Des Moines Wedding Photographer
Top Tips for Finding a Des Moines Wedding Photographer
Meet Alecca Synclair Photography, a Des Moines Wedding Photographer here to capture your moments and all the details in between. With over seven years in the wedding industry, it’s safe to say I’ve seen a few things. I thrive on building connection with my wedding couples and guiding them through this season of engagement. Wedding planning can be overwhelming, right? Luckily, as your Des Moines wedding photographer, I’ll be by your side every step of the way. In this article, I’ll walk you through some important tips and advice. Ready for it?
A Wedding Photographer’s Favorite Des Moines Venues
Looking for a wedding venue can be overwhelming! I get it! As a wedding photographer, I truly think the venue itself can make a major difference in the entire wedding day. It effects things like how the day flows, how many people you can invite, and honestly, how the photos turn out! In general, I suggest finding a wedding venue with ample natural light. In doing this, it will make every photo so much better. Additionally, consider factors such as space, parking, and seating. Lastly, I always encourage couples to book a wedding venue that has an inside option. We all know Iowa weather can be unpredictable. As badly as I hope your wedding day is sunny, it’s always good to have a backup plan!
Top Des Moines Wedding Venues to Consider:
- Willow on Grand
- Rollins Mansion
- The Surety Hotel
- Harpor’s Vineyard
- The Tea Room
- Salisbury House
- Curate DSM
- Bash
- Hotel Fort Des Moines
Obviously, there are so many Des Moines Wedding venues to choose from. As a photographer though, these nine venues are my top recommendations! All allow for plenty of space and truly photograph well. I highly recommend looking into these stunning Des Moines Venues! For a complete list of wedding venues, see this article!
When to Book your Des Moines Wedding Photographer
So, when should you book your Des Moines Wedding photographer? This is an amazing question. My suggestion? Book them as soon as you get engaged! While this may seemed rushed, here’s my reasoning :
Photographers typically book up a year to two years in advance. Isn’t that crazy? While that may feel rushed, I highly recommend reaching out to your dream photographer right away! As soon as you have your date booked at your venue, book your photographer. This will ensure you have that date secured on their calendar.
Questions to Ask
Before booking, you should definitely hop on a call or at least email them a few questions, right? Here are a few questions to ask before you book!
- How long have you been photographing weddings?
- Where are you based?
- Have you shot at our venue before?
- Do you have this date available?
- How do payments work? Do you require a retainer?
- What happens if you are sick or unable to make our wedding?
- Do you have a contract? (always hire vendors that have contracts!! this covers both of you!)
In addition to these questions, overall just make sure you are both a good fit! Do you get along? Do you love their style? These are important things to ask and think about before booking a photographer.
How to Choose
When it comes to choosing your wedding photographer, it truly comes down to a few things. Firstly, do you love their style? Are their images trendy or timeless? Be sure to choose a photographer that produces images you will love forever. Personally, I would recommend you avoid those trendy over-saturated or overly light and airy photos unless you are sure you’ll love those forever.
Secondly, are they within budget? Or could you make them fit in your budget? Sometimes a little wiggle room is necessary to book your dream wedding photographer. I get it! So make sure you can make their prices work 🙂
Lastly, are they professional? Do they have a good business structure in place? Unfortunately, I know too many incredible photographers that are horrible at business. Be sure the Des Moines Photographer you hire has contracts in place, has a tax ID, and will provide an incredible client experience!
Where to find your Des Moines Wedding Photographer
Now that you know all these tips, it’s time to find the right photographer for you! Firstly, I would personally love to be considered if you are drawn to my work! Reach out here!
At the same time, I know I’m not the right photographer for everyone. And that’s okay! So here are a few things I recommend to help you find your photographer!
Look on Instagram! Search the keywords Iowa wedding photographer in the search bar. Or, you can look under the hashtags #iowaweddingphotographer, #desmoinesweddingphotographer, or something similar! Additionally, you can search on google too! Lastly, there are resources such as Zola, the Knot, and Wedding Wire.
BONUS: you can always ask your friends! Who did they use? Would they recommend them?
Stalk my Work!
Here are a few recent galleries of my own work – just incase we’re a good fit!
