Newly engaged? Congratulations! You’re probably in the process of planning one of the most amazing days in your entire life… now what? Well other than securing a date and venue, making sure you track down your dream vendors is next up on your list. Keep in mind that wedding vendors can book up to years in advance for a wedding date. To be sure you snag up your most wanted vendors, book them WAY in advance. One of those wedding vendors may be a wedding photographer. If that’s the case, trying to find one can be like finding a needle in a haystack. You have to know what questions to ask when hiring a wedding photographer to make sure you’re finding the perfect match.
What Is Your Photography Style?
Your photographer’s style plays a huge role in choosing a wedding photographer that’s perfect for your wedding day. Take a look at your potential wedding photographers’ social media and website and make sure their style matches your wedding vision. Do you like the angles they choose and how they capture the wedding day as a whole? Can you imagine your own wedding photos as you look at their work? Is there something that you see that you immediately know is a game-changer for you? These are some things to think about when trying to determine whether their creative style matches your vision.
What Is Your Editing Style?
Don’t be confused by the last question, as your photographer’s editing style is completely different from their photography style. Your wedding photographer’s editing style is what your final images will look like. Such as when you receive that final gallery, and what type of images you’re wanting to see. Think if you’re more for the photojournalistic with a hint of nostalgia (hey, that’s me!), warm and golden, moody and dark, or maybe even vintage. There are TONS of different editing styles that wedding photographers use. Each is completely unique and catered to that photographer. Being able to determine which editing style and tones you’re looking for in your wedding photos helps narrow down your options.
When Will We See Our Final Gallery?
Imagine this…. You just got married and you’re just itching to relive the day. Come to find out that you’re waiting 3-4 months for your wedding photos that you weren’t aware of. By the time you have your wedding, you should already know how long it will take to deliver all of your wedding photos. Asking your wedding photographer this important question will make sure you’re aware of the turnaround time. Keep in mind that your wedding photographer is editing away as fast as they can. It does take a ton of time to curate and edit all of your images but trust us when we say it’s worth it.
How Long Have You Been Photographing Weddings?
Making sure you feel comfortable with your wedding photographer’s level of experience is important. While there is nothing wrong with being a beginner in the wedding photography world, making sure you feel okay hiring someone at a certain experience level is something you should look into. An experienced photographer may charge a bit more than a less experienced one. Solely based on the fact that one wedding photographer has more experience and expertise in the field than the other. Whichever wedding photographer you choose though, make sure you’re confident in their ability to capture your special day.
What Is It Like Working With You On The Wedding Day?
Now you don’t just want a good experience before the wedding, but during it as well… obvi. Making sure that your wedding photographer invests in your wedding day is crucial. The care and nurture that goes into planning your wedding day is priceless and it should be cherished. How invested is your wedding photographer in your special day? While some may be more hands-off, I on the other hand am ready to go whenever you need me. Need a wedding dress fluff? I got you. Need me to pin something down? Got that too.
Do You Have Experience Shooting At My Venue Or My Type Of Wedding?
If you’re worried about the way your wedding venue may be photographed, asking your wedding if they’ve photographed weddings at your venue or similar to it may be helpful. Every wedding venue is different and has different types of lighting and decor so make sure that your wedding photographer has had some experience shooting weddings in similar conditions. If they don’t have experience at that specific venue, make sure that they are comfortable and ready to photograph your wedding venue.
What Happens If You Get Sick?
Ah now, this is the million-dollar question. I guess it’s time to collect! Many wedding photographers have their own backup plans if they end up getting sick. When looking for a wedding photographer, you want to make sure that they have a backup plan if they end up getting sick and can’t photograph your wedding. For the most part, your wedding photographer will hire someone to go in their place. This is someone your wedding photographer chooses who has experience. The photographer would go in place of the other, photograph the wedding and give the photos to the original wedding photographer. Then the wedding photographer would edit the images as normal. While this does happen in the wedding photography world, it happens so much that most wedding photographers should have their backup plans set up and in place.
How Do You Make Sure Our Photos Aren’t Missing?
Backup should be my middle name. All wedding photographers know that the number one fear is somehow losing your images or having your SD card read the dreaded “corrupted” notification. That’s why ALL wedding photographers should have backup systems just in case. Having a dual SD card slot ensures that if one SD card gets corrupted, the other one isn’t. When we upload our images onto our computers we have hard drives to back everything up. Making sure that you are working with a wedding photographer who has a solid backup system is VERY important. This is one of the questions to ask when hiring a wedding photographer that is vital.
Do You Have Insurance?
Most wedding photographers should have some kind of insurance whenever they’re working with couples on a wedding day. Insurance is amazing for equipment theft and provides liability protection just in case something were to happen involving you and a guest at the wedding. Your wedding photographer should have insurance to ensure that not only they’re safe but everyone else is too!
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