How We Found the Perfect Wedding Photographer

Of all the decisions we made during wedding planning, choosing our photographer was the one we agonised over most. These are not just service providers — they are the people who will translate the most important day of your lives into something you can hold, revisit, share with grandchildren. The stakes feel impossibly high.

Starting With Forty Portfolios

We began with an open brief. James posted on a wedding photography forum asking for recommendations for Paris-based photographers with a documentary lean — we wanted images that felt true, not staged. Within two days we had forty-three portfolio links. We spent a Saturday evening going through each one, and by midnight we had a shortlist of eight.

What We Were Looking For

Our criteria were specific: we wanted someone who shot in natural light predominantly, who had experience with both indoor and outdoor receptions in Paris, whose work had warmth without being overly golden-filtered, and — most importantly — whose couples appeared to be genuinely themselves in every photograph. We could spot the staged shots immediately. The real laughter, the real tears, the real moments of two people in love — those are harder to fake and harder to capture.

Look at the eyes. If the couple's eyes are alive, the photographer understands intimacy. That is the skill that matters most.

The Interviews

We interviewed five photographers over video call. Two were talented but clearly in high demand and gave us the impression we would be one booking among dozens. One was technically accomplished but didn't seem particularly interested in us as people. One was wonderful but had only shot two Parisian weddings. And then there was Maison Lumière — a duo, a husband-and-wife team who had photographed weddings in Paris for eleven years. They asked us about our relationship before they showed us a single image. They wanted to know how we met, what James laughed like, whether I cried at films. By the end of the call I felt known.

Our Practical Advice

Budget generously for photography. Of all the wedding expenses, it is the only one you will still be benefiting from in thirty years. Meet your photographer before you book — not just a call, but ideally in person. Look at full galleries, not just the highlight portfolio shots. And tell them your story. The best photographers photograph people, not weddings.