Choosing the right wedding photographer is a crucial decision in the wedding planning process. Why? Because after the wedding, the only thing you’ll have left from that day is photographs. For that reason we put together a list of some important questions to ask potential wedding photographers before:
Availability and pricing:
- Is my wedding date available?
- What are your price packages and what is included (number of hours, prints, album, engagement photos, rehearsal dinner?)
- Can I customize a package?
- If included, what type of album do you offer? (Ask for samples)
- What is the cost of extra hours?
- Do you have liability insurance?
- Do you charge for travel time?
- Do you retouch photos? Is that included in the price?
- If not included in the package, can we order prints or albums?
- How much do I need to pay to book the date?
- When is the final payment due?
- What is your refund/ cancellation policy?
- Do you offer payment plans?
Style:
- How do you define your style?
- What kind of editing do you do to the photos?
- If you have a candid style, do we still get posed portraits? (And vice versa)
The Day of:
- At what time do you arrive at the site?
- Will you be the one shooting the wedding or an associate?
- How many photographers are included?
- Will you bring an assistant?
- Will you photograph another wedding that weekend?
- What happens if you have an emergency and you can’t cover our wedding?
- How do you normally dress for shooting weddings?
- Can we request a list of photos we want?
- Can you put together slideshows to be shown during reception?
- Can guests take photos while you’re taking photos?
- What happens if the camera breaks during the wedding? Do you have backup equipment?
- What is your policy in case you or your equipment cause an accident involving the venue or guests?
After the wedding:
- When will we receive the photos?
- Do you give sneak peaks? When?
- Do you deliver RAW files or JPG?
- How long will you keep the files?
- Who keeps the copyright of the images?
- Will we have printing rights to the images?
- Will the images be accessible online? For how long?
- Will you post our photos online or in magazines or blogs?
- How many images should we expect to receive?
- Do we choose the photos for the album?
- Can we use filters or edit the photos for Social Media?
About the photographer:
- How many weddings have you photographed?
- Can you show a couple of full galleries of your recent weddings?
- Have you photographed at our wedding venue?
- Are your photos from real weddings or from staged shoots?
- Do you work well in low light conditions?
- Do you work well with wedding planners and videographers?
- Can you provide references from past clients?
- What do you love the most about photographing weddings?
- What would you advice give us to choose our wedding photographer?
- What is your biggest tip for couples to get the best wedding photos?
- How would you describe your approach on a wedding day?
- What sets you apart from other wedding photographers?
- Why should we choose you and not someone else?
Talking about all these questions will give you a very clear idea if the photographer and you are a good fit. And remember, make sure you hire someone that you trust and love his/her photography style.