How to Choose the Right San Francisco Wedding Photographer for Your Style
For many couples, curating the perfect vendor team can be overwhelming and exhausting. It can feel like there is a never ending list to sift through and choose from. The choices have so much weight to them because you are completely invested: with your time, your money and your emotions. Choosing the right wedding photographer, in particular, can feel really personal and sometimes confusing. Let’s chat about the different photography styles and how to choose the right one for you.
How to Understand Your Wedding Photography Style
There are a few popular styles that you can choose from. Focusing in on one or two of these styles will help narrow your search.
Light & Airy: Soft, Romantic, Bright Tones
Moody & Dramatic: Deep Contrast, Cinematic Feels
Documentary/Photojournalistic: Candid, Story-telling Focused
Editorial: High-end, Fashion-Inspired
From these four, which stick out the most? Knowing the language behind the photography can really help when communicating with potential photographers. Ask them how they would describe their style and see if it matches up to what you had envisioned.
At Hannah Leigh Photography, we focus on merging documentary and editorial style. We believe that bridging the two is the perfect way to tell a wedding day story. From candid moments, so editorial portraits — you’ll have a complete gallery that “feels” like your wedding day.
Consider What Moments Matter Most to You
Do you value candid moments over posed portraits?
Are you obsessed with details like decor and flat lays?
Do you want someone who blends in or directs you more?
It’s important to recognize that each photographer is bringing their own strengths and weaknesses into your wedding photography coverage. Ranking what matters most to you will help align your priorities with a photographers skillset.
A few things we do really well at Hannah Leigh Photography:
Reading the room: knowing when to step in and bring guidance vs when to step back and be a fly on the wall. This is super important to our photography goals which blend documentary & editorial styles.
Efficiency: Creating realistic timelines and executing without stress. It’s important to us that the photography is never a reason you’re running late.
Photographing your guests: In order to tell a full wedding day story, we firmly believe that your gallery should represent your guests as much as you and your partner. We always prioritize getting photos of your guests throughout the day.
Vet Their Portfolio Carefully
Here’s what you should be looking for:
Consistency in style across galleries
A gallery shot at a similar venue (ie. winery, ballroom, golf club, etc.)
Range of lighting situations (ie. sunset, indoor, overcast, sunny, etc.)
Full wedding coverage vs highlights. At a minimum, leave their Instagram and check out their website, which will show more of their unique vibe.
Having a photographer who has shot at your exact venue isn’t always the most important. I highly recommend finding a photographer you resonate with and then seek out more information through their portfolio. Click an image below to view more photos from that wedding:
Ask the Right Questions
Here are a few questions you could consider asking a potential photographer
How would you describe your photography style?
What is your favorite part of the wedding day?
How do you handle stressful situations?
What is your approach to photographing weddings specifically?
Have you shot at similar venue before? Can I see the gallery?
How long have you been a wedding photographer?
Could you walk me through the high-level process of working with you?
Personality & Comfort Are Key
Vibing with your wedding photographer is really important. They are with you for most of the wedding day and will have a direct impact on how the day unfolds. There are two ways I’d vet a potential photographer…
Get on a Zoom call with them. Come with your prepared questions (above) and get a sense for who they are and what their personality is
Read their reviews. This is extremely helpful. Do they have raving reviews about how lovely it was working with them?
We are always so flattered when we receive gushing reviews. Check out a few of ours below:
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Oh, wonderful Hannah! We’re so glad we chose her as our wedding photographer! From start to finish, she was incredibly responsive and made us feel completely at ease. As the bride, I’m not particularly comfortable in front of the camera, and I shared my concerns with Hannah. She reassured me that after a few minutes, I wouldn’t even notice her—and she was absolutely right.
Now, as I scroll through our wedding gallery, I’m blown away by the moments she captured. Every photo is simply amazing. One thing that truly stands out is Hannah’s ability to choose the perfect spots and work with the best lighting. Our photos from the Palace of Fine Arts are absolutely breathtaking—the light is magical, and the backdrop is just stunning. She knew exactly how to position us to make the most of the setting, and the results speak for themselves.
We couldn’t be happier with our decision to hire Hannah. She’s a 10/10! -
Hannah recently did our wedding photography and she was so great to work with! She did an amazing job photographing a very backlit ceremony in a venue she had never shot before, her editing skills are top notch, and most importantly of all she was incredibly fun to be around. She kept the entire day stress-free and we knew we were in good hands!
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Working with Hannah to be our wedding photographer was one of the best decisions we made during the wedding planning process! Her experience photographing other couples in city hall was a no brainer for us when we are seeking out photographers for our elopement ceremony. Her work is incredible, and we were captivated by her portfolio and even more blown away once we received our full photo gallery!
Beyond the breathtaking photos Hannah was able to capture - her personality, work ethic and hustle were remarkable as well. When we were taking photos, she was running around to get the shot from all angles, really making the most of the time we had together. She was so easy to work with and personable and made my husband and I so comfortable during throughout the session by giving us direction/pose guidance.
We are so happy with our wedding photo gallery and would recommend her time and time again! If we would local to the SF area, we would use her for all of our future photography needs.
Matching Your Budget with Your Vision
Now that you have a clear vision for your photographer, it’s important to be realistic about your wedding photography budget. Working with a seasoned wedding photographer who has years of experience, intentional gear choices and brings confidence to your wedding can be an investment. More experienced photographer are going to charge more than an entry level.
With that said, it’s always ok to reach out to a photographer you love with a budget. Many photographers (us included) can create custom packages that can maximize a couples budget.
Book Early
Once you have your wedding date and venue locked in, it’s time to secure a photographer. Your wedding photographer should be one of the first 5 vendors you hire. Venues, planners, photographers, caterers and florists should be some of the first of your vendor team to nail down! If you’ve got your eye on a specific vendor, don’t wait to reach out.
Choosing the right wedding photographer is about more than photos. It’s about working with someone you trust and align with. Your wedding photographer should understand your vision and be committed to excellent service before, during and after your wedding. Working with the right photographer will save you hours of stress and worry.
Interested in learning about what it’s like to work with us? Fill out our inquire form and/or book a discovery call!
