Questions to Ask When Searching for a Wedding Photographer
Trust me, I know how daunting it can be trying to find the perfect wedding photographer. There are so many things to take into consideration, it can be hard to keep track! Choosing a photographer means choosing the person you’re entrusting with the most important day of your life. Which is exactly why I put together a list of questions to ask when searching for a wedding photographer.
How long have you been shooting weddings and what inspired you to start working in the field?
Experience is definitely an important factor to consider when choosing the perfect photographer. You want someone who’s had extensive wedding experience if you’re willing to prioritize that in your budget. And let me tell you – your photographer is not the vendor to skimp on. I know Uncle Bob and Aunt Tina are at every family function with their cameras, but you definitely want a professional one on your big day. Not to mention, you’ll want a professional that will be inspired by something on your big day. If you’re focused on the candids, you don’t want a photographer that’s inspired by the detail photos.
My answer: I’ve been shooting weddings since 2017. One of my close friends had me shoot hers and I fell in love with being able to serve couples on their big day, while also being able to create art that makes them feel like the main character in their own personal romantic comedy. Before that, I was a photojournalist. So getting to be a wedding photographer really blended the art that I loved so much with the candid approach that I excelled at.
Can I see a full wedding gallery?
I am quite literally begging you to ask this question. It’s so important to see how the person that you’ll be trusting to document such an important day in your life handles a full wedding day. Sure you’ve seen their highlight reel over on Instagram or on their website, but you won’t truly know the full scope of their abilities until you’ve seen at least a full wedding gallery (I actually suggest getting multiple). You don’t want a Sepiagate situation on your hands (IYKYK).
My answer: Of freaking course you can! I’d be happy to send over as many galleries as you’d like, for both engagement sessions and full weddings. In the meantime, I post the highlights over on my blog so you can get an idea for how I work.
Do you assist with timeline setup/coordination?
Planning a wedding can be stressful, but it doesn’t have to be! To try and keep things as calm and collected as possible, it’s important to know which vendors can assist with what. Especially if you’re not hiring a wedding planner, you’ll need to make sure you have a timeline to give your photographer so you can determine how many hours of coverage you’ll need. In addition, your photographer needs to know how much time they should spend on each segment of the day!
My answer: Leading up to a wedding day, I have a meeting with my couples and we go over a lot of things. From the family formal portraits, to when the ceremony will take place, to how long they’ll need for each part of their day. As a team, we fine tune the timeline and leave enough buffer in just in case something gets off schedule. If you’ve got a special request, like planning a wedding in a destination you aren’t familiar with, let me know! There’s a good chance I can find out the information you’re looking for. For example, I’ve got a whole guide about how to plan a wedding in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
Do you have backup equipment?
As much as we pray nothing happens to our equipment while we’re using it, we can’t control what happens. What we can control is our backup plan if something does happen! Having a photographer that always has a plan B could save you a massive headache in the long run.
My answer: Yes, I shoot on 2 cameras always, and they both write to 2 cards simultaneously. I also keep meticulous backups after the wedding day to make sure that I keep your photos safe and sound.
Do you offer printing for albums and wall art?
I always tell my couples that your photos aren’t meant to live on a screen. Having the option to print your photos in either album or wall art form is crucial if you want to have the full experience. But not all photographers offer this! It’s important to know which ones do and which ones don’t before you book them.
My answer: YES! Absolutely. So many of my couples opt to include a printed element in their packages. Two months after their day, we get together to design their heirloom album and wall art.
Do you work off of a shot list?
Shot List – A formal list of specific photos of poses, people, and angles written prior to your wedding day. You can usually find them on the wedding planning side of Pinterest, and most of them list off things like the first kiss, the walk down the aisle, etc.
My answer: No, I don’t technically follow a traditional shot list. Do I usually catch all of those moments? Of course. But I approach weddings in a documentarian style, which means I follow the story as it’s happening. I don’t walk into a wedding knowing exactly what I’m going to capture because it takes away part of the magic. I aspire to capture the big moments on that list and also those small moments that make your chest tight and make you feel something.
However if you mean like a family formal list, then absolutely yes. The time directly after ceremony is 100% for going through the list and making sure we have all the combinations that you need. I work through this list at all of my final pre-wedding meetings with clients.
What’s your favorite part of weddings?
This one might be a little untraditional, but this question allows you have a less “technical” point of view of the photographer. Yes, all the questions above are important, but it’s equally as important to make sure you vibe on a personal level!
My answer: It’s not really a moment or a thing, but the feeling in the air. Just the fact that I get to be apart of the happiest moments of someones lives and capture their love absolutely floors me every time. Expect me to be a puddle of emotion at random intervals.
That’s all I’ve got!
I hope you found this list of questions to ask when searching for a wedding photographer useful. It’s no easy task booking your vendors, so hopefully this article made it a little easier for you. If you feel like we would get along and you want me apart of your big day, I would absolutely love to chat with you. To get in touch with me, you can fill out my contact form and I’ll get back to you ASAP!
Some other vendor recommendations for you…
So you’ve already found your wedding photographer? Amazing. You’ll wanna check out these amazing vendors to round out your wedding day dream team.
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