You’re planning your wedding right? Your next step is to find your wedding photographer or you have a meeting booked and you want to know what to ask? I have come up with this list as a wedding photographer, to help you know what questions to ask your wedding photographer or to ask me 😉
These are the questions we are going to go through so feel free to scroll down and read through or just click the question that you need answered most!
- Are you available on my wedding date?
- How would you describe your style?
- Can I see a full wedding gallery?
- How will I receive my photos?
- Will I get all of my photos or do I need to pay extra?
- How long will it take to receive the photos?
- What packages do you offer?
- Do you mind working with a videographer?
- If we have to postpone, what happens?
- Do you offer pre wedding shoots?
- Do you offer second photographers as well?
- How much is the deposit?
- When is the full payment due?
- Do you offer payment plans?
- How long do I have to decide?
- How do I book you?
1. Are you available for my wedding date?
Now this sounds like OBVIOUS questions to ask your wedding photographer but… photographers get a lot of enquiries. So when you get on a call with your photographer it is worth double checking your date is available!
Just as a heads up, photographers can be booked up to 12/18 months in advance so please don’t leave it too late, especially if you have a certain photographer in mind
2. How would you describe your style?
This is such a GREAT question to ask and one that I personally love answering!
This question will allow your photographer to give you a better idea of how they photograph a wedding day. Not only will this give you a clearer picture of what to expect. But it will also hopefully match the style of what you have seen so far.
And of course you want it to match the vibe you are going for! If you’re not sure what style you’re wanting check out my post about picking a photographer that matches your vibe.
3. Can I see a full wedding gallery?
This is an absolute MUST!!
Social media will show the best work of any photographer, but what you want to check is that their best stuff is the WHOLE wedding day.
If you can get your hands on a couple of galleries to look through you can make sure that you love every single part of the day that they will be photographing!
If they don’t let you see any this is a major RED FLAG!!
4. How will I receive my photos?
You want to know the answer to this mainly so you know what to expect!
Most photographers will provide an online gallery so that it’s super easy to share with friends or family! Some will provide a USB or a disk which is fine as long as you are happy with that!
Ideally you want that online gallery because TRUST ME it is so much easier! (Also it’s worth asking how long they will keep your photos on that gallery for. But always back up your wedding photos multiple times regardless – you deffo don’t want to lose them!!)
5. Will I get all of my photos or do I need to pay extra?
Most of the time you will receive almost every single photo – I say almost because obviously the blurry ones and the awkward eating photos won’t be sent to you!
However, sometimes your package might include 300 photos for example and then you have to pay extra to have more than that. Again, this is a decision only you can make. Whatever you are happy with is the correct decision but just make sure you know the answer!
6. How long will it take to receive the photos?
This is a good question to ask your wedding photographer so you know exactly what to expect!
Sometimes if you have a wedding out of peak season you may receive your photos quicker as your photographer might not be as busy. However, during the summer months it gets SUPER busy so just get a good understanding of when you should expect them. And if that might change in the busier months!
Always keep in mind that your photographer is probably just excited to hear what you think of your photos as you are excited to receive them. We never hold them from you on purpose but we do have to factor in our own days off as well as life events so being understanding is a bonus in this department!
7. What packages do you offer?
Who wouldn’t want to know?
Obviously everyone has a budget in mind when it comes to their wedding. One of the most important things to remember is, you need to figure out if you budget will allow you to get what you want and what you are willing to compromise on! Top Tip: Your wedding photos are one of the things you will have forever. They will live beyond the flowers and the cake, so they are deffo worth spending a bit more on.
Saying that you want to make sure you pick the package that suits you. Another tip is to ask which package is most popular, this gives you an idea of what is common in terms of length of time and extra goodies!
8. Do you mind working with a videographer?
The answer to this should always be ‘I’m more than happy to work with a videographer’, or words to that extent.
Professionals are good at working with other professionals so in theory your photographer shouldn’t have a problem working with a videographer.
AS a photographer, I have spent a lot of time working with videographers and I love it! It gives another brain to bounce off and adds even more fun to the day!
9. If we have to postpone, what happens?
Now we all know what it was like with COVID, and if you don’t then you are LUCKY!
Weddings were postponed left, right and centre! So a lot of photographers have got used to postponements or have adjusted to them.
Some photographers will allow you to carry over your deposit whereas some will ask you to pay another deposit for the new date.
Again, there is no right or wrong it is just something that you might want to know – just in case!
10. Do you offer pre wedding shoots?
I can hear you now, ‘Do I really need a pre wedding shoot?’. In my opinion, it’s a must have!! You never need an excuse to have photos taken, especially at such an exciting time of your life!
But anyway, whether you think one or you think you don’t, by asking the question you then have the option in the future!
Like the saying we’ve all heard ‘If you don’t ask, you don’t get’.
11. Do you offer second photographers as well?
The reason this is a good question you ask your wedding photographer is because it will allow you to figure out if you actually need more than one photographer on your wedding day!
It is best to ask the expert and after discussing everything about your day, your photographer will know if you need a second photographer or not. And if you do, they will be able to tell you if they offer that or whether it is best to look elsewhere.
12. How much is the deposit?
Deffo good to ask this one, again it might sound obvious but there’s no harm in a reminder right?
Some photographers have a percentage of the final package as the deposit, if this is the case it’s worth also asking if this stops you changing packages at another date. You might think that you are set on your package but you might change your mind as you get closer!
Whereas others will just have a set price!
13. When is the full payment due?
If you are anything like me when I got married, I had a full spreadsheet with all my suppliers and when their payments were due! This is a great way to keep track of everything and make sure you don’t miss any payments.
This will allow you to plan ahead!
14. Do you offer payment plans?
Whilst we are on the topic of dollar bills… a good question to ask is if they do payment plans.
Some photographers will allow you to spread the payment out if you want to however, some are very set that you can only pay it closer to the day.
Just a bit of extra info you might want but maybe haven’t thought of!
15. How long do I have to decide?
A very important questions to ask your wedding photographer to stop you missing out!
A lot of photographers will only hold your date for a few days without a signed contract and/or a deposit. So if this is the answer make sure you’re quick so that you don’t miss out!
Popular dates fill VERY quickly so get in quick!!
16. How do I book you?
Well head over to my contact page and fill out all your info 😉
All jokes aside, you’ve done it, you’ve asked all the questions and you are ready to book… so just ask them – How do I book you?
If you are ready to make that all important decision and you are happy with all of your answers then GO FOR IT! Hopefully these questions to ask your wedding photographer will have helped you out!
And CONGRATS!!!
I hope you loved my guide on 16 questions to ask your wedding photographer! If you have any questions for me or just want to send me some love, head on over to my Facebook or Instagram!
And if you want some more amazing top tips and real weddings, head back over to my blog for more!
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