Questions to Ask Your Wedding Photographer

Aug 23, 2021 | Weddings

This is the moment of a lifetime. Your families gathered, the perfect dress, the atmospheric rustic setting. But it’s over in the blink of an eye. Your photographer is the one who will help you make these memories last a lifetime, with beautiful photos. Your photographer should not only be able to capture your wedding in a style you love, they also need to fit your personality, and budget as well as having the technical skills and photo packages that will make sure your dream wedding will be remembered vividly for years to come.

Here are a few questions you can ask your potential wedding photographer to make sure they’re the perfect fit for you:

Questions about Style

Can I see an entire photoshoot? You’ll want more than just the highlights of a wedding shoot before engaging someone to take photos of your special day. Look for someone who has experience with a rustic barn wedding, and enjoys shooting out-of-doors to take advantage of our gorgeous landscape.

What is your approach to wedding day photography? Again this helps you understand their personality and see if they will be a good fit with you and your intended.

What styles of photography do you work in? Do they work in more than one style? Journalistic, black and white, or dreamy? Make sure you see examples of all their styles.

Do you prefer candid shots or staged shots? Part of a photographer’s style lies in how they take the photos. You’ll be able to see some of this from just looking at their portfolio, but by asking directly you’ll get to hear about how they interact with the space and the people they are working with.

Contract Questions to Ask Your Wedding Photographer

Will you meet with us beforehand? It’s important to get a feel for the personality of a photographer so that you know they’ll be able to blend. Photographers will be with you when you’re getting ready, talking to your family, and are responsible for recording this very special day. You’ll want someone you like to be doing that work. Having your photographer take your engagement photos is a great way to get to know their personality and style.

What does your fee include? It’s important to get into the nitty-gritty details of the contract you will be signing. What exactly will you be getting for what you are paying? How many hours of coverage does their fee include? What kinds of post-production work does it cover? Do they do special photo effects? Do they have a second photographer? A second photographer means twice as much coverage. Do they include extras like the rehearsal dinner or bridesmaids’ lunch?

Are you able to scout out the location ahead of time? It really helps if they know the lay of the land beforehand. You can also talk about lighting and times of day to make sure you get the best photos.

Do you work with any other photographers or assistants, and can I see their portfolio? If your photographer is part of a larger studio or has an assistant make sure to clarify if any of them will be taking photos of your wedding, and ask to see their portfolios as well.

Questions About Editing and Post-Production

Do I get access to unedited photos? This may or may not be important to you. Some photographers are very serious about never sharing raw footage, and others are willing to share unedited photos. It’s good to ask and to know their policy.

Will I get printable digital copies of all photos? This is important. Even if they’re contracted to create your perfect wedding album and specific printed photos in various sizes, make sure you’re also getting all the photos in a high-resolution digital format so that you can download them onto your personal drive. This can be done with a thumb drive or through various online album and storage services.

How long does it generally take to get our finished photos after the wedding? Taking the photos is just the first step in a finished wedding photography contract. Afterward, your photographer will be editing, cropping, and possibly adding effects or filter as well as creating any albums or layouts laid out in your contract. This all takes time, but you’ll want to know what their longest timeframe is as well as their average timeframe for completion of the work.

Who will own the rights to the images afterward? Often the photographer will retain the rights to their photos, it’s worth it to ask them what exactly you have the rights to do with the imagery so that you can create all the wonderful memory pieces you want to. You can always ask to adjust the contract if needed.

Get Your Picture Perfect Wedding

A great photographer will be able to create a story of your wedding that resonates with your personality, love, and joy. Take the time beforehand to look over contracts, photo rights, and details of style and personality so that when your big day arrives, it will be captured and able to be remembered and shared for years to come.