When should I start to think about hiring a photographer?
Carli B
Question Asked: 2/10/2017
Wedding Date: 4/08/2018
Most Helpful Response
(14) · Brisbane, Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast, servicing all of South East Queensland.
Posted: 26/06/2026
Answered by: 13 Experts
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Easily up to 12-18 months in advance.
(17) · Brisbane | Ipswich | Springfield Lakes | Gold Coast | Sunshine Coast | Toowoomba
Posted: 11/12/2017
Most photographers will need a deposit and agreement to hold your weeding date for you. That doesn't mean you can't start looking for a photographer as soon as possible. You will find some photographers are happy to discuss your wedding needs and this is really good to help you with your planning. However, you do need your date set and your venue confirmed for that date if you are serious about hiring a photographer. I hope this helps with your wedding planning.
(11) · Melbourne, Mornington Peninsula, Yarra Valley / Dandenong Ranges
Posted: 4/12/2017
Most of my clients book within 12-18 months of there wedding.
In saying that some are much longer!
One you have the date its best to start thinking about the photographer and also videographer if you are having.
It tends to be the venue, celebrant and then photographer- you want to make sure you can ge tthe person you love! and that is most suited to your plans!
Its such a shame when I get enquiries for the dates I am already booked!
Get in as soon as possible!
Enjoy every part of the planning!
Madeleine
As soon as possible. Your photographer will be with you for most of the day and can help you plan your initial schedule.
I would suggest that as soon as you’ve decided on a date, start contacting photographers, ask for their packages and confirm if they are free for that date you have chosen. This way you can start a process of elimination (so to speak) and find the perfect photographer to capture your day.
As soon as you lock that date in, the first thing we suggest you book is definitely a photographer. Photography these days is such a massive part of your big day. These images are the one thing you can take away from the wedding and have them last you a life time. If you see a photographers images that you love jump onto that straight away.
Photography should be the first thing you lock in after your venue is booked - I find popular wedding dates in the spring / early summer book out at least a year to eighteen months in advance. All the best! Ruth
(1) · Sydney & Surroundings, Northern Beaches, Lower North Shore
Posted: 23/11/2017
Great question !
It all depends what time of year. Spring/Summer are peak periods and the week end slots disappear fast - so its' worth booking in a fav phtogographer 6+ months in advance.
In winter and if your wedding is a week day, photgoraphers tend to be more easliy avialble so less lead time is needed.
Even if your photographer is availabe on the date you want, he/she will need time to recce the venue and talk to you about a plan. Personaly, even for last minute bookings I'd like 2 weeks minimum to get everything lined up correctly.
Most of our clients book us about 10-14 months away from their wedding.
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Once you've locked in your date and venue, photography is one of the very next things I'd sort out, and here's the practical reason why. Most studios, ours included, only take on one wedding per shooter per day, so once a Saturday in our peak months is gone, it's gone. There's no doubling up the way some vendors can.
Timing really comes down to your date. Spring and autumn are our busiest stretches in South East Queensland, and those Saturdays often book out twelve to eighteen months ahead. If you're getting married then, I'd treat photography as a priority booking. A winter date or a weekday gives you a lot more breathing room, so don't panic if your timeline is shorter, there's usually still good people available.
That said, please don't rush it just to tick a box. Spend the time finding someone whose style genuinely matches what you want to look back on, and meet them if you can, because you'll be spending most of the day with this person. It's also worth asking who actually edits your photos and video. With us, every image and film is edited in-house, never sent offshore, so the look you fall in love with in our portfolio is the look you'll get back.
Short version: book early enough to secure someone you love, especially for a peak-season Saturday, but give yourself enough time to choose well rather than just choosing fast.