Liz Loves: Lauren Kearns Photography – Part 1

Posted Jan 15, 2019 by Jenna Francke

We love learning from awesome vendors that our brides have had wonderful experiences with! Lauren Kearns is a gorgeous photographer who has captured the big day for a number of EJ brides. In this blog, she gives insight on what to look for when choosing the perfect wedding photographer for you! See her tips below for some great advice, and enjoy some samples of her fabulous work!

From Lauren:

“For many brides, this is your one and only experience planning a wedding. Therefore, it’s difficult to know exactly what to look for in a photographer. You’ve most likely never done this before! As a wedding photographer of 10 years here is my advice from the other side of the couple-photographer relationship!

What I’m not going to cover is budget, which is probably at the top of your list for qualified photographers! The reason? You can check off all of the listed qualifications for your wedding photographer with each of the checkpoints below, and still find your perfect wedding photographer in any realistic budget! So here we go!

1. Photographer’s Style. It shouldn’t take you too long to figure out a photographer’s style, even before you find their website. Just take a look at their instagram, and immediately, you should see some coherent style. Are their images light and airy, dark and moody, classic black and white? The list of styles can go on and on, but you should be able to determine whether or not you’re attracted to their style as soon as you click into a few images. A common misconception, is that any photographer will photograph in any style. This is not true of any professional photographer. There is no right or wrong style of photographer, but you certainly want to make sure your photographer is consistent in their style. Remember: Jack of all trades is master of none.

2. Photographer’s Personality. The perfect recipe for a happy couple-to-photographer ratio is a good connection and friendship. Do you get a good feeling about this photographer over the phone or in person? Do your personalities mesh? Could you see your photographer becoming a friend? These are all of the questions you need to ask yourself before hiring the photographer whose portfolio has passed inspection! On your wedding day, you will be spending your entire day with this person, who will capture your tears of joy and romantic moments alone together. You need to determine whether or not this photographer will make a great third wheel!

3. Engagement Session. Is the engagement session included in your wedding package? I know this is not always a favorite for the groom, but I also know that every groom feels way more at ease on the wedding day after having a “trial run” with their photographer, who they now know and trust! The same holds true for brides! This is a great time to really get to know your photographer, how they pose, what their people skills are and whether or not you feel confident with them as your photographer. This relationship-building experience means so much to me, that I offer engagement sessions complimentary. I know there are many other photographers out there who do as well!