Are you still looking for your Montreal Wedding Photographer for 2023?
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We are in the final week of April, 4 months into the year. Are you are getting married in 2023 but don’t have your photographer yet? Don’t worry, you are not alone! While many plan to secure their Montreal wedding photographer well in advance to guarantee they can book their preference, not everyone is able to dedicate the time and effort to do so too far in advance.
You can start feeling stressed at this point if you haven’t booked your photographer yet. Time may have simply escaped you, and now you’re panicking. But not all is lost. Here are three things to keep in mind if you are behind in your planning but still want an incredible photographer for your wedding.
Ask anyways
You don’t know the actual availability of a photographer until you inquire. If you make an assumption that a popular or your desired photographer must be booked, do yourself a favour and reach out anyways. Even sought-after photographers may have a few gaps in their schedule. In the event that the photographer is booked, they will often give some names of other photographers that you can inquire with (or you can ask). The benefit here? Usually we refer those with whom we’ve worked and we are confident with and trust. So even if you don’t get your preferred person, one of their personal referrals may be available and you have a solid lead which narrows your work. Helpful when time is ticking away for planning!
Don’t panic yourself into compromise.
Last minute planning doesn’t mean that you have to settle for less than the dream - like a cheaper or a student photographer with no experience. If you don’t have opportunity to receive a referral, or a photographer has a message on their site that they are closed to bookings, do your research to find photographers that will be a good fit with you and your vision. This may mean scrolling through into the deeper pages of your Google Search Results, as terrific photographers do still exist even if they don’t appear on page one. A photographer on page one could be a photographer that doesn’t align with your style or your personality, because there are endless characteristics that can determine our best match. There are many photographers in the Montreal area, and some will undoubtedly resonate with you. Be patient (albeit a bit speedy) and look thoroughly!
Consider a date shift
This applies if you also are behind on booking a venue. The pandemic created many Friday and Sunday weddings due to reschedules, but this trend hasn’t left us. Some are opting for a Friday or a Sunday wedding in order to book their preferred venue. The same could apply to your wedding photographer. If you had someone in mind, or if you narrowed to a list of preferred photographers, then remaining flexible to shift your date to one of their available ones could be a sound decision. With many guests working from home with flexible schedules — another result of the pandemic — a Friday or Sunday wedding could work out much better than you could imagine!
Planning a wedding isn’t linear, and for photographers and other professionals in the wedding industry field, our work isn’t linear either. Weddings have taken on so many dimensions, so it’s worth holding on to as much of the vision as you can for your day, and only start making decisions on compromises when you absolutely need to. Some wonderful venues exist that aren’t on the radar of major wedding sites, so digging through Google searches and personal references on social media could result in a gem of a place that has your date open. I reference three intimate venues in this blog post, and explore many other options in this post, including theatres and restaurants.
Some Fall 2023 dates remain available in my schedule. If you like my work and my personality, please reach out to see if I’m open on your date!
