This is a question I’ve heard quite a bit not just from brides, but also families of couples who are engaged. How far in advance should I book my photographer? Unfortunately, this is one of those questions that have an answer with a wide range of time because it could all depend on when your wedding is. For example, if you are planning a September-November wedding, this is a VERY popular time of year, I mean who doesn’t love Fall colors? Booking your photographer at least 12 months in advance, possibly even 18 months would be best. Now, this doesn’t mean that the photographer of your dreams isn’t available if you got engaged 10 months prior to your day. It just means your chances of having your choice of photographer is better the sooner you book. If your wedding is in the winter, the great news here is that you can pretty much have your pick of the crop. Granted this is all dependant on location, I’m going to stick with my location in Illinois. You can more than likely have your choice of photographer 6 months or less prior to your winter wedding. We photographers in Illinois, don’t typically see a lot of winter weddings. In fact, many of us will limit how many weddings we do this time of year because it’s this time of year that we spend getting things prepared for the upcoming season. For example, I send my gear off to Canon to get serviced in the winter. It’s during this time that I’m without any of my camera equipment. Granted, I’ll rent equipment if needed, but if I were to be contacted 5 days prior to a shoot, it would be very difficult to get that rental equipment in time.
All that said, a safe, easy to remember, even number, would be to plan on booking your photographer 12 months prior to your wedding. Again, this does not mean you won’t have your choice if you wait until 8 months prior. There’s a chance you’ll be able to pick who you want. However, the closer you get to your date, the less chance your ideal photographer is booked. The other factor to consider is that many higher-end photographers will actually limit the number of weddings they photograph in a year. Sure, there are some that will take on 40-50+ weddings. I personally like to provide a very hands-on, personal experience with our couples so I limit my weddings to 15-20 depending on how spread out they are that year.
There are many factors to consider when looking for a photographer. I have a blog post on this as well with a lot more detail on this topic, but to give you the cliff notes, when choosing a photographer to consider these factors in this order: Style, Personality, Experience, and last Price.
What a special time it is for you two at this moment to be planning your wedding. Enjoy it! It may seem a little overwhelming at times, but this experience is something you’ll look back on and have so many memories from. Don’t be afraid to ask your vendors for referrals. We work with a lot of vendors and know many who provide a great product, experience, and/or service. You aren’t in this alone and we are always happy to help ease any stress if we can. Congratulations on your engagement!
