Five Questions to Ask Your Wedding Photographer | Friday Fives
Today’s Friday Fives focuses on five questions to ask your wedding photographer. Having been a bride myself, and now a wedding photographer, I think it is important that ask your photographer all the questions you have before you officially book them.
Trust me, there are more than just five questions you should ask your wedding photographer, but these are the my top five. I’ll have share more in another blog.
These five questions have NOTHING to do with what a photographer charges or what is included in their package. Although what a photographer charges is important in making your decision, there are other factors more important than price, because we’re talking about your memories and the most important day of your life! Choosing a wedding photographer based solely on price isn’t the way to go about it!
So, pour yourself a glass of your favorite wine and let’s get started!
WHAT IS YOUR EDITING STYLE?
There are many different types of editing styles these days- light and airy, dark and moody, film, vibrant, bold, the list is endless, which is why this is an important question to ask. You need to know what your wedding images will look like when you receive them.
The images on a photographer’s website show their style and should have a consistent look. If you land on a website with a variety of editing styles, you don’t really know what to expect in your images. Some photographers edit their images based on what the client wants, but that’s risky, in my opinion. I believe clients should know exactly what they are getting when they are looking at a photographer’s work.
My brand is based on the style of images seen on my website and all my social media accounts. Clients know that what they see is what they are going to get. I have turned away clients that were looking for a style that wasn’t on brand for me. For example, dark and is NOT me. It’s not MY brand, and it’s not what I specialize in. Be sure to determine what you want your images to look like for all the years to come and find a photographer that matches that desired look and feel.
WHAT DOES YOUR PACKAGE INCLUDE?
This is one off the top five questions you should ask your photographer because you need to know what you are paying for! Make sure you know exactly what you are getting for your money! Will you be getting digital files, Prints, Albums, etc.? Are you paying ala carte for your package? Is it all-inclusive? Will you have to pay for prints or digital images after? How many images can you expect? Again, understand the package that you are choosing!
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN PHOTOGRAPHING WEDDINGS?
Let me be clear about this question. You are not asking them how long they have been a photographer, You are asking how long they have been a WEDDING photographer! There is a big difference between being a photographer and being a wedding photographer.
Wedding photography is more than having professional gear and being able to take great pictures. Do they understand the ebb and flow of a wedding day? Are they flexible and quick on the fly? Do they know to turn and capture the groom’s face while the bride is walking down the aisle? Are they able to respectfully command the attention of tipsy groomsman or disorganized family members for photos? The list goes on and on! Not every photographer can be great at weddings, and that’s why this question is so important to ask. Let me be clear, newer photographers can be amazing at photographing weddings, you just want to make sure you are hiring a skilled wedding photographer.
CAN WE SEE A FULL WEDDING GALLERY?
Let’s just be transparent, we all know photographers put their best work online! We are selling you our art so, our best work is on display! But, do not book a wedding photographer based solely on what you see on their Instagram, Facebook, or website! Ask to see a full wedding gallery. You want to see the pre-wedding shots, the family shots, the in-between shots, the reception, how they handle different lighting situations, etc. Of course every wedding is different, but you want to see a full wedding gallery to see what you can expect.
ARE YOU INSURED?
This is a big one and I don’t think many clients ask this question. Professional wedding photographers should have proper insurance coverage for their business. Insurance protects the photographer against equipment theft, but more importantly, it provides liability protection in case Uncle Joe trips over the photographer’s bag and breaks his arm. If a wedding photographer does not have insurance, chances are they are new to the industry or are not taking their business seriously. Also, most wedding venues require that the vendors have insurance to cover them as well. The worst nightmare is for your wedding photographer to show up to your event and not be able to shoot if the venue asks for a COI (Certificate of Insurance), and they don’t have one!
Your wedding day is one of the most important days of your life. These images will be hanging on your walls for years to come. Your children and grandchildren will look at these images. Make sure your memories are documented and captured the correct way!
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