Questions to ask your photographer
So often couples come to see me to discuss their day and look through my work and don't really know what questions to ask. Whilst for me it's not a problem, as I often explain the main aspects of a wedding day and naturally cover most questions asked during the appointment. I do however feel if couples knew the questions they should be asking, it may help them with their decision making.
For anyone who is wondering what they should, or might want to ask, here's a list of some great questions. Choosing the right photographer is a crucial part of every wedding. Those photos are going to follow you through your life, so you should spend a bit of time thinking about who’s going to be taking them.
You can see my answers to the questions by selecting the [ My Answers ] button, found below each question.
Are they free on the day of your wedding?
Ascertain this before you even speak to them, otherwise everyone is just wasting their time, and you may getting your heart set on a photographer you can’t have.
Are they able to accommodate your particular requirements?
Decide beforehand whether you want video/aerial photography. Most photographers will say on their website whether they can provide that.
If you want a photo-booth, it might be worth asking your photographer if they provide one. (If not, there are plenty of other entertainment suppliers who’ll be able to provide you with a photo-booth.)
Also decide whether you think you’ll need one or two photographers – a lot of photographers recommend that you should get two photographers if you have a guest list of around 150 or more.
Will they be the one photographing your wedding?
You don’t want to end up with a stranger on the day! Some larger agencies will send any old photographer to capture your special day.
If you want a very particular style, make sure you’re getting the photographer that you want. Ideally, the person you speak to should be the person photographing your wedding.
Do their prices include VAT?
Always worth checking that the price isn’t suddenly going to go up.
How many hours will they cover your wedding for?
Some photographers will sell a ‘package’ of services, with a fixed number of hours and some photographers will offer all-day coverage.
Make sure you discuss the start time of your wedding with your photographer, and make sure that the hours that they are happy to work will cover everything that you want to be captured.
What is their payment schedule?
How much is the deposit and when is the balance due?
It’s also worth asking about cancellation fees, even though you don’t want to consider that possibility!
Have they shot a wedding at your venue before?
If you’re going for a photographer that’s local to your venue, it’s always worth asking if they’ve shot there before.
If so, they can probably show you pictures of a previous wedding they did there, and they probably have some ideas for the best places to grab pictures. You can also ask them for some advice on the venue – what has worked well at previous weddings there? Is there anything that the photographer would recommend?
What food/refreshments will the photographer need on the day?
Yes, you’ll probably need to feed them. Check with the photographer about what is the best way to manage this.
When will the photos be ready?
They won’t be able to give you an exact date, but you don’t want to have to wait two months for your wedding photos.
Do they send you the high-res photos?
You’ll probably want to display some pictures. Some photographers will send you only the low-res photos as part of the package, but will charge extra for high-res images. Whereas some photographers will supply all the high-res images within their packages.
Low-res images are fine for social media, but if you want to get any printed or framed, they’ll need to be high-res.
What sort of wedding albums do they produce?
Most photographers do wedding albums – some within their packages, some at an additional cost.
Albums can get quite pricey, so it’s worth asking about prices and album quality before you sign any contracts. Do they have any finished example? You should also clarify that you will get final approval of the album design before it is printed.
What does he/she recommend for photos?
They’re the expert – ask them what time of day is best for outdoor photos, when’s the best time to squeeze in the massive group shot, how long the couple photos will take, and anything else you’re curious about.
Their advice will help you sort out the timings for the day, and allow you to build in any time you’ll need to sneak off for extra photos.
This is just some of the many questions couples should ask their potential photographer. No matter how silly you think you questions may be, it's always worth asking! Along with these, it's also worth doing some basic background checks to see what past experience they have, how many years they have been photographing wedding days and how active they are. Their website about page, blog & social media should give you a good overview!