10 Questions You Should Ask Your Photographer

Choosing a photographer can be one of the more important aspects of your wedding day.  You have a million moving parts to plan your dream wedding, so I want to help you streamline that process!  There is so much to know and learn about what goes into photographing a wedding day. Know that you will spend more time with the photographer than you will with your spouse on the big day, so it is important to ensure that you not only enjoy their work but them as well.  Your photographer should be someone you really trust and like.  That’s why I have curated 10 questions you should ask your photographer!

Just as your photographer will ask you questions to make sure you are the right fit for them, you should be just educated in your choice of them as well.  I have curated some questions for you that will help you navigate booking your photographer, and ensure you are both on the same page.

Stay to end for a free PDF interview sheet that you can take with you to your consultation!

What is exactly included in my package?

I encourage you to always know what is included in the wedding package you select with your photographer.  Most photographers will offer different options based on the budget of the bride. I myself offer one package, with add-ons available if you so choose.  When you are picking a package, you should ensure that your needs are met within that package and go over in detail with what’s included. If you educate yourself well in this step, there will be no surprises when its time to sign the contract, or on the wedding day.

How will my images be delivered?

There are several ways that photographers send images to their clients.  Some of the more traditional ways are disk or USB drives. I am not a huge fan of either of these because while tangible products are nice and can showcase your brand, they aren’t very reliable.  I myself have lost countless disks and USB drives. I am notorious for dropping things in any and all bodies of water… toilet included. While your photographer has likely backed up the images, I would be heartbroken to have something happen to my gift from my photographer.  I personally use online galleries as my preferred delivery method. They are so convenient, on-brand, and easy to use. From my client’s online galleries they can share, download, and order prints to their hearts desire

What happens if the timeline goes longer than expected?

This question is one of the main reasons why I create a relationship with my couples.  I don’t want to be another vendor who shows up, clocks in, and dips out as soon as the clock strikes nine o’clock.  I want my couples to know that if things run behind or don’t go as scheduled, I am going to give them a little grace.  Things happen, and I want to give them the experience they expect from me as not only their photographer but their friend.  Your photographer should be investing in you just as much as you have invested in them. That being said, if things go hours past the timeline, you should expect some extra charges.  No one should work for free, and as I’m sure you know – that time is money.

How long will the images be backed up?

With my online galleries, I host them for 10 YEARS!  You will never have to worry about losing those oh so precious portraits of your big day.  Aside from the galleries, I never delete the final gallery. All of the images I give to you will be held on an external hard drive as well as a cloud-based service.  That way if anything happens to the equipment, we still have all of your beautiful images.

 

How will the files be backed up BEFORE gallery delivery?

As most photographers do I back up my images in three places. They are on the card that I use to shoot the images, they are kept on an external hard drive and also backed up in a cloud-based storage service. I back up three places because I know that even if two of my storage options fail I still have a copy of those images. I also never delete images off of the memory card until the gallery is delivered in case we need to go back and retrieve any of the RAW original images.

What is their role in your day?

My role in the wedding day is not only to create beautiful portraits of you and your partner on the most important day of your life, but it’s also to ensure that you have everything you need as a bride. I want to make sure that you’re enjoying your big day full of laughs and champagne and love. You can’t do that if you spend your whole day running around wondering where the florist and the cake is. I’m there to make you feel comfortable and to help you with anything that you need. I don’t want to be just another vendor that’s there for a paycheck. I’m here for you in any way that I can be on your big day. You should find a photographer who not only is there to take beautiful portraits but cares about how you are experiencing your wedding day. They should be just as invested in making sure that your day is fun and easy.

What is their photography style?

Photography style is huge and it’s very important to consider when you’re choosing your photographer. If you are loving the moody emotional darker portraits and you want that style for your wedding, but you are interviewing a photographer who shoots in a more light and airy style – you’re going to be very disappointed when your gallery gets delivered. Be very clear about what you want. If that is something that the photographer cannot deliver they should be more than comfortable to point you in the direction of someone who would be a better fit. Photographers shoot in a certain style which is very specific to how they run their business. It’s important to know that if you were asking a photographer to shoot outside of their realm of genius you’re probably not going to get the quality of the images that you are expecting. So make sure that the photographers shoot in a style that fits you and your couple said that there are no surprises when your gallery gets delivered.

Can you see a full gallery?

Most photographers will be more than willing to show you a photo gallery of her wedding day. I think this is important so that you can see how our wedding day flows and what kind of images you can expect from your photographer. You should definitely look at the photographer’s portfolio either online or on social media, which will give you a good feel of what the photographer has the offer, but you should also inquire about a full gallery so that you get the overall picture of the day. I am always more than happy to show my potential couples a full gallery so that they can learn to trust me and know what to expect for me.

How will my images be shared on social media?

Social media is huge, especially in the marketing realm. If you’re not a small business owner or an entrepreneur you may not realize how much social media plays a huge part in attracting your future clients. Almost all of my brides and grooms have been shared on the blog on social media and various marketing tools that are put out into the world. It is written into the contract and you should expect any photographer to have something similar in their contract. Know that those pictures on social media are what attracted you to that photographer and we hope that the beautiful images we capture on your big day will help us to attract even more couples like you. I also feature my couples the Tuesday after their wedding on my blog so that they can have a little sample of what to expect in their full gallery delivery. I find that my couples really enjoy this and it gets them super excited for their gallery.

When will my gallery be delivered?

The gallery delivery timeline is different for each photographer. Most photographers will state the expected delivery time within their contract which gives them anywhere from two weeks to six months. Knowing this ahead of time is going to save you a lot of stress and worry wondering where your gallery is. Please know that editing photos take way longer than it does to take the images so be sure to give your photographer ample time to deliver the images that you want at the quality you expect on your big day.

I hope that helps you find the photographer that is the perfect fit for you. Know that your photographer is going to ask you questions to make sure you are the right fit for them so I encourage you to do the same. Ask the deep questions so that you know that your photographer is going to be someone that you enjoy being around.  Happy planning!

Don’t forget to download your PDF interview guide to help with the search!