11 Important Questions to ask your Wedding Photographer

Scouting for a wedding photographer for your wedding day is daunting enough. Top it off with pressure of having made the choice that will deliver to your heart’s desire adds even more stress to the mix. It’s always a great idea to meet the photographer in person so you have a good sense of who they are and if their personal style agrees with you. But there’s still plenty to ask and learn in the process of making this very important decision.

Having worked with dozens of clients over multitudes of assignments, we have compiled this essential list of questions that you must your prospective wedding photographer:

Are my dates available?

The primary concern is to ensure that if your events span across multiple dates, your chosen wedding photographer is available with his/her team across all days. It’s best to have them list out how many team members will be required at each event and then cross check it against their availability.

Will you be shooting other weddings on the dates of my wedding?

While you might love the work of a certain wedding photographer, it is imperative for you to know if they are going to be multi tasking across various venues and weddings. Clashing your dates with other booked appointments may mean you are not getting the best their team has to offer.
We recommend going with professionals that dedicate themselves only to one wedding at a time, so as to give their full creative potential. Having multiple commitments can mean a mix-up of teams, insufficient hands on deck and its unavoidable impact on the quality of work. This is what we always insist on at I Don’t Say Cheese, to ensure we give our very best to every wedding we work on.

Will you be the wedding photographer shooting my events?

It’s essential you know the primary creative force behind the wedding photography business first-hand. If you’re hiring a service for their product, it’s important to know who is in charge of delivering it. When you’re meeting your prospective wedding photographer, you must ensure if they really are going to be the person shooting your wedding.
In some cases you might be communicating with the studio head, and not meeting the actual photographer who handles the fate of your wedding day photographs. We recommend the primary wedding photographer in person to understand how they work, and see if you connect with them to have a comfortable conversation about what you’re looking for. You can read about our process to get a better idea of how we work, and see if you can discuss these variables with your chosen wedding photographer.

What is your experience as a wedding photographer with weddings like ours?

Your photographer may have brilliant technical skills and a fantastic portfolio, but you need to find out how much experience do they truly have with weddings. Especially with weddings that are similar to what you’ve planned Some of the key things to ask for is their experience in terms of number of years/number of weddings they may have shot. You may also want to ask them if they have shot at the venues you’ve picked or similar ceremonial setup as yours.
With the right kind of experience the photographer would be able to anticipate moments and capture them in time. He/she would be aware of the traditions involved in your wedding and have a keen sense for what he/she needs to be prepared for. It’s extremely helpful to hire someone who is very hands-on with the industry and is confident about delivering stunning photographs.

How would you describe your wedding photography style?

Don’t hesitate to ask the wedding photographer for their description of their style. What do they try to portray in their shots? What kind of photographs do they like to click? What is their core expertise? If you’re not sure of what style you’re looking for, ask them to suggest the kind of photographs they think would work for your wedding.
Each client is unique and their love story is different from the rest – so how does your wedding photographer intend to capture yours? If they hesitate in answering these questions, go over their portfolio thoroughly to really understand what kind of pictures they usually like to take, and figure if that’s what works for you.

Can we see a full set of deliverables you’ve given to a client?

This step is so, SO important. While someone’s Instagram feed may look stunning with an array of beautiful pictures from different weddings, you NEED TO SEE one complete set from one wedding in isolation. Wedding photographers click thousands of pictures at a wedding, so getting one or two winning shots is a good chance. However, once you see an entire set, you would know if their general style even beyond the signature shots is worth it or not. This gives you a comprehensive idea of the photographer’s talent and presence of mind.

• Did he/she capture all the important moments?
• Did they take good family shots?
• How are their skills with couple portraits?
• Did they take candid shots?
• Did they manage to tell the story through their pictures?
• Are they over using black & white style over color?
• How are their skills with color fixing, processing and editing?

Samples of wedding photography sets

See some of our sets here to understand how a more comprehensive overview of a photographer’s work can help you.

What is included in your standard package? What add-ons are available?

We recommend you study the finer details of the deliverables the wedding photographer is promising at the time of their offer. While they are providing the service of wedding photography, the deliverables across vendors can vary a lot. For example, some photographers will send you the unedited pool of all the photos they’ve clicked and ask you to pick the pictures you really like for them to edit, while some others will go through the painful experience themselves and only deliver you the very best with professional edits.

Some vendors will promise an album but not commit on quality or number of pages. Some will commit the service but not the number of people in the team. It’s important to really understand that if someone’s offering a wedding photography package cheaper than another, what is the difference in their details.
It’s also extremely helpful to understand what add-ons they offer so if anything seems lucrative to you, you can opt for it at the time of package finalization. Having a thorough knowledge of all their services and offerings can help immensely in customizing your package.

Who does the editing? What is your editing style?

Post processing and editing can really make or break a photograph. While a photographer might get a great shot, the editor could have a huge impact on its eventual finish. Hence, it’s a good idea to ask your photographers about their editing team and whether the processing is done in-house or outsourced.
A good professional wedding photography service would always want a strict quality control over their finished product and would have the editing team available with them to ensure the best product. You might want to also ask questions about their editing style – do they use a lot of black and white edits, do they work extensively on skin retouching (and if that’s something you require or not), do they offer editing based on your personal tastes or is it fairly standard.

What are the delivery timelines?

All of these concerns should be addressed right at the start. If it’s a very busy service, your photographs may be hanging in wait for a long time, so it’s best to be prepared with realistic timelines with your chosen wedding photographer.

• How long after the wedding do they promise to deliver the digital photographs?
• If you’re ordering an album, how long could that take?
• Do they offer a fast-track service for a few pictures that you’d like sooner?
• When will the wedding videos be delivered?

What are your payment terms and do you have a contract?

Ensure the payment terms are suited for you and the photographers – both. A standard practise is to retain 50% as advance booking amount but this would vary according to vendor and their experience. A new entrant in the industry would be more flexible while seasoned wedding photographers would have strict payment terms. Professional wedding photographers would also insist on signing a contract and this is highly recommend.

A contract ensures all deliverables are met from their end, just as it gives them the peace of mind that you will be paying them in time. Go through a sample contract to get an idea of their terms and conditions. This is useful for you before making a decision in their favour.

How do you guarantee the shooting and backing up of all data?

It is also recommended you ask your wedding photographer how they intend to prepare themselves for any failures at the time of shooting.

• Do they carry backup cameras/lenses/lights/cards?
• Do they have backup team in case someone falls ill?
• Do they ensure all the data is backed up once they’ve shot the wedding?

It may seem trivial, but the level of preparation will give you an excellent idea of the professionalism of your wedding photographer. It will also give you the peace of mind you need to know everything is well taken care of.

These questions will help you not just assess your wedding photographer’s professional capabilities but also their willingness to work with you. Someone who is very keen on shooting your wedding will take the time to explain their work and be even more receptive to listening to your needs. In the end, you really should find someone who has a genuine interest in your story as a couple and is excited to work with you.