What to Look for in a Wedding Photographer — A Conversation with Michaela Hession of Michaela Hession Photography

Choosing your wedding photographer is one of the biggest decisions you'll make while planning, and knowing what to look for is harder than it sounds. It is tempting to pick the prettiest Instagram feed, or the lowest package price, and call it done. But the feed is the highlight reel. It doesn't tell you how someone handles a timeline that's falling apart, a family moment that gets tense, or the light going flat an hour before sunset. Those are the moments that decide whether you'll love your photos for the rest of your life.

We sat down with Michaela Hession, owner of Michaela Hession Photography, to talk about what couples should really be looking for, and what most of them get wrong. Based in Grafton, Massachusetts and shooting weddings across New England and beyond, Michaela describes her work as "moody, candid and colorful, with a touch of cinematic flair." Her tagline says the rest: "Authentic Love Artfully Captured."

A Camera Was Always in the Room

Michaela's path to wedding photography started long before she knew it was a career. It started at home.

"My parents always had a camera or video camera in their hands, documenting so many ordinary moments from my sister's and my childhood," she says. "Those photos and home videos have become some of my most treasured possessions."

She fell into it herself in middle school, when her parents handed her a little point-and-shoot and she started photographing friends, family, and the occasional self-portrait. Looking back, she thinks the love of documenting life started even earlier than that. Her parents taught her something without ever sitting her down to say it: the moments that seem ordinary today are often the ones you cherish most years later.

In 2017, a family friend asked her to photograph their wedding. It was her first. She was nervous, and she was hooked.

"I quickly realized that weddings require a unique level of preparation and understanding, which both intimidated and excited me." That sent her into research, shooting every kind of session she could to learn and grow. What she found was that weddings pulled together everything she already loved photographing: candid, quiet moments, real emotion, joy.

"I get so excited sharing wedding photos because I know how quickly your day goes by and how much you don't necessarily get to see."

The hugs between family reuniting for the first time in a while. The tears of a parent watching you say your vows. Your "out there" cousin breaking it down on the dance floor. Her goal is to tell the story of the whole day, start to finish, and hand back a gallery that "will only become more valuable with time."

Why the Feeling Matters More Than the Feed

If there's one thing Michaela wishes couples did differently, it's this: stop booking off the highlights.

"The most common mistake that I see when couples book a photographer is not thoroughly looking at their body of work first," she says. Social media makes it easy to curate a near-perfect portfolio, showing only the strongest handful of images. But a wedding is hundreds of photos across a changing day, not a dozen perfect ones.

"Not every image in a gallery will be 'portfolio worthy,' and doesn't need to be in order to fall in love with a photographer's imagery."

Her test is simpler, and better, than counting pretty pictures. It's about how the work makes you feel.

"Can you sense the emotion? Can you picture yourself in those moments? Does the gallery tell a story, or does it simply feel like a collection of pretty photos?" Viewing a full gallery or two tells you what a highlight reel never will: a photographer's consistency, their storytelling, and their ability to document a day that is actually yours.

The Questions You Should Actually Be Asking

Most couples come to a consultation with questions about packages and coverage hours. Michaela has a couple she wishes they'd ask instead.

The first is about what happens when things go sideways.

"I would always encourage you to ask how your photographer will handle difficult situations that may arise." Timeline delays. Tricky family dynamics. Inclement weather. Nerves.

"Wedding days can be unpredictable, and it is so important to have a team who can remain calm and adapt quickly under pressure without missing a beat."

The second is about proof, not promises.

"Ask to see a couple of full wedding galleries shot by your photographer. It is easy to fall in love with highlights, but it is invaluable to see how your photographer will photograph in different lighting scenarios and how they capture emotion." You're investing a lot in these photos, she points out. You deserve to know you'll love them for years, not just love the preview.

Portfolio vs. Reality: Is It the Shooting or the Editing?

Couples fall in love with a look and quietly wonder whether it's real or whether it's a filter. Michaela is refreshingly direct about where the magic actually comes from.

"Editing and culling is the finishing touch. The RAW photograph is the foundation and the heart." A beautiful edit can enhance a photo, she says, but it can't create genuine emotion or beautiful light where they didn't exist.

So how does a couple make sure they'll get that look on their own day? Her advice is practical. Lean into natural light. Keep getting-ready spaces clean and tidy, which does more for the final images than most people realize. And stop worrying about performing for the camera. "Let your photographer be your guide."

There's one more thing that protects the style you fell for, and it's worth asking outright: is the person you meet at the consultation the same person shooting your wedding? At Michaela's studio, the answer is yes.

"I will always be your primary contact from first email and consultation call through final gallery delivery." She believes the best photographs come from trust built ahead of time. "I love getting to know my couples ahead of time so that you are comfortable with me during your day and can be yourself."

How Much Time Do You Really Need for Photos?

This is where good intentions meet the clock, and where a lot of wedding days quietly go off the rails. Michaela's short answer: plan on at least one hour total for portraits, whether that's one block or two thirty-minute windows. The longer answer is that the number matters less than the plan behind it.

"The biggest piece to making sure that portraits are successful and efficient is communication and planning."

During a consultation she walks couples through the pros and cons of a first look, then lets them decide what feels right. When couples do choose one, it opens up the day. Couple portraits, family photos, and wedding-party shots can happen before the ceremony, which means you're not missing your own cocktail hour to take pictures. She finds it especially helpful when there's an early sunset, or a large family and wedding party to work through.

The real secret is the list. Before every wedding, Michaela builds a detailed portrait list organized by first names and reviews it with the couple so everyone knows exactly what to expect. She asks family members and the wedding party to arrive at the meeting spot on time, and to save any extra photo requests for the end.

"When everyone knows where to be and what to expect, portraits become one of the most relaxed parts of the day instead of one of the most stressful."

Her advice for couples who want her best work is the same on both sides of the wedding day: tell her what matters most to you, plan a timeline with room to breathe, and then let go.

"Your wedding day is the time to relax and simply enjoy. The best and most special photos are created when you are fully present, no performance necessary."

What Happens to Your Photos After the Wedding?

Your wedding photos are irreplaceable in the same way your video is. You can't reshoot the day. So what happens to those images between the wedding and the moment your gallery lands isn't a small detail, it's the whole ballgame. It's the same question every couple should ask about their video, and far too few think to ask about their photos.

Michaela didn't need prompting on this one.

"All memory cards are stored in a water- and fire-proof case as soon as they are removed from my camera." The first thing she does when she gets home from a wedding is upload every photo to her desktop and to the cloud. A copy also lives on a hard drive. And the cards themselves? "Memory cards are never formatted until after full, final gallery delivery is complete."

That's exactly the kind of deliberate, multiple-copy thinking we care about. It's the same reason we run a three-location backup system for every wedding film we shoot. When a photographer answers this question without hesitating, it tells you they treat your memories the way you would.

Why the Photo and Video Teams Have to Work as One

Here's a relationship most couples never think about: the one between the photographer and the videographer. On the day, the two teams are working the same moments, side by side, all day long. Whether they work as one team, or as two people bumping into each other, shapes your entire experience and your final photos and film.

Michaela's philosophy is simple.

"It is imperative to keep in mind that all vendors are ultimately one team with the same goal." Open communication and mutual respect are everything. A photographer who plays well with a video team, she says, "is constantly reading the room and giving space to create when needed, and vice versa." A great wedding planner will tell you the same thing about the whole vendor team.

We asked her the question we're always curious about: is there a moment where the photo and the video of it end up telling the story a little differently, in a way that shows why a couple wants both?

"Oh, absolutely."

"I think photos and videos compliment each other, not compete against each other," she says. "Every creator sees the world and the same moment differently. No two people are the same in the way they capture moments." Having a couple of perspectives on the same day, she says, is a gift, not a redundancy.

Then she said the thing we'll be quoting for a while:

"A photograph turns a moment in time into a tangible memory, while video transports you back into the moment."

That's it. That's the whole case for both, from someone whose job is only one of them. When a photographer and a video team trust each other and communicate, the couple gets a calmer day and a better result on every deliverable. Both things are true at once.

The One Question to Ask Before You Sign

We gave Michaela a hard one. If a couple could ask only a single question before signing a photographer's contract, what should it be?

She didn't reach for anything about gear or galleries.

"I would encourage them to ask, 'What do you believe your job is on a wedding day?'"

A great photographer, she says, won't just talk about creating and delivering beautiful images. They'll talk about serving you well and making you feel comfortable at every step. Her own answer is a good model for what you're listening for.

"My job is to create a space where you can have full trust in me and be fully present with the people you love. Your wedding photographs matter deeply, but so does how you felt while they were being taken."

A Final Wedding Vendor Lesson

If there's a thread running through everything Michaela says, it's that the best wedding vendors aren't just good at their craft. They're invested in the people behind the day.

Whether you're hiring a photographer, a videographer, or anyone else who will shape your wedding, the question worth asking isn't only "what do you do?" It's "how do you show up?" The couples who get that part right tend to look back on their wedding not as an event that went perfectly, but as a day that felt completely, unmistakably theirs.

Michaela Hession is the owner and lead photographer of Michaela Hession Photography, based in Grafton, Massachusetts and photographing weddings across New England and beyond. You can see her work at michaelahessionphotography.com.

HBZ Media is a Massachusetts-based video production company specializing in cinematic wedding films and brand content. If you want a video team that works hand in hand with a photographer like Michaela and treats your day as one story, chat with us here.