Important questions to ask your wedding photographer before booking
Picking a wedding photographer for your wedding day is a big deal. After all, they are the person you are trusting to capture all your memories on a very special day - and you don't get a second shot at it! Below, I will list some important questions you should ask your photographer before booking to ensure you are a good fit! First thing first, you should figure out what kind of photography style you like best and want for your wedding. For example, do you like light and airy? Or maybe you prefer dark & moody edits! Photographers all have their own style, so take time looking at their work and see if it fits your vision for your wedding photos - you cannot expect a photographer to change their editing style so it's important that you only inquire with photographers whose work resonates with you!
CAN I SEE A FULL WEDDING GALLERY?
It's a great idea to ask to see a full wedding gallery or album. This way you can see the type of photos you can expect from a full day of wedding photography! You can see the getting ready photos, all the way to the reception and you are not just going off a few "wow shots" from their website. You will want to look for consistency in the editing and style, and a full gallery should be like read like a story, taking you through the day and helping relive it!
WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU FALL ILL OR HAVE AN EMERGENCY?
Find out their backup plan is! Most photographers with years of experience will have a plan, they may have a little list of trusted photographers they can call upon last minute if they cannot make it for whatever reason. This is a really important question to ask and will put your mind at ease if you know that who you hire as a viable back up plan in case of an emergency.
HOW ARE IMAGES HANDLED TO ENSURE NOTHING GETS DAMAGED OR LOST?
In this digital age, unfortunately SD cards and cameras can fail. Make sure you ask your wedding photographer if they come prepared with backup equipment in case of failure and how they handle SD cards. Many cameras have multiple SD card slots, and some photographers back the images up right at the wedding. This is a very important question to ask to make sure none of your images get lost!
HOW LONG AFTER THE WEDDING WILL IT TAKE TO GET OUR IMAGES?
After the wedding day, your photographer will be begin culling and editing your photos! They will take hundreds of photos of you day and these will need various amounts of editing to ensure that you are left with the best photos of your wedding day. This can take anywhere between 2-8 weeks, (in peak season, it may take longer) but ask your photographer what their turnaround time is so you know when to expect your photos.
HOW MANY IMAGES CAN WE EXPECT?
The amount of photos you will get will vary from photographer to photographer, but it's a good question to ask so you know just how many images you can expect. Most photographers deliver 70 - 100 edited images per hour of coverage.
WHAT IS YOUR WEDDING DAY APPROACH?
Ask your photographer how they approach wedding days - do they document things as they happen and try to blend into the background, or do they like to pose/direct most of the day? This is important to ask so you know if their approach will work for you on the big day.
ASK ABOUT YOUR RIGHTS
Most contracts stipulate that the photographer owns the rights to all photos taken at the wedding, even the ones of you. This is so the photographer can use them promotionally (on their website or social media, submit them for publication, etc). Lots of photographers have a policy that you can only share watermarked images or images with credit to them, and may withhold the rights that allow you to print your own photos. So make sure you get the specifics and know what you can do with your images!
So there you have some questions to ask your photographer before booking! I hope these help you in selecting your wedding photographer! Want to read some reviews, click here!
