Questions to ask your Wedding Photographer

March 9, 2018

Questions to ask your Wedding Photographer

With a plethora of advice online on what questions to ask your wedding photographer. It can be hard to know which questions actually matter. With some big name wedding blogs even going to the lengths to dictate which camera brands are deemed acceptable. Which is all honesty is a load rubbish. I wouldn’t be entirely certain on taking advice on photography from anyone but a professional wedding photographer.

So today I’m sharing the questions that are actually important and will ensure you’re booking a top notch professional to photograph your wedding.

How long have you been photographing weddings?

This question depends if you’re specifically looking for a seasoned pro.

Talk me through your approach on the wedding day?

If you’re looking for a fun and laid back wedding photographer or a photographer who will give you lots of direction, finding out about their approach to capturing your wedding day, especially the group and couples portraits will give you an idea if it’s the right fit for you.

Do you have back up equipment?

This is one of the most important questions you can ask!

Like all technology, there is a possibility that something may malfunction or simply be dropped and broken. Devastatingly without back up equipment this would render your wedding photographer out of action. An experienced pro will have plenty of back up gear that can jump straight in its place without missing a beat should something go wrong.

What’s your image back up process?

This again is one of the most important questions to ask your wedding photographer. Hard drives and memory cards can fail and without a thorough and water tight back up solution this would result in the complete loss of your precious wedding photographs.

Ideally you want your wedding photographer to be using a camera with dual memory card slots. This means a back up of your images are made in camera as they are captured. After the wedding there should be at least two on site hard copies and one off site copy to completely protect your images.

What time do you arrive and what time do you leave?

Different wedding photographers will all provide different packages. Even those providing a full day may finish straight after the first dance where as some may shoot well into the dancing. It’s good to ensure you know exactly when they’ll be starting and finishing so you can make sure you’re booking the coverage that you need.

Do we need to feed you?

Some wedding photographers have a clause in their contract that requires a meal on the day. Whereas some photographers prefer to provide they’re own. Your venue may provide a crew meal for your suppliers but If you’re at all unsure just get in touch with your venue and photographer closer to the big day to clarify.

What’s the best time of day for us to have our family photos and group portraits?

If you want your wedding photographer to kiss the ground you walk on, this is the question to ask. I tell all my couples that light is the single most important part of us creating amazing wedding photographs. And this is hugely dictated by the time of day your shooting in. If there’s a specific look you’d like to achieve such as dreamy sunset portraits or moody night time images. Ask your wedding photographer for their recommendations. A lot of pro’s will have a personal favrouite time of day to shoot in and may request you set aside a bit of time in your schedule so you can capture the style of photographs you booked them for.

Can we see some full wedding galleries?

Another great way to ensure your booking an experienced pro is to view a couple of of full wedding galleries they’ve recently captured. Requesting galleries from the same time of year you’ll be tying the knot is a great way to get a preview of how they light and weather could look on your big day. It’ll also give you a great insight into their style and the way they approach and photograph weddings.

You also want to look out for consistency in image quality and their editing style. A well seasoned wedding photographer’s work will all share their signature style and each image should carry on the story of the last.

Do you have public liability and professional indemnity insurance?

Every wedding photographer should be fully insured. Your venue will require that they have public liability insurance as a minimum. But they must also have professional indemnity insurance, if they’d don’t run for the hills.

What happens if you are unwell and unable to photograph the wedding?

This is also super important. Sadly life does have unexpected twists and turns and an emergency or illness may mean your wedding photographer is unable to capture your wedding. Ask what they’re back up plan would be in case of emergencies.

So there we have it! All the important questions to ask your wedding photographer to ensure you’re booking a first class pro.

 

Looking for a creative wedding photographer Gloucestershire?

 We’re now limiting our availability to just 25 wedding adventures a year so our couples get the very best service. Get in touch to have a chat about your wedding plans.

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