Award-winning Bay Area wedding photographer Cassie Valente speaks the truth about hiring for your wedding
Cassie Valente of Cassie Valente Photography
We caught up with Cassie Valente of Cassie Valente Photography to hear from her about what to know when organizing your wedding photography. She delivers the goods on what to ask and prioritize when interviewing photographers for your wedding. Pure gold nuggets of advice and understanding of the wedding industry ahead! Whip out your notebooks and start taking notes ;)
EH: What are the most important things to look for in finding the right photographer?
Cassie: I usually have a couple of things I recommend when it comes to finding a wedding photographer for the first time. My number one biggest piece of advice for planning a stress-free wedding is to make a budget with your partner and stick to it.
That's not to say that you can't change it as your wedding planning evolves. But having a sense of exactly how much that wedding budget can be allocated towards photography and what it means to other parts of the wedding day if you decide to go over or under that amount, will save you tons of unnecessary stress and heartbreak in the long run. If a photographer isn't within the budget, than ultimately none of the other factors matter.
Make sure to ask about each photographer’s specific offerings. What is it that they provide? What kind of style do they have? What is their personality like? Do they offer a second photographer on the day of how extensively do they retouch the images?
How do they ensure that images are not lost or corrupted? How do they deliver the images? Are there physical prints? Are they even on a gallery? And finally are you allowed as a client to print the photos or share them online? What are your rights?
EH: What are the do's and don'ts of hiring a photographer?
Cassie: Make sure to connect with your photographer. You can schedule a call or a video conference or even meet in person. I think it's really important to remember that this photographer is someone that will be spending the majority of your wedding day with you.
You may even see them for more of the day then you do your partner, who you're getting married to! So it's so important that you get along with this person and you're comfortable having them on such an important day.
Make sure you ask to see their gallery. We're all artists looking to showcase our best work. So when you look at a photographer's website or Instagram you're looking at a highlight reel. So it's a good idea if you're considering hiring a photographer, to ask them to share their full galleries. You can even ask if they can share a gallery that they think will match the look and feel of the celebration that you're planning.
EH: How many photographers should I speak to before I decide who I want to work with?
Cassie: I don't think there is a right or wrong number. I think it's completely fine to talk to one photographer if you already know this is the person you want to photograph your wedding.
But it's also ok to search for a while and talk to a lot of photographers before making a decision.
It just comes down to what you and your partner are looking for and things like style, offerings and your budget.
EH: For a couple who doesn't necessarily know what they want in a photographer or how to communicate what they want, how do you go about figuring that out in a call with them?
Cassie: Before you even start looking at what's out there, I think it's a great idea to sit down with your partner and make sure you’re on the same page when it comes to finding a photographer that you both love.
So think about what are the things that each of you value most in a photo. Is it the light or the color? Or is it the way subject is framed? Is it how they incorporate the background? Or is it focused on the fine details?
Perhaps you put a lot of hard work into planning the fine details and you want to remember all the hard work you put into planning those details. Or is it candids? Maybe you have so many guests coming in from out of town and you have a lot of elderly family. Maybe you really want all of those lively moments captured and remembered.
For me, when I planned my wedding, my priorities were natural lighting and color and things that really truly reflected the color palette that we had used for our wedding day. And for my husband, he wanted photos that captured teensy, tiny people in huge epic places. That was like his number one must have!
Two very different things. So it's good to sit down and collaborate on that together and look at the offerings and start to develop a vocabulary of what you want. Perhaps you say: "I like the way this photographer really focuses on the story going on.” And he says: “I liked the way this one really uses this kind of palette.” Don't feel intimidated starting out on that journey together. It's something you should do together and explore what's out there.
EH: What are the most common mistakes couples make when they're starting their search for photographer?
Cassie: Starting without a budget in mind. I know it can be difficult when you don't know what's offered and what's out there. But it's good to start with a ballpark number. You might say: “I do not want to spend over $10,000 on a photographer.” Or, “I don't want to spend over $1,500.”
You can evolve these numbers and change them as you go but it's a good place to start. Understanding that will just save a lot of stress in the long run. So don't start that search without having an understanding of your budget.
EH: What are the questions couples should be asking photographers when they interview them?
Cassie: Going back to this idea of figuring out as a couple what you value most. If you really value the look and feel of their photos, or for example a certain coloring or lighting, ask the photographer what tools and tricks they use to achieve that.
If you prioritize having beautiful family photos, ask the photographer how they handle that part of the day. Make sure you're asking questions that are very specific to your wedding versus going through a Pinterest list of general questions to ask a wedding photographer. Make sure your photographer is in a mindset where they're considering your wedding as a very individual event.
EH: What words of wisdom would you give new brides and grooms trying to put together their ideal wedding day?
Cassie: It's easy to get overwhelmed by the amount of information and options online. So remembering to take breaks from all that Instagram scrolling and Pinterest pinning to just sit down with your partner and revisit the question: What is most important to you?
Ultimately, it's a celebration of you two and all your friends and family are coming together to witness and celebrate that with you. Just remind yourselves throughout the process the purpose of the wedding and don’t get too lost in everything you could add on to it.
EH: Can you explain what a good connection between a wedding photographer and a couple looks like and feels like for you and for a couple?
Cassie: For me personally, I sense it immediately when it comes to the first inquiry. From the vendor perspective, when I get an inquiry in my inbox that reads something like: "Hey, we found your photos though X. We're so excited to see them. Specifically we saw this one shoot or this one wedding you did and we really liked this thing about it. This is what our wedding is going to be like. We're excited to get married because of this. We're having this at our wedding and we just wanted to see if you're available."
Immediately to me that's a couple that is really enjoying this process of getting married. They are invested in the work that I personally provide, that sets me apart from other people in the industry and that makes me feel really valued. In return, I know what they really value and we can connect on that together.
EH: When you've built that really great rapport, how does that change or improve the end product in terms of the way you can capture the wedding?
Cassie: We don't have to be absolute best friends but if we see eye-to-eye on things because we value the same things, I can capture the wedding in a way that I know they will absolutely love.
For example, if my couple is getting married and their focus is all on their extended family. They've got a billion cousins and they just want photos of their cousins and that's really important. If I'm coming from a mindset where I understand and also really value those family connections, I will make sure to look out for those throughout the day and photograph them in a way that my couple will enjoy looking back on for years to come.
I'm a person that really values details and thought and intention behind planning all different parts of the wedding. So that's something I'm going to pay attention to. I'm going to pay attention to the details of the bride getting ready before she even puts on her dress. I'm going to pay attention to the way the reception tables are set or the guest gifts are laid out. That's the kind of value that comes when there is a good connection between the wedding photographer and the couple.