How Early Should You Book Your Wedding Photographer?
After getting engaged, one of the first questions couples ask is, "How early should we book our wedding photographer?" While every wedding is different, I generally recommend booking 12–18 months before your wedding. That gives you the best chance of getting the photographer you want, locking in current pricing, and planning your day without unnecessary stress.
There’s a certain order to which vendors you should prioritize hiring when planning a wedding. I always recommend that couples should look for the vendors who can only work 1 wedding per day first: the DJ, the hair and make-up people, any entertainment you hire (band, stand-up comic), in many cases the venue (some of my favourite venues only take 1 wedding per day) and, of course, the photographer.
So when should you start your photographer (and videographer, if you’re looking for video as well) search? The exact answer varies depending on your time of year and location. If you’re planning something in Montreal in early June, for example, you might want to start a bit earlier than if you’re looking for someone in a small town in November. In either case, you usually have options if you book around a year or more in advance.
The Short Answer
Most couples book their photographer somewhere between 12 and 18 months before the wedding. That’s a good time frame and it’s also what I recommend. It generally gives you enough time to make sure you don’t feel rushed and can figure out exactly what you’re looking for. If you’re planning your wedding for a busy date at a popular venue, you’re going to need that time. It’s certainly possible to put a wedding together in less time (I once had a couple book me 2 1/2 days before the wedding), but it’s not ideal.
Why Booking Early Is Worth It
You Can Book the Photographer You Really Want
It’s best to find a photographer whose personality, photography style and workflow appeal to you. You’re going to be with this person several times before it’s all said and done: there will be a pre-wedding meeting, possibly an engagement session (highly recommended'; here are some reasons why you should have an engagement session), of course the wedding itself (where you could be with them for 12 hours or more) and the album design session afterward. You want to make sure you book someone you want to work with.
Since photographers can only shoot 1 wedding at a time, you have a much better chance of booking your first choice if you book early. Remember: I’m available until I’m not. I could be available today and completely booked tomorrow. Wedding dates disappear quickly, especially Saturdays during peak season.
You Lock In Today's Pricing
This is a reason people tend to overlook. Wedding photography pricing, like everything else, goes up over time because of inflation. It’s just simple economics. If you book early, you have a good chance of spending less money. Not because the photographer is offering you some sort of early-bird discount, but simply because their regular price is lower now than it will be in the future.
If you contact me today about a wedding taking place two months from now, you'll pay my current pricing. Had you booked that same wedding 15 months ago, there's a good chance my rates would have been lower. I may be charging even more 15 months from now. If you book early, there’s a good chance you’ll be locking in your price at a lower rate.
You'll Have More Time to Plan
There are many details that need to be discussed, worked out and planned for the wedding: portrait locations for both the engagement session and the Big Day, the family portrait list, your Plan B location in case of rain, and timing. You might want a sunset portrait session, for example. You’ll need to take that into account because it’ll probably be in the middle of your reception.
If you book your photographer early, you’ll have more time to work out all of those details and come up with alternate plans should there be conflicts. The best part: your photographer does more than just take photos. Photographers tend to be quite involved in the timeline-creation process, so having more time to plan means the photographer has more time to help you.
You Can Schedule Your Engagement Session When It Works Best
If you book at least a year in advance, you can have your pick of whatever season you want for your engagement session. Fall foliage? Sure. Winter Wonderland right after a snowfall? Not a problem, it’s coming up in a few months. You’ve got every type of weather and setting possible at some point between now and your wedding date.
This will give you some great photos for your Save-the-Date cards and invitations. It’ll also give you a chance to get some practice being a couple in front of a camera, which is something many people are nervous about. An engagement session with an experienced photographer (ideally the one that will be shooting your wedding) is a great way to get more confident about being on camera. For a little extra help on this, you should take a look at my posing guide.
You Can Spread Out Your Payments
There’s no way around it: wedding planning can get expensive very quickly. Payment flexibility can help. If you book your photographer 2 months before the wedding, you’ll have to make the full deposit payment right away. Booking earlier usually spreads your photography payments over a longer period, making them easier to fit into your overall wedding budget.
That makes budgeting a lot easier.
You'll Have One Less Thing to Worry About
This much is obvious: everything you check off your list is 1 less thing to worry about, making your life that much easier. You’ll be far more stressed about the whole process (and possibly completely overwhelmed at least once) if you wait until there are only a few months to go before the wedding.
What If You're Planning on a Short Timeline?
Don’t panic! While 12-18 months is ideal, it is possible to work with a shorter timeline - although 2 ½ days really is pushing it. One of my favourite couples only signed me in April for a June wedding, but it was tight. I almost booked another job before they called me.
Don't assume every photographer is booked, though. Wedding dates occasionally become available because of postponements or cancellations, so it's always worth asking. Have them keep your contact info and get back to you if something opens up.
Here’s what I’d suggest: have the vendors you already hired help you find the ones you need. Anyone who’s been in the business for a while has a network of other vendors they’ve worked with. The couple that booked me in April for June found me through a recommendation from their venue. That saved them the time of doing all the research themselves. They still hadn’t found a hair and make-up artist yet, so I recommended one to them, saving them even more time.
Book Early
Booking your photographer 12–18 months before your wedding gives you the widest choice, today's pricing, more time to plan, and one less major decision hanging over your head. It's one of the easiest ways to make the rest of your wedding planning less stressful.
If you're planning a wedding in Montreal or the surrounding area and would like to check my availability, I'd love to hear about your plans. Get in touch today to reserve your date.
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12 months is usually early enough to have a good chance of booking the photographer you want. Generally, you want to start looking at least 12 months before the wedding and sometimes as much as 18 months.
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It depends on a few factors, such as time of year, popularity of the photographer and the date itself. If you’re booking for a wedding on a Saturday in mid-June, for example, you need to start your search earlier than if you’re getting married on a Tuesday in November. Many photographers are book about a year in advance, give or take.
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You certainly can! Not every photographer will make their calendar available 2 years in advance, but some will and it certainly doesn’t hurt to ask. I’ve had couples book me about that far in advance.
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Your venue should be the first booking you make because that has a lot to do with the date you choose and you can’t book a photographer until you have a date. The photographer should be one of the next bookings you make, though.
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Don’t panic! Your wedding date might be fast approaching, but that doesn’t mean you’re out of luck. There’s always the possibility that the photographer you want is still available or knows someone similar to them who is. There’s also the possibility that one of your other vendors knows someone who can cover the wedding. Take advantage of their network of connections.
Sometimes a photographer who was originally unavailable has a cancellation, too. If a photographer you like isn’t initially available, give them your info and ask them to get back to you if the date suddenly opens up.
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Absolutely! The only two details you need to book your photographer are the date and the location. Everything else, like the timeline for the day and your family portrait list, are details that will be worked out later.
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It’s not a requirement, but it’s certainly a good idea. The sooner it gets done, the sooner you have photos for your Save-the-Date cards and invitations. Once those are taken care of, it’ll be one more thing you can cross off your list. It’ll also be easier for you to plan the shoot for the season you want because you won’t have to rush.