Each vendor you work with on your wedding day is important from invitations to DJs. It’s always a good idea to at least have a phone call with all of your vendors before booking to make sure they see your vision, you click and you’ll be happy with the outcome. But one vendor that, I think is the most important to ensure you have a good vibe with is your photographer!
As a wedding photographer myself, I take getting to know my couples serious. We spend so much time together on your wedding day and I want you to be completely comfortable with me and feel like friends the entire time! Whether we’re working together or not, I can’t stress enough how important this is! That’s why I’ve put together a list of 10 questions you should ask before booking your wedding photographer.
1. What’s your photography and editing style?
There are so many different styles of photography! When talking shooting styles some photographers, like me choose to take a very candid prompt-based approached where we lead and guide our clients into poses and then let them simply be and capture those moments! Others choose to use props and extensive posing. When it comes to editing, there are many different styles as well like dark and moody, light and airy, film-y, or true-to-color vibrant images like mine.
All of these styles are totally okay and what makes each photographer so unique and special, but knowing what you like, want and need is super important to nail down before booking!
2. How long after the wedding will I get my images and how will they be delivered?
Photographers can have different turn-around times for your full gallery usually ranging between three weeks to two months. Also methods of delivery can vary as well. Some photographers choose to deliver all digitals, some mail USB drives, some send prints. It’s important to know all of this information up front to eliminate any confusion after the wedding day has come and gone.
3. Do you offer any add-ons with your packages?
Package options are also something that can differ from photographer to photographer. Asking if they have any add-on options like boudoir sessions, extra hours, rehearsal dinner coverage, etc. is a great way to know if you can customize your package to fit exactly what you need.
4. Will I meet and work with you before the wedding?
Like I stressed at the beginning, getting to know your photographer and building a friendship with them before the wedding is so important! One way to do that is by meeting them and working with them before your wedding day ever comes. Some photographers do that through in-person consultations, but my favorite way to do that is through an engagement session which I include in most of my packages! Not only does the engagement session give you beautiful images, but like I said, it also gives you a chance to work with your photographer and get a little pre-wedding practice in.
I always recommend asking your photographer if this is something they include, and if not, if it’s something you can add on. I promise, doing so will make you feel so much more confident come the wedding day!
5. What do you love most about photographing weddings?
This is a great question to ask to really hear the heart behind why they do what they do. Not only does this give you an inside look into their thoughts, but it also gives you a chance to know them better right from that first meeting!
6. How much of a deposit do you require?
Photographers have different ways of doing this. Some require a set amount, some require a percentage of your package price and others break it up into multiple payments along the way. Obviously, being a recent bride myself, I totally understand that weddings are an investment and working within your budget is always a great idea! Deposits can add up, so knowing what this will look like and if it’s doable for you prior to booking is important.
7. Will you bring along an assistant or second photographer?
Some photographers choose to bring along assistants on your wedding day, some include second shooters in their packages and some cover your day all by themselves. Knowing this ahead of time not only helps you account for vendor meals at the reception, but it also helps you determine if that’s the kind of coverage you want!
8. Can we see a couple full galleries of recent weddings?
Asking to see a couple full galleries from some of their recent weddings gives you an opportunity to see what all of their work looks like outside of what they’re sharing on Instagram and their website. There are so many important moments on a wedding day and you want all of those to be captured beautifully! This also gives you a chance to see what their work looks like outdoors, indoors, in low-light and at receptions.
9. Do you charge travel?
Depending on where your wedding is located, you may run into travel fees for your photographer. This is totally normal, but can vary depending on their specific policies, their location, etc. It’s never a bad idea to ask up front what that looks like for them and how it will effect your investment.
10. Can we order an album through you?
Wedding albums are beautiful heirlooms to have for years to come! Consider asking your photographer if they offer albums and how that process works. Sometimes they even come included in your package!
I hope this list of questions helps give you guidance before going into your meetings with potential photographers and helps you leave feeling like you know everything you need to book them with confidence!
I want to help take some stress off of you while planning your big day! So I put together a checklist with monthly to-dos for you to follow to ensure you don’t miss anything!
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