This is the last installment of our What You Need to Know: Questions to Ask Your Wedding Photographer series. These questions are designed to make sure you are the most informed you can possibly be as you choose your wedding photographer. Here are some important questions you might want to ask.
Editing Style:
- What is your approach to photo editing and retouching?
The answer to this question varies by photographer. Some photographers do a lot of retouching to their photos while others may do minimal. Some photographers may edit their images in a way that feels “light and airy” while others may be more “dark and moody”. Our approach to photo editing is to stay true to color and minimal retouching. We want to make sure you look like yourself in your photos. We do remove blemishes that won’t be there in two weeks time (like acne, scratches, food crumbs, etc.)
Communication:
- How often can we expect to communicate with you before and after the wedding?
It is important that you are able to communicate with your photographer prior to and after the wedding. Different photographers may have different levels of contact. If you have a lot of moving pieces occuring or things that are changing on your wedding day, there will most likely be more contact. Our clients can expect to hear from us periodically to check in, finalize timelines, discuss the engagement session and deliver those images, get your shot list and vendor information. If you have any questions you have in the meantime, we are certainly available to chat about that (within reasonable hours). - What’s the preferred method of communication?
We are available to communicate through phone, video chat, and email–whichever is most convenient for you. Any phone or video calls we have, we will follow up with a recap of our call through email. We like following up through email because should you have any questions down the line or trouble recalling something we discussed, you’ll have it there in writing. Other photographers may have a different process they like to follow with communication.
Legalities:
- Are there any restrictions or regulations at our wedding venue regarding photography?
If your venue has any restrictions that your venue has regarding photography, they will typically notify us beforehand. If there are any restrictions that will affect our ability to cover moments of your day, we will communicate that with you beforehand.
Emergency Plan:
- What is your plan if you face unexpected challenges during the wedding, like bad weather?
We come equipped with things to protect our camera equipment and to still be able to do our work should it start raining during your outdoor wedding. We will have also scouted out other locations (indoor, if your venue allows) to capture your photos if the weather turns bad while we are outdoors.
Payment Schedule:
- When and how do you expect payment?
Once again, different photographers have different policies. However, we communicate with you to come up with a payment schedule that best suits everyone. After paying the initial non-refundable deposit, clients typically make payments once a month, and make their final payment no later than ten days prior to the wedding.
There may be many more things you might want to know, but these questions were some important questions to get you started.
Remember to trust your instincts and choose a photographer whose personality and style align with your vision for your wedding. A good photographer should not only be skilled but also make you feel comfortable and confident on your big day.
You can read What You Need to Know: Questions to Ask Your Photographer, Part 1, What You Need to Know: Questions to Ask Your Photographer, Part 2, and What You Need to Know: Questions to Ask Your Photographer, Part 3 for more questions to ask.
