Choosing the right wedding photographer is crucial because after the your wedding day is done, one of the few things that will remain from your day are your wedding photos. If you’re unsure of which questions to ask your photographer, here are a few important ones to get you started.
Availability:
- Are you available on our wedding date?
This is of course, is one of the most important questions. If you’ve decided on whom you would like photographing your wedding, it’s important that they are available on your date. A lot of times our calendars fill quickly, so once you know that you would like to book us for photographing your wedding, it’s important to take the necessary steps to secure our services. - How many weddings do you shoot in a day or weekend?
You will want to know if your photographer books other events on your same date, or if your day is reserved for only you. Some photography companies may book numerous weddings on the same day because they have multiple associate photographers to cover many weddings at once. You can rest assured with us, your day is reserved for you and you only.
Portfolio and Style:
- Can we see your portfolio or sample wedding albums?
It is totally reasonable to request to see more work from your potential photographer. You would want to ask to see a full gallery from a wedding they’ve photographed. This will give you an idea of the kinds of shots they’ll capture on your wedding day and overall what you can expect from them with your own photos. Anyone can put their best photos on display for everyone to see, but it is in their full galleries that you can see what a photographer’s work is truly like. - What is your photography style ?
What style of photography is most appealing to you? Do you like traditional photos, like the kind of photos you might see in your parents’ or grandparents’ photo albums? Do you like more artistic wedding photography that incorporates unique concepts and posing? Or would you prefer a documentary-style approach to your wedding day, that focuses on not only just capturing the poses, but all of the candid moments in between? Deciding which of these styles is most important to you will greatly assist in you choosing your photographer. Understanding what your photographer’s style is beforehand will eliminate any surprises when you receive your wedding photos. If you see certain types of photos in a photographer’s portfolio, then you can assume those same types of photos will be delivered in your wedding gallery. So if you’re not crazy about the style you see in a photographer’s portfolio, keep searching for a photographer until you find a style that you are crazy about.
Experience:
- How many weddings have you photographed?
Knowing how many weddings your photographer has photographed (as both a primary and secondary photographer) can give you an idea of their experience level with weddings. With more weddings under your photographer’s belt, the more adept they may be at handling situations that might arise and adjusting to the constantly changing conditions in the midst of a wedding day. - Have you worked at our wedding venue before?
While having a photographer who has worked at your wedding venue is very helpful, it’s not necessary. It’s helpful in the sense that the photographer would already be familiar with the layout of the venue and know all of the great photo locations, any professional photographer you choose to hire will scout out the venue to familiarize themselves with the space as well as scoping out the best photo locations, prior to them photographing your wedding.
References and Reviews:
- Can you provide references from past clients?
Your photographer should be able to facilitate contact between you and previous clients upon request. - Have you received positive reviews or testimonials online?
You may find reviews and testimonials for your wedding photographer on many different review sites. This should also give you a good idea of what kind of experience you can expect from your photographer.
Packages and Pricing:
- What is included in your wedding photography packages?
Photographers organize their photography packages in ways that best suits their businesses. There are no standard fees that every photographer is going to charge or items that are always going to be included in every photographer’s packages. When you meet with your photographer, these are things that should be discussed during your initial consultation.Keep in mind that a lot of photographers don’t list all of their packages on their website. It isn’t because we are trying to hide information, but because we would like to get more information from you about what you desire first so that we can give you the most accurate quote. - Are there any additional or hidden costs?
You’re going to be investing a lot of money into your wedding photography, so it makes total sense that you want to know what all you’re paying for. You can make sure your photographer to itemizes your invoice so you can see what you’re paying for and what is included in your package. Also, depending on where you’re living and if you receive any tangible products, your wedding package may also be subject to tax. - Can you customize a package to suit our needs and budget?
This is a really important question to ask! There may be pre-set packages that your photographer has established but you can absolutely ask if there are things they can omit or add on to make the package (and budget) more desirable for you. A lot of photographers are willing to be flexible to ensure that you can get the coverage and products that you are looking for.
