Martin’s Crosswinds Greenbelt, Maryland Wedding

Jennifer + Forrest

To make a long blog short, Jennifer and Forrest were a photographer’s perfect couple. They were a couple that were fun to be around from their engagement session, all the way down to the dance floor on their wedding day. They were open to direction and creativity and even had ideas of their own to make their wedding day unique. They were also very in tune with their surroundings. They knew when it was time to relax and when it was time to go and they had an awesome bridal party that supported them through out their day. And Jen made sure I had plenty of cake. They were really a photographer’s couple.

Their wedding day at Martin’s Crosswinds in Greenbelt, MD was also perfect for lovers and photographers alike. Everything seemed to connect and fall into place as planned. When it comes to connections and planning, these two things, as well as a few others are monumental in finding a great couple but also finding a great photographer. Finding a great photographer, as well as a great wedding vendor team, can really impact and alter your wedding day vibe. But what makes a wedding photographer good and how do you pick a the right wedding photographer for you?

Aside from the technical details and execution of photography itself, a few things can really help you navigate your way through the seemingly bottomless pool of wedding photogs.

The first thing you should check for when picking your wedding photographer is if you have a good connection. Keep in mind, your wedding photographer will spend the majority of your wedding day with you, your friends and family. Make sure this person has the right energy and vibe to fit your surroundings. You don’t necessarily have to be best friends with your photographer but feeling comfortable around them and being able to break that stranger danger barrier and cross into new friend / acquaintance zone will make a huge difference.

Communication is major key for finding the right photographer for you. I believe you should be able to contact any of your vendors with questions you have to help alleviate uncertainty. Getting a response back within 24 hours should be reasonable unless they’ve mentioned their limited availability for the day, week or during busy wedding season. Having someone take 48+ hours to respond to questions can really build unnecessary anxiety.

When picking a photographer, you should ask yourself “can they help us with our vision for wedding day?” This may factor down to the photographers creativity in executing your vision or maybe you have a mood board inspiration like paparazzi, direct flash or an editorial feel. Whatever it is, make sure its communicated before your wedding but also be able to flexible in case of the unpredictable.

Lastly and most important, the final product separates the good photographers from the bad. The final product itself doesn’t just mean photographs but the overall experience. Being open, communicative, creative, personable, delivering excellent service as well as excellent photographs; this all is what makes a photographer great and knowing if you have found the right one for you!

All of these boxes and even more were checked for this couple. I really believe that these photographs are as perfect as Jennifer and Forrest have been for each other and for me on their wedding day.

Associate Photographer: Jason Montoya

Venue: Martin’s Crosswind

Hair: Jessica Baligush, Up Dos for I Dos

MUA: Jess Hunt

Entertainment/ DJ: Justin White