If you’re newly engaged, you’ve probably realized quickly that finding the right wedding photographer feels overwhelming. There are thousands of options, different editing styles, different price points, and endless advice online.
So where do you even begin?
I’m Kelsey, a wedding photographer based in Upstate New York, and I photograph weddings throughout the Finger Lakes, Catskills, Hudson Valley, and beyond. I’ll use Upstate NY as an example throughout this guide - but these steps apply no matter where you’re getting married.
I also love sharing advice with couples planning their weddings - whether you're deep into the details or just trying to figure out how many hours of photography coverage you need on your wedding day. If you’re wondering how to find a wedding photographer you genuinely trust and feel comfortable with, here’s exactly how to start.
Step 1: Start Your Search on Google (The Smart Way)
Google is usually the first place couples go when searching for a wedding photographer - but how you search makes a big difference.
Search by City
Start with the city where your wedding venue is located.
Examples:
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“Ithaca wedding photographer”
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“Syracuse wedding photographer”
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“Denver wedding photographer”
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“Charleston wedding photographer”
Also search surrounding cities. Most wedding photographers, myself included, do a lot of traveling for weddings, so don’t worry about searching for a city that’s a little farther away from your wedding venue.
Search by Region
Some photographers market themselves by region instead of city.
For example, in New York couples might search:
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Finger Lakes wedding photographer
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Hudson Valley wedding photographer
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Catskills wedding photographer
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Adirondacks wedding photographer
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Central New York wedding photographer
If you’re getting married somewhere less populated, searching by region can bring up stronger results.
This strategy works anywhere - whether you’re in Upstate New York, California wine country, the Colorado mountains, or coastal Maine.
Search by Wedding Venue
This is one of the most overlooked (and most helpful) strategies.
Search:
"[Your venue name] wedding photos”
“[Your venue name] wedding photographer”
Many photographers blog full weddings at venues they’ve worked at. This allows you to:
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See how they photograph your exact location
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View full galleries instead of curated Instagram highlights
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Understand how they use the space and lighting
I would also suggest doing the same thing for other venues nearby. By searching this way, even if they haven't worked at your venue, you know they've worked close by and are familiar with and willing to travel to the area.
Don’t Skip Google Image Search
While you’re doing your searches by city, region, and wedding venue, make sure you don’t forget about Google Image search. It’s not uncommon for a great photographer’s website to rank more highly in image search results than in a regular search.
If you find a style you love, click through to explore their site.
Step 2: Use Wedding Directories - But Don’t Rely on Them Alone
Chances are, that during your Google searches, you stumbled upon links to websites like “The Knot”, “Wedding Wire”, and “Zola”.
These websites compile photographers in one place, which makes them a convenient starting point.
They allow you to:
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Compare styles quickly
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Read reviews
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See pricing ranges
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View portfolio highlights
However, it’s important to understand how they work. Vendors pay to advertise on these platforms. Those featured at the top are paying for placement - not ranked there based on quality alone.
Many incredible photographers either:
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Don’t advertise on directories
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Rely on referrals instead
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Focus more heavily on their own websites and SEO
So use directories as a starting point - but continue your research beyond them.
It's also important to note that The Knot, Wedding Wire, and Zola all give out awards to vendors. You'll usually see a little badge on the vendor's profile if they've received an award (like the ones below). It would be easy to assume that those are the best wedding vendors in the area, which could be true, but it's important to know that awards are given out by these websites every year to vendors who receive a certain number of positive reviews from the previous year (usually anywhere from 5-7). So, these awards don't necessarily indicate that a vendor is better, or more trustworthy than a vendor who didn't receive the award, but they do mean that the vendor has met the requirements for positive reviews for the year.
A Note on Zola:
On some platforms, like Zola, vendors pay credits to respond to inquiries. That means if your listed budget appears outside a photographer’s pricing range, they may decline the inquiry rather than spend credits responding.
If there’s a photographer you truly love, it’s often best to inquire directly through their website contact form. That ensures your message goes straight to them and gives you more space to share details about your date, venue, and priorities.
Step 3: Use Instagram Strategically
Some talented photographers don’t prioritize ranking on Google - their clients find them through word of mouth, planners, and social media.
