A quick search on “the best sites to find wedding photographers” does not actually have a lot of good information for brides and grooms to-be, and as a photography studio, we were actually kind of surprised. There are a ton of good websites to find wedding vendors, which has made wedding planning for couples much easier than ever before—and we know selecting a wedding photographer can be challenging.
Here are the top four sites to find some of the best wedding photographers:
1. WeddingWire
WeddingWire is the top stop for future bride and grooms. It has a really comprehensive list of vendors, ranging from photographers (yes, LakeShore Photography and Video included) to reception venues and make-up artists. From the moment you arrive on the wedding wire site, you get the sense that you could not only find everything you need, but also pick up on the experience of other customers via reviews. The descriptions, photo albums, and specific pricing really help you to decide if a photographer is right for you. Of course, photography studios like ours are always happy to answer further questions or provide custom quotes if you are looking for something specific. WeddingWire is definitely one of the top paces (if not THE top place to start your search).
2. The Knot
The Knot claims that it acts as “your personal wedding planner” and that is exactly what it is. While also having an extensive vendor list, it also helps you manage everything: your guest list, wedding website, checklist, and budgeter. Photographers typically showcase some of their top work and make it so when you are looking, you do not need to look much further than the site itself to narrow down your favorites. Again, the Knot is also a platform for reviews and feedback from others who have worked with vendors before, so it is one of the ways you can get a sense if a photographer might be a good fit. A note on reviews. Keep in mind that the number of reviews aren’t always indicative of greatness on these sites. Many people prefer to write reviews on Yelp, Google, or Facebook, so be sure to check these out as well!
3. Wedding Bee
Wedding Bee does a little something different, they claim to be a “blog & community” for newly engaged couples and those planning their wedding. They absolutely do have vendor reviews of photographers—but this site is really intended to give general advice on the process of planning a wedding, from the moment they say “yes” to the moment you both say “I do.” Most of these are in the form of forums, where people weigh-in on their opinions and experiences on topics like: how many hours to hire a photographer for, hiring a photography student as opposed to a professional, or hiring two photographers. They even have a Wiki Wedding Bee page, which breaks down the details on wedding photography, for those looking to learn more.
Wedding bee, like both Wedding Wire and The Knot, has “premium” features for photographers that have a paid account and advertise, but it is really a review site. Many of the reviews actually work in collaboration with Wedding Wire, so my suggestion is to go to Wedding Bee for forum-type advice, but maybe look at Wedding Wire and The Knot for vendor reviews, photos, and information once you are to the point where you feel like you are ready to start looking and hire a photographer.
4. One Wed
One Wed is another Vendor review site where you can look through photos, descriptions, and specialties of photographers. It is a site dedicated to helping brides make decisions, with a Pinterest type format of endless images to get ideas. This is a great starting point for understanding photography style and differentiating what you like and what you do not. If you really like certain images, bring them to a potential photographer to see if they feel comfortable and willing to capture those type of shots. It isn’t as comprehensive of a site (in my opinion) as the three sites I started out with, but it definitely has a great visual platform and you can start to get ideas for things like cakes, flowers, wedding bands, and other details as well. In terms of photography, start to think about what you like about how these details are captured, as it will help you communicate your interests to the photography team.
The Takeaway
I didn’t want to bombard you with too many sites, as there are so many out there. These four really are the best places to get yourself going, and each has something different to offer. My suggestion is to explore and don’t just pick a photographer because they have 2000 reviews (when photography studios like ours restrict to 25 weddings a year for quality and focus, we question how a studio could possibly have that many reviews), but look at the kind of shots and moments a photographer is able to capture. Look at the quality of the reviews over the quantity, and definitely remember that smaller studios are often willing to talk over details like price and availability on a personal level.