As December approaches, many of you are preparing for the inevitable holiday parties, family gatherings, and rampant consumerism selfless gift-giving. But did you know that amidst the holiday cheer some of you will also be getting engaged? In Europe and the northern parts of North America wedding season is now over until spring. Despite only about 7 percent of weddings taking place in December, the month manages to claim a hold on 19 percent of all engagements. Although the specific figures vary, the overall trend is the same: December is the biggest month of the year for couples to become engaged, with Christmas Eve dominating the category of the most popular single day of the year. So after the proposal is accepted, engagement is set, and preliminary plans start to crystallize, a question may arise: what is the best time to hire a wedding photographer?
The answer is deceptively simple, but comes with a few caveats. Couples generally reserve venues before moving ahead with hiring a wedding photographer. This order makes sense: if the wedding date is flexible, then the availability of the venue will help to determine it; if the date is set in stone, then it comes down to choosing between the venues available for that date, which will likely impact the wedding’s location. In the first case, it would be difficult to receive a firm commitment from wedding photographers for a date that has yet to be set. In the latter case, some wedding photographers (myself included) won’t be able to provide you with an accurate quote, because the to-be-determined location may fall outside the boundaries beyond which they would charge extra travel expenses.
When all of the above is considered, the best time to hire a wedding photographer is as soon as you’ve found the right one. By that, I mean the photographer whose style and consistency matches your expectations, and whose fees match your budget. For instance, if you’ve made appointments to meet with four wedding photographers over the next two weeks, and you absolutely loved the second one, hire her immediately and cancel the remaining meetings. Good wedding photographers are always in demand. Since there is a finite number of weekend days throughout the year, your delay in reserving her for your wedding day–for whatever reason, either obligation to meet the others or your need to mull it over–can mean that a more decisive couple with a conflicting wedding day will get her for theirs. In turn, you risk missing out on your potential first pick.
Are you interested in hiring a photojournalistic wedding photographer for your 2018 wedding? I have availability, so don’t hesitate and reach out.