If you haven’t found the right fit through Google, Instagram can be a great next step.
Search Relevant Hashtags
Try:
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#yourcityweddingphotographer
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#yourcityweddings
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#yourregionweddingphotographer
For example:
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#ithacaweddingphotographer
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#fingerlakesweddingphotographer
Hashtags can lead you to photographers who may not appear on the first page of Google.
Look at Venue's Instagram Accounts
Another way to search for wedding photographers on Instagram is through your venue (or a venue in the same area). Once you’re viewing your venue’s account, you’re going to look at photos they’ve posted. Most of the time when venues post a photographer’s photos, they will tag the photographer that took the photo. This helps you find vendors who have already worked at your venue, or if you're looking at a venue in the same area, a photographer who is willing to travel to the area where your venue is located.
Look at Photos That Your Venue Has Been Tagged In
You can also look at the photos that your wedding venue has been tagged in. Most photographers will always tag the wedding venue when they post photos they've taken there. This is a great way to find photographers who have photographed weddings at your venue even if your venue isn't very active on Instagram.
Look at Local Wedding Planners
I always recommend that couples hire a planner or at least a day-of coordinator - it's one of the best ways to have a laid-back, well-organized day. But even if that's not in the cards, checking out a planner’s Instagram feed can still be super helpful when you’re searching for a photographer (or any vendor).
Planners are often involved early on and usually help couples build their vendor team. That means they’re recommending people they know deliver consistent, professional work - and who are genuinely great to be around on a wedding day.
So, when you’re scrolling through a planner’s feed, check out who they’re tagging. If you see a photographer pop up in multiple posts, that’s a solid sign. Most couples only work with a photographer once, but planners work with them again and again. Their go-to recommendations speak volumes.
Step 4. Make Sure Your Photographer Is Inclusive
No matter where you’re getting married, choosing an LGBTQ-inclusive wedding photographer matters.
Having an LGBTQ-affirming business is something I’m incredibly passionate about, but unfortunately, even in Upstate NY, not every photographer is. I’ve noticed this is something that many cis-hetero couples overlook when searching for a photographer because they’re thinking about their photographer in relation to their own relationship, but I believe it’s important that we not only choose vendors whose work we love, but who would support us (and our friends and family) no matter who we love and who we’re marrying.
A wedding photographer’s support for the LGBTQ community should be apparent on their website through images and language. Ideally, a photographer comes right out and says that they support the LGBTQ community on their website, but if they don't, you'll have to do a little more looking around. Lack of images of LGBTQ couples on a website or social media doesn’t necessarily mean that a photographer isn’t inclusive. It could mean that they haven’t worked with any LGBTQ couples yet, and in these cases, you’ll want to pay extra close attention to the language on the website. Any language alluding to “bride” or “groom” instead of “couple” or “partner” could be (but isn’t always) a signal that they are not an inclusive business. If you’re still not sure, you can always reach out to the photographer and ask (or ask a friend or family member to reach out for you), but I believe that in the wedding industry, a photographer’s (or any vendor’s) support for the LGBTQ community should be loud and clear.
Step 4: Learn How to Evaluate Photographers Once You’ve Found Them
Once you've used the methods above to build a list of potential photographers for your wedding, you're going to make sure that:
- You connect with their work (if you enjoy looking through their portfolio, that's a good sign)
- You like their editing style (how they handle color and different lighting situations)
- Their work is consistent (ask to see multiple full wedding galleries - not just instagram highlights)
- You feel comfortable with them and like their personality (a phone or video call makes a huge difference here - you'll be spending a lot of time with your photographer on your wedding day)
Step 5. Final Thoughts: Trust Your Gut
There’s a lot of advice out there about how to choose a wedding photographer. But once you’ve done your research, viewed full galleries, and had a conversation - trust your instincts.
You should feel:
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Comfortable
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Confident
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Excited
If you’re planning a wedding in Upstate New York - whether in the Finger Lakes, Catskills, Hudson Valley, Adirondacks, or anywhere in between - I’d love to connect and hear more about your plans.
And if you’re getting married elsewhere, I hope this guide helped you feel a little more confident in starting your search 💛