7 questions to ask your wedding photographer

One of the most important vendors you will hire for your wedding is undoubtedly a photographer. During such a whirlwind of a day, you’re going to appreciate having an album full of wedding photos to look back on and it’s certainly not a place you want to skimp. With so much riding on the photographer, how are you supposed to even begin weeding through the many options? If you are looking to secure the services of a wedding photographer here are some questions you should ask to help you pick the best one for your needs!

“What is your strongest style of photography?”

Your wedding should not be a “Point-Shoot-Repeat” type of event. Just as other vendors have their own styles of baking, cooking, floral arranging, etc, photographers also have their own unique style. Here are a couple of common styles of photography. Decide which seems like a style you enjoy most, and then discuss it with potential photographers to see how experienced they are in that style. Pro tip: While one or two of these styles might be your favorite, a good photographer will be able to capture a little of each, creating a well-rounded assortment of photos of your big day.

  • Portraiture – A more traditional method of taking wedding photos. The photographer will pose the couple, their wedding party, and important friends and family in front of landmarks like the church/wedding venue, the altar, and as a complete group. There is a little room for creativity, but this style is mostly about staging photos in a strictly traditional manner.
  • Documentary – Less structured than portraiture, a documentary-style photographer will take pictures of the real happenings at your wedding, and usually, no one will be posed or looking directly at the camera. The photographer will walk around and capture people talking, laughing, eating, dancing, and enjoying the day. This style illustrates the candid moments of your wedding and tells a story outside of the structured portraits.
  • Artistic – Photographers versed in this style tend to use film when shooting this style, as opposed to digital cameras. Wedding photos shot in this style may come out with a grainy, dreamy quality to them, with images in the foreground in sharp focus while everything in the background is blurry and hazy

“How many weddings have you photographed?”

When you are applying for a job every company wants to know how much experience you have in a particular industry. You should ask the same of your wedding photographer. Remember, years are not a full measure of a wedding photographer: just because they have had a camera in their hands for 30+ years does not mean they’ve shot a lot of weddings. Because photographing weddings is such a niche skillset, be sure to get a full gauge of their wedding experience before you agree to hire them. 

“May we see a portfolio of your work?”

You can get an idea of how a photographer works from speaking to them about their favorite style and their previous experience. The best way to get a true idea, though, is to actually see the work they’ve done over the course of their career. Not only will you be able to gauge the quality of their work but you can also see potential examples of what you would like for your wedding album. Being able to point to concrete examples takes a lot of the guesswork out of the day for both you and the photographer. Pro tip: This is certainly a question you can ask when you meet with a photographer, but it’s also something you can research quite a bit beforehand! Look online for the photographer’s electronic portfolio or Instagram account to get an idea of what their work looks like in advance of meeting them.

“How many events is your studio working that weekend?”

If a potential studio has multiple bookings for a weekend you may not receive the attention you want for your wedding. Make sure that any photographer you plan to hire will be able to focus on your wedding, will show up on time, and will stay until the agreed-upon time.

“How many hours will you be at our wedding? If my event goes long will you stay if requested?”

This question is a great follow up to the last one. Wedding days are inevitably going to go slightly off schedule, and a slight hitch can throw off your whole day. Make sure that the photographer can stay overtime if necessary and ask if that will cause you to incur additional costs. Pro tip: Although your wedding might not be scheduled to end until late evening, you probably don’t need your photographer there to the very end. Save yourself some money and request that they stay for only a couple hours of your reception. You don’t need as many photos of that event as you do earlier in the day.

“Will an assistant photographer be coming along as well?”

The bigger the wedding the more moments there are to capture. A single photographer, no matter how talented, cannot be in multiple places at once. Be sure to inquire with each studio you speak to how many photographers they will be able to send along. You will probably have to pay extra for a second shooter, but it could pay off if you are having a large number of guests attend your wedding or have a short amount of time to get all the photos done in.

“Do you have insurance?”

This is a really important question to ask for a number of reasons. Firstly, proof of insurance is important for any business to have to show they are professional. Secondly, it will protect the photographer in the event something happens to their equipment. Lastly, it also provides protection just in case someone at your wedding is injured by the photography equipment. This may seem like an unlikely scenario, but you wouldn’t want to take the chance and end up being liable for any accidental injuries.

These questions should help you narrow down your list of potential photographers, but you may have others that are more personal for your particular needs, so feel free to add them to your list. Good luck in your wedding photographer search, and be sure to share any other questions that you would ask your photographer in the comments below!