When it comes to finding the right elopement photographer for you, there are a ton of things to consider. As an elopement photographer and someone who has eloped, I understand the weight of making sure you have found the right person. You have big elopement dreams and you want to ensure that you choose a photographer that will capture them exactly the way you envisioned. Hell, you only get one shot at this! This day is a once-in-a-lifetime experience and there’s no going back and re-doing your elopement day if your photos are “eh”. I have had countless conversations with couples that wished they could redo their elopement and invested in an elopement photographer from the start.

When it comes to your elopement photographer, you need to click. You need to have the confidence that THIS is the right photographer for your vision. This is not a time in your life to gamble with your cousin’s best friend with a decent camera.

The below blog goes into detail about what to consider and what to ask during your search. For the skimmers out there, here’s a quick summary of some things to consider:

• Value a collaborative experience over a discounted experience
• Review the photographer’s work entirely
• Get an idea of your photographer’s posing style
• Make sure you love the editing (lighting, color, crop, etc.)
• Ask your photographer questions that matter (jump to the bottom to see a list)

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The Experience

First things first, experience is everything. Your client experience starts the moment you inquire with your elopement photographer. Here are two scenarios of client experience:

The Budget-Friendly Experience

This experience comes with the majority of photographers that entice you to book based on discounts and a too good-to-believe price tag. You find a photographer that doesn’t break the bank, you pay them, you might hear from them a week or so before your elopement, they come, they shoot, and they deliver a decent gallery. They are just another vendor. But leading up to your elopement, you’re concerned about the vendors you chose – are they good? Are they going to capture my vision? You’re worried that you may or may not need a permit for your ceremony location. You’re not totally sure about how to go about finding out if you need a photography permit. You spend hours googling different things to do after your ceremony, but there’s so many options that it becomes overwhelming. You go back and forth between going here or going there. You wonder when you should take photos or when you should have your ceremony. You wonder what time you should start getting ready. You’re unsure that there’s enough coverage time to capture all the things you’re wanting to capture. You spent hours worrying and being overstimulated by all the options. You wished someone would have just given you some guidance.

The All-Inclusive Experience

You booked an experience with an all-inclusive elopement photographer. You’re welcomed with a customized welcome gift based on your interests as a couple to help get you pumped for your elopement day. After booking, you’re sent a detailed questionnaire that helps understand who you are as a couple, what you value together, and how you envision your elopement. After receiving the questionnaire, your photographer curates a customized elopement plan for three locations that fit your vision jam packed with things to do, a custom timeline based on what you want to do, and location-specific information. After you and your beau select a location, your photographer sends over a checklist, vendor recommendations, and provides guidance of the coming steps. The planning assistance gives you another level of confidence you were not expecting.

Between now and your elopement, your photographer checks in with you to make sure you’re on track and provides any assistance. A month before your elopement, you and your photog have a zoom call to go over the plan and ensure all the ducks are in a row. A week before, you receive an email with all the details of your elopement, where you’re meeting, the timeline, and some words of encouragement. With the constant communication and assistance, you feel totally guided through a process you’ve never been through before.

After your elopement, you receive sneak peeks of your entire day within 24 hours. Being able to share these moments so quickly, allows you to feel connected with friends and family and ride the high of your elopement.

The all-inclusive experience is the Hazography experience. As someone who has eloped, I understand the importance of feeling guided in a destination location. My promise to my clients is to make them feel guided, comfortable, and taken care of. You will feel completely comfortable and guided throughout the entire experience so you’re never wondering what’s next. Learn more about the experience and see if we would be a good fit to rip it together!

The Look

When you scroll Instagram and say “I LOVE those photos”, there are two things you’re loving: the posing and the editing.

Posing makes or breaks your photos. Most photographers tell you where to put your hands and to look lovingly into each others’ eyes (ew, David), but posing hits different around here. The methodology used to capture real emotion and happiness comes from couples acting out prompts. For example, I’ll have your partner whisper their favorite fruits and veggies in your ear or I’ll have you surprise your partner by running and hugging them from behind. Using prompts removes the stress of feeling how you’re looking and instead puts the energy into having a good time. When you’re having a good time, it shows.

The first thing couples notice is the editing. There are many different types of editing from light, bright, and airy to warm, dark, and moody, and everything in between. When you’re on your search for your elopement photographer, make sure you vibe with the editing style and it portrays the look you want to plaster all over your home and social media. For me, the warm and moody look feels romantic and timeless.

Questions to Ask

Outside of the experience and the look of the photos, there are some steps you should take to ensure you’re going to love your entire photography experience. Here are some questions to ask your elopement photographer before booking:

1. Can you show me a full gallery of an elopement at a similar location?
2. Do you have an example of an elopement plan and timeline?
3. What happens if you’re unable to shoot our elopement?
4. What backup systems do you have in place to ensure our photos are protected?
5. If there’s bad weather, what do we do?

When To Book

Most elopement photographers book well in advance – up to a year out! The minute that you and your partner have decided to elope, you should reach out to an elopement photographer. They will help figure out the best time of year to elope in your desired location and help with all the other logistics.

If you’re looking for an elopement photographer that will provide an all-inclusive experience that will take all the stress away from planning a destination elopement, reach out and let’s see how we can plan and capture your best freakin’ day yet!