You might have seen it before, photographs from a friend or family members' wedding in Hawaii or somewhere else, that just didn’t seem to measure up to the actual event. So you ask them, “ who did you hire to do the photographs at your your wedding in Hawaii? “ And their answer shocks you, we just had a friend with a nice camera, who was already coming to Hawaii for the wedding with us, do the pictures. 

Friends don’t let friends take your wedding photographs

1) What do we pay them? , Do they expect to be paid?

2) Will they show up on time, or at all if we don't pay them?

3) Will they capture the special & iconic events of the day?

4) When will we see our wedding photos after the wedding?

5) Will or can they edit, print or make an album of the photos they take? 

6) ..... And What if they totally mess up the images, will we still be friends? 

Hawaii Wedding PhotographerHonolulu, Hawaii Wedding Photographer, Hawaiianpix.

The images below document our “See The Difference” campaign for brides to be, the photo below is courtesy of the Professional Photographers of America

Professional vs. Amateur Wedding Photogrphy"courtesy of Professional Photographers of America"

We wanted to explain visually, the importance that it can make to work with a professional. These two photographs while simple and iconic appear in most weddings. This example makes it easy to see the difference it makes working with a professional photographer. An event as important as your wedding requires that it be handled by a professional. A “nice camera“ doesn’t take the photos, the photographer takes them. Without using proper photographic lighting, & posing techniques, the difference is clear. The photographs on the right, demonstrate how a professional photographer with experience would approach the same situation as a friend with a nice camera would, on the left.

You only get one chance

Choosing the right wedding photographer for your wedding is one of the highest priorities on most brides list. Here are a few things to consider when working with a photographer.

1. Choose a proven professional photographer
   1. We’ve covered this pretty well, don’t send a plumber to do your wedding photographs.

In Hawaii there are hundreds of FULL TIME professional wedding photographers, Hawaiianpix is proud to have served over a thousand wedding clients in the last 15 years.

2.  Ask the Hard Questions
   1. How long have you been in business?
   2. Do you have a backup if you are sick?
   3. Can you show me examples of your work from ONE wedding?
   4. Do you carry insurance ( most major wedding locations will require this)
   5. What happens if we need to reschedule?
   6. When will we see our photographs, prints, albums from the wedding?

A professional photographer will have the answers to these and many more questions, it’s your wedding, your wedding photographer should display the experience necessary to answer

3. Plan for a little extra time
   1. Simply said the more time you have the more photographs you can get from your wedding.

Ideally for our weddings, we like to spend 30-45 minutes with the couple alone. This is after the family formals. It is all about your first photos as a “married “ couple, very romantic.

2. Most weddings in Honolulu or anywhere in Hawaii are done at least partly outdoors.   

Plan a stop or location for a photo shoot, usually on the way from the church to the reception venue. We always have a plan for taking photographs and visit locations before the wedding day and do our homework. This helps save our clients' time on the wedding day, allowing you to make the most of it.

Wedding photography is about capturing one of the most important days of your life. Be properly prepared, hire a pro and have fun while shooting. Enjoy your wedding knowing that on the day you’ve chosen to be one of your happiest and most memorable, you will have the photographs to prove it.