Questions to Ask A Wedding Photographer!

What do I need to know?

Ok so you’re engaged and it’s officially hit you! So now it’s vendor shopping time. No matter where your wedding photographer falls on your vendor priority list, it can feel overwhelming beginning the search and not knowing what to ask and what you’re looking for. I’m here to help! Here are some things to take into consideration while you’re searching for your perfect wedding photographer.

1. WHAT IS THE AVERAGE AMOUNT YOUR COUPLES SPEND ON YOUR WEDDING COLLECTIONS?

When shopping for a wedding photographer you should expect to spend no less than $3000 for a standard 8 hour wedding day package. This is lowest number in which you can reasonably assume you will receive high quality images. Anything less becomes a gamble. If you are shopping based on price you have to be willing to sacrifice in quality and experience. If you’re on a budget that’s understandable, weddings are expensive and there are always beginners in every category in the wedding industry that are looking to practice. Just be sure to temper your expectations. If it seems too good to be sure, it most likely is!

2. HOW DO YOU GET TO KNOW A COUPLE BEFORE THEIR WEDDING?

The best answer to this question, and to many of the others really depends on what you value in your vendors and where your wedding photographer falls on your priority list. To many couples, it’s important that they connect with their photographer. When you have a connection with your photographer they can help you to feel more comfortable behind the camera. On the other hand you may want someone who just shows up, works quickly and efficiently and gets the job done. Whichever your preference you need to know how your photographer operates and decide if their style matches what you want.

3. DO YOU PROVIDE GUIDANCE WHILE POSING?

Let’s be honest, most people are not natural born models. One of the most common things we hear as wedding photographers are “I’m really awkward in front of a camera.” If this is you then you want to be sure that you’re photographer is patient and is skilled in guiding their couples. You want to know that they will know how to accent the best parts of you, help remind you to shift your weight into the most flattering ways, and tell you what to do with your hands, because who doesn’t struggle with the idea of what to do with your hands???

4. WHAT’S IT LIKE TO WORK WITH YOU ON A WEDDING DAY?

Every wedding photographer should have a workflow or system that they follow. We all operate at different speeds and some are more structured, while some are more easy going. Whether you want a photographer that works very quickly and efficiently or maybe one that works a little more loosely it’s important that their style matches yours. If quick and efficient is what you desire make sure they don’t sacrifice quality. Quick and efficient shouldn’t mean less quality.

5. DO YOU SHOOT DIGITALLY OR WITH FILM?

Using film has become the trendy thing to do at weddings now and while there are certainly some pros with using film, it’s just not every photographer’s style. Some photographers are strictly one or the other and some actually enjoy incorporating both. If using film is something you desire, you definitely want to confirm with your photographer that this is something they offer.

6. HOW MUCH TIME SHOULD WE SCHEDULE FOR PORTRAITS?

This is one of the most important important questions to ask your wedding photographer. You want to be sure that on your wedding day timeline you’ve scheduled enough time for you and your spouse to take photos. You will end up feeling rushed if you find that you didn’t allocate enough time for your portraits. Your wedding photographer will let you know about much time they prefer to have. Things like whether you’re doing a first look or not, or the time of day and location will factor into this decision.

7. HOW AND WHEN WILL WE RECEIVE OUR IMAGES?

If your wedding photographer is only offering your images to you on a USB, move along in your search to another one! If you have ever saved anything valuable to a VHS, cassette tape, floppy disk, or CD you are probably still trying to figure out how to get it off of there to this day! If we’ve learned anything over the years, it’s that technology is constantly evolving. USBs are headed towards being obsolete as well. The last thing you want is in 20 years not being able to access your wedding photos! Or maybe having to spend hundreds of dollars somewhere for a specialist to retrieve them. Your images should be delivered in an online gallery so that you can access them for the foreseeable future. You also want to know what the estimate delivery time is for your images.

The most important more thing to keep in my mind is to remember to have all your questions asked BEFORE you confirm and sign a contract with your photographer. It is unfair to your photographer to ask them accommodate your requests that don’t align with their business practices after you’ve already committed to them and you deserve to have everything you want in your vendor, so be sure you’re both on the same page before signing. Which by the way, NEVER commit to any vendor without a contract. Absolutely never! Even if it’s a friend doing a favor! This is best for both you and your vendor. No contract, no business! If you’re searching for a wedding photographer I’d love to be the one to capture all the magic so feel free to reach out!

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