QUESTIONS FOR YOUR WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER
Wedding Photography is an interesting topic and your photographer will be one of the essential wedding suppliers you will book. Regardless of if you are hiring another company or me, these questions will help find the perfect photographer for your wedding day.
The Basic
Do you have my date available? If the answer is NO, there is no point asking the rest of these questions.
What is your primary Wedding photography style?
While you shop around, You will know from looking at different portfolios, which style of photography you prefer, whether it is the unobtrusive documentary style, the stylised fashion editorial or the classic traditional. Most photographers shoot a blend of various styles of photography, but you’ll want them to specialise in a style that’s important to you.
For more information about my wedding photography style and philosophy, check out My photography style page.
Can I see a recent example of your complete wedding from start to finish?
A photographer’s website will always showcase their best work. But are they skilful and have the stamina to nail beautiful pictures all day? Can they handle any challenges during the day, e.g. cultural weddings, dark venues, rain etc.?
These days it’s effortless for professional photographers to share a full online gallery with clients. If you observe their recent wedding blogs and are happy, you can avoid this question.
How many weddings have you done, and how many do you do in a year?
You only have one chance to get fantastic wedding photos, so you’ll want to hire someone that knows how to get those shots under pressure.
Each photographer will work in different ways, some probably only shoot 15 weddings per year and will care for all their editing, while others shoot 50 or more weddings and pay someone else to edit their pictures. Two different business types can’t be compared.
Have you photographed a wedding at my venue before?
Good wedding photographers will have the skills and equipment to shoot at any location at any time. I find it more inspiring and creative to work in a new place that I’ve never been to. Still, in case you’re worried about your photographer not knowing your venue, you could ask that they scout it with you beforehand.
Are you experienced in my cultural wedding? Indian wedding, Nigerian wedding etc.
Different cultures will have different traditions on their wedding day, but a great wedding photographer will be able to shoot any wedding. Just because they haven’t shot a specific type of wedding before, doesn’t mean that they don’t know how to.
As a couple, if you insist on having a photographer that’s experienced in your particular culture then mention this in your first contact with the photographer. Remember wedding photographers specialise in weddings – despite the customs and traditions that will happen on the wedding day.
Will you be the one photographing the wedding?
A very important question! Many companies will have more than one photographer working for them. So, make sure you talk to the photographer who will be shooting at your wedding and check their portfolio.
How will work with my videographer?
Your videographers and the photographer will need to coordinate and stay out of each other’s way— its more comfortable if they have a good rapport. If you haven’t booked a videographer yet, ask them for a suggestion.
Do you have a contract?
Having a contract shows that your photographer is a professional. The contract is for protection and will detail all the services your photographer will be providing, so there will be no nasty surprises later.
Check out my post where I explain why you must have a wedding contract HERE.
Do you have insurance?
A professional wedding photographer should have insurance in case their equipment fails, gets stolen, or an accident occurs. If your wedding photographer does not have insurance, they could be new to the industry or are not taking their business seriously.
What happens if you’re sick?
A photographer who works alone should have a good back-up plan in case of emergencies. The chances of a wedding photographer being ill or getting into an accident are highly unlikely! If they can’t cover your wedding day due to an accident or emergency, they should be providing a full refund, and it should be included in your contract.
Should my wedding day run late, will you stay longer? Is there an extra charge?
If overtime is going to be costly, you’ll be able to plan their hours accordingly. Your wedding contract should state how additional time is determined and what it will cost. You don’t want any surprises in your final fee!
How long after the wedding will the pictures, albums be ready?
Some photographers including myself usually send a “sneak peek” of images shortly after the wedding. Each wedding photographer will vary in time-based on their workload but its good to get a rough estimate in your contract.
What kind of gear do you use? Do you have backups?
Make sure your photographer has at least two cameras, backup lenses, a couple of flashes, and extra memory cards. Nothing could be worse than your photographer to miss half your weddings because his camera or lens broke, and they didn’t have a spare.
Check out my gear page HERE.
What will you wear on my wedding day?
Make sure your photographers will be dressed appropriately and show respect for the occasion. Don’t expect your wedding photographer to wear a suit or a dress. Because we will be working hard all day, we must wear something that’s comfortable and practical.
