Hi all! Britt here, your bridal designer for sustainable bridal fashion. I got the chance to talk to professional wedding photographer Erik Gilliland. His work is phenomenal! I might be a bit biased because he did our wedding photos, but nonetheless, I asked him when the best time was to schedule or book a wedding photographer. Here is what he had to say:
“As a wedding photographer I have had the opportunity to capture many different wedding styles, locations, and time frames. I have been booked for weddings only a couple months away, and even two years out. Life is ever changing and curve balls are often thrown! A good photographer must be able to adapt and overcome any obstacle thrown their way.
Everyone has their own way of planning a wedding and most wedding planners I have worked with will bear the brunt of the load for you (I highly recommend getting one). In my personal opinion I recommend booking your wedding photographer at least a year out. Wedding photographers are usually pretty booked in the summer months so finding one last minute is not an easy task. As soon as you have the date for the wedding locked in, contact the photographer to make sure they have that date available. Most couples get married on weekends so dates start becoming very limited for photographers. Like I said, a good wedding planner will also help you with timelines. If you cannot decide on an exact date you should still contact the wedding photographer and talk with them about dates you are thinking about. They might only have one or two of those dates available and that might be the determining factor on deciding on your wedding day.
” I like to capture emotion, candid photos as well as posed photos. I love to take advantage of the venue and scenery, incorporating that into my images. I always ask for any photo ideas that the Bride has as well to meet her expectations. “
Once booked, I like to meet with my clients a couple times before the big day. I like to talk about the timeline or flow of the day and see what their ideas are. It is always good to get a rough plan on the who, what, when and where for photos before the wedding day to create less kayos. As long as the photographer and Bride are on the same page everything usually works out. A couple weeks before the wedding I like to have the bride send me her outline of the day. I can look it over and offer advice and ideas based on my experience.
I find it hard to say what my exact style of photography is. I like to capture emotion, candid photos as well as posed photos. I love to take advantage of the venue and scenery, incorporating that into my images. I always ask for any photo ideas that the Bride has as well to meet her expectations.”
You can learn more about Erik Gilliland Photography and contact him on his Facebook page here.