How to Find the Right Wedding Photographer
Choosing a photographer for your wedding day is arguably one of the most important decisions you’ll make in the wedding planning process. Unlike the hair stylist or makeup artist you choose, the photographer will be with you for the majority of the day, during some very personal and intense moments, and navigating around guests and family members to capture as much of your day as possible. And unlike your flowers, these photographs are something you will have to keep forever and ever.
Think of it, these will likely be the photos still hanging on your wall when you’re 80 years old with grandchildren gazing upon them. So you’ll want to make sure you do your research to find out which photographer is “the one” for you. Incase you don’t know what questions to ask a wedding photographer, I’ve put together the major one’s for you to get answers too.
So what kind of questions do I ask a wedding photographer?
Choosing a wedding photographer can feel overwhelming. But, before you go in depth with any photographer, make sure you’ve established that:
A. You like their work.
B. You can afford them.
C. They have availability for your wedding day.
Whether you are hiring Nina Marie at Weddings by Nina or another photographer, and you’ve established A-C above, then it’s time to schedule a phone call or a Skype meeting with them, and ask away! So let’s begin with the essential questions you want answers to!
1. What do your wedding photography packages offer? Can I customize them?
Sometimes wedding photographers will display their photography prices directly on their website, so there’s no guess work or wait involved. Hopefully, those wedding packages also explain in detail what the customer can expect to receive.
But other times, you’ll need to reach out to the photographer to find out their prices, or perhaps what they offer is not quite what you’re looking for. Maybe their lowest package is for 6 hours of photography, but you really only need 3 hours for a quick elopement. Or, perhaps you know that your day is going to run longer than the 10 hour window on the higher end package.
Either way, this is where you can ask if you can customize a package to your liking, and often times, your photographer will work with you to make a package that suites your needs best.
When you’re looking over the packages the photographer offers, be sure to ask:
- How many hours are included in each package?
- Are engagement photos included? Or rehearsal dinner?
- Who is the actual photographer for my wedding? Can I ask them some questions?
- If the wedding goes overtime, will you stay later? What does that cost?
- Do you charge a travel fee and what does that cover?
- Do any prints or albums come with the packages? Can that be added later?
- What is the deposit required for booking?
- What are the rights to the photographs I receive? Any restrictions for sharing on social media?
- How long do you keep a copy of the photographs for?
- How many images can I expect to receive?
2. What is your photography and editing style?
As a wedding photographer myself and a full time retoucher, I know how vastly different wedding photography styles can be. But this is where my heart jumps from all of the stylistic opportunities a simple raw photograph can have with the right kind of editing. This is where you can express the emotion, feeling, and overall vibe you want you’re photos to have.
But be aware: Many wedding photographers do not post-produce their images, and instead deliver the photographs unfinished with minimal to no editing. Meaning, not every photographer knows or has advanced editing skills, or is experienced enough to pull off the look you are after.
You might be able to spot a photographer who will skimp out on color correcting if they tell you that your photographs will be ready within days. Guaranteed they are not spending the necessary time to make your shots look the best that they can be. So be sure you take a good look at their portfolio to make sure that they can consistently produce the style you are after.
Sometimes, it is outside of the photographer’s control what style the images may look best in. Environment (lighting and landscape/decor) has a huge factor in the style of the photograph. For example, if you’re looking for an earth-toned bohemian vibe wedding, but then you ask your photographer to shoot a wedding in the heart of New York City, that natural look will not come across in the shots. Or, if you send your photographer some of your favorite Pinterest wedding shots that are photographed at golden hour (sunset time) with a yellow orange hue to everything, but then your wedding is indoors and at night, that same look you loved will not be achieved. A true professional should make you aware of this so you know what to expect in your settings.
However, photographers do have a signature look in the camera angles they choose to capture with. This is where the photographers personality shines through. Do they shoot photo journalism? Do they like to experiment with outside-of-the-box shots? Or, perhaps they like to shoot mainly traditional style wedding photography. This is where you’ll need to do some digging as to what you like, and ask the photographer about the style that best describes their work.
When discussing the ‘look’ of the photographs, ask the photographer:
- What style(s) do you specialize in?
- Is post-production (editing) an extra charge?
- Do you retouch your photos? If so, how in depth are they edited?
- Can I choose a style I like best to reference to when editing?
- Will you deliver a mix of color and black and white photographs?
- How long will it take to receive the photos back?
3. What experience do you have in Wedding Photography?
This is key. If you’re going with a super cheap photographer, chances are they are new to the game. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. It just means they don’t have a high level of experience under their belt as someone who has already photographed several weddings before. But, you should also beware that hiring cheap could be hit or miss in terms of quality. The likelihood of receiving high quality photographs from an established photographer will be greater.
