors and lawyers during this special day. However, there is a way to find a talented photographer to shoot your wedding without charging you an exorbitant amount of money. Check out some of these tips for hopefully finding that type of wedding photographer below.

 

First, ask friends of yours who are photographers if they will shoot your wedding, even if they don’t shoot weddings. Sure, this will be something of a risk, as they may not know exactly what to shoot and when, but they will know how to use a camera and will know when it’s important to catch specific moments you would like to remember. These friends may shoot the wedding for a very low cost or even for free, a gift for you on your wedding day.

 

Next, ask local photographers if they can come out for an hourly rate, allowing you to cut them during the wedding whenever you want. This will allow you to control costs very efficiently during the wedding, getting a real sense of what you really need to be shot without overpaying the whole time. Also, by finding a number of different local wedding photographers who are available and willing to quote you a price for the wedding, you can negotiate them down for the most reasonable price—though you may risk a bit of skill and attention for this lower rate. Regardless, you can make this decision once you have everyone in front of you who is interested and available.