25 Questions to ask your wedding photographer

Wedding planning

Mar 25

Planning a wedding and booking a wedding photographer can be a daunting task, after all there are so many of us togs out there. I have been capturing weddings around Sussex and the South East UK for the last 15 year so have a built a vast amount of experience in knowing what questions you should ask and what questions I should answer if you forget. So here is my handy guide. When booking a photographer though, not only do you a need a photographer that can answer these questions with great clarity but more so you need to book a photographer that you gel with. Of all your wedding suppliers your wedding photographer is the one person, asides from venue staff or a planner that will be spending the entire day with you, so do make sure that you spend time not only looking at their portfolio and what they offer but also that you will get on well with them and know that they will fit in just fine with your family and friends.

Are you available on my wedding?
Like myself many wedding photographers can get booked up to 1 - 2 years ahead of the wedding date, so its always the first question you should ask any photographer you may enquire with as to whether they are free on your chosen wedding date.
How long have you been a wedding photographer?
A great question to ask to get a feel for the level of experience your photographer has. It is not only photography experience that matters and actually how many weddings in that time they have captured. I have been capturing weddings for the last 15 years. It has now been my full time profession for the last 9 years, capturing 20 - 25 awesome weddings each year. I have captured around 250 weddings in total. I’m pretty sure I could recite the vows word for word :)
Do you have insurance?
Yes, super important, I have both indemnity and public liability insurance. Definitely only book a photograph that has both of these insurances in place. May larger wedding venues will ask the photographer for this information too.
Can I see some full galleries?
It’s always a great idea to ask to see a full wedding gallery or album from a photographer you are enquiring with. Photographers will always show their best work on their websites, some only show shots of the bride and groom, so its wise to ask to see a full gallery so you can get a feel for the kind of shots you will receive from the full day.
Do you have a contract?
Yes, super simple, usual stuff. Covering what you will receive, what you can do with your photographs, what happens if you need to cancel or what happens if your photographer needs to cancel. My contract is sent online along with the booking form for you to e-sign. I would suggest only booking a photographer that has a contract in place.
What happens if you are ill or unable to attend our wedding?
I have been a wedding photographer for a long time and over that time I have built up some great networks with fellow photographers. So, if for any reason I am unable to attend your wedding (it’s never happened yet!) I would reach out to some other awesome photographer that would be able to come along in my place.
What is your cancellation