Also, when hiring someone with more experience, you can be sure that in the event of something unplanned happening, such as a flash dying, a professional will most likely have backup, or, if you have guests getting in the photographers way, they’ll know how to handle the situation professionally, etc.
Questions to ask a wedding photographer regarding their background:
- How many weddings have you shot?
- Have you shot any weddings like mine? Or at a similar venue?
- Do you have any reviews I can read?
- Do you shoot multiple weddings in one day?
- Do you have liability insurance?
- Will you bring your own lighting?
- Do you have backups for your equipment?
4. Can I give you a list of my ‘must have’ wedding shots of the day?
THIS is what hiring a wedding photographer is all about…getting the images YOU want most! Honestly, if a wedding photographer does not ask you this during your communication with them, it’s a bit of a red flag for me.
It is so important to stress to your photographer the images that you would like captured from the day. Don’t be too shy to ask these kinds of questions. A professional photographer can let you now what is most likely achievable.
So many factors play into capturing the perfect shots…from timeline, to weather conditions, to lighting, etc. Also, the photographer can only be so many places at once, so discussing what is reasonable beforehand is a good idea. This way, you don’t come in with overly high expectations and a super long-shot list, and then be disappointed afterwards when they were not able to capture it all.
- Do you follow a shot list? Or would you prefer capture the day freely as you see fit?
- Can I send you a short shot list of my “must have’s”?
- What is achievable, or what might be a concern, from the photo list I sent over?
- Are any props needed (for example: our wedding invitations on detail shots)?
5. Can we go over the logistics of the day?
It’s really easy to assume that the photographer will handle the day as it takes place, but that’s not what a professional photographer would prefer to rely on. The best course of action is to have a plan in place that you both can stick to and be aware of, This way, your photographer doesn’t miss an important moment swapping lenses on what they assumed was an ‘off’ time.
Your photographer will be able to assist you if you are having difficulties figuring out what to schedule where during the day, as they’ll have valuable insight as to what time of day could be best as far as lighting goes for specific shots.
A month before the wedding day, make sure they’ll schedule a follow-up call with you to go over the wedding day timeline, and what to expect or where to be at given times. Tell them what you’re comfortable with (ex: having the photographer come up close for detail shots during the ceremony), or not comfortable with (ex: if you don’t want the photographer in the room while you are getting putting on your dress). Or, if there is a certain dress code that they’ll need to follow to coordinate with the style of your wedding, or to not offend any cultural traditions, etc. Things change, so if anything involving logistics switches up even a few days before the wedding, make sure to communicate this to your photographer so they can come prepared!
When going over logistics, be sure to ask your wedding photographer the following questions:
- When can we go over a timeline of our day with you?
- Can you help us figure out a schedule of events?
- What will you wear on the wedding day?
- Will you have a second shooter or an assistant?
- How will you coordinate with the videographer?
- Can we share with you what we’re comfortable/not comfortable with?
- Do you need any other information before the wedding day?
6. What happens if you get sick?
Although this is very rare, your photographer is, after all, human, and it is an important question to ask. You want to make sure that you don’t loose your large non-refundable deposit over them getting sick with the flu. At the very least, they should return your deposit in full so that you can hire another photographer ASAP.
Ideally though, they should have a backup photographer that they can rely on if that were to ever happen. You want to make sure that they have people on their side who can still be there for you if the worst case scenario took place.
When discussing “what if” scenarios, ask:
- Do you have a backup photographer in the case of an emergency?
- What happens in the event of a major snow storm or hurricane, and you cannot make it to our location?
- Do you have a cancellation or refund policy?
- Can I see your contract for the terms and conditions?
7. Why do you shoot Wedding Photography?
This might seem like a really simple or random question, but it’s actually really important to understand why they do it. Are they doing it for the paycheck? Is their heart really in it?
Or do they absolutely love their passion, and can you see it come through in their work? Perhaps it’s an emotion they experience through you two that gets them going, or the beauty captured in the shots afterwards that makes their heart skip a beat.
It is not only considerate to ask, but also just good to know why they personally choose to shoot wedding photography and what got them started in it in the first place. This will help show you a little more about why they do what they do, their personality, and see if they jive with you.
After all, if they are going to be following you around for the biggest day of your life, you want to make sure they connect with you on a personal level as well!
When asking more about your photographer, feel free to ask them:
- Why do you shoot Wedding Photography?
- What got you started in shooting weddings?
- Is there a particular venue (or cake baker) you love to work with?
- What is your favorite part of the day? What do you love most?
Answers to the questions above should help you find the right person to work with you on your big day. If you have any questions about my own Wedding Photography services, please don’t hesitate to ask! If you can think of any other questions to ask when researching a photographer, please leave it in the comments below. Thanks for reading, and happy planning!
