Before hiring your wedding photographer, take the time to get to know who they are as a person and their personality. These questions will help you get a feel for the overall style of your photographer and whether or not it’s right for you.
1. How would you describe your style of photography?
Think about what type of look you are going for and how important it is that your wedding photos match that feel. Ask for a sample gallery to get an idea of the work and how the photographer generally approaches weddings. Be bold and let your wedding photographer know what photos appeal to you, and be brave and ask that they stick closer to the style you prefer throughout the day. Your wedding day is yours; tell your photographer what it should look like.
2. How many weddings have you shot?
It’s essential to find out how many weddings your photographer has shot before you are likely to be booking with them. Their experiences will influence their advice and opinions on your wedding day. Does this person shoot all kinds of weddings or strictly fine art? What kind of challenges have they faced over the years? Did they do a specific type of wedding that was more difficult than others? Being able to answer these questions will help you make an informed decision in the future.
3. Do you have additional support for your photography business?
Do you bring your lighting equipment? If so, stop here and ensure it’s professional quality and not just bought from somewhere like Amazon.com. What other assistants do you have? Do they know how to use your specialized lighting equipment? Are there any problems that can arise with multiple people having access to your equipment? Even if your photographer is a one-person operation with a full-frame camera, you should still ask these questions.
4. What is your typical wedding day workflow?
Most wedding photographers are “traditional” and will shoot an entire day without a break. If it’s different from your typical time, do you need to get your photos done faster? Do you need to be able to have access to them at certain times of the day/night, or is it all up to the photographer on that day? There may also be more than one photographer shooting your order with different workflows. Speak with them about their general workflow and ask about their preferred shooting method.
5. Do you do destination weddings?
Many photographers will not shoot weddings in a location they have not worked in before. Shorter flights are common between New York and Hawaii than from New York to Vegas, for example. Worries about whether or not you will be traveling internationally may cause more stress than needed.
6. Do you have backup equipment?
A big part of a wedding photographer’s day is loading/unloading memory cards at each place they visit that day. If your wedding day is going to be long, they must have a backup system to move images between cards and their computer. Most photographers will have at least two cameras, two memory card readers, etc. and make sure they are not saving on equipment quality just because of cost. Always use the best gear possible when it comes to photographing your wedding.
7. Do you follow up with brides after the wedding?
This question can help you understand how well the photographer takes care of their clients after the event. If the photographer is unwilling to spend extra time with you, they may be more concerned with just getting the shots and may even bump up their prices by a few hundred dollars to make up for it. If they want your business, they should also enjoy a long-term relationship with you after your wedding.
8. How soon will I get my photos?
If you have a smaller wedding, the photographer can get your entire set done in a few weeks or less, depending on how many other weddings they have booked that week. If you have a larger wedding, expect a longer time frame to complete the entire set. Ask them how quickly they will be doing your photos and what their turnaround time is to ensure you are getting precisely what you want and not paying too much for a rushed job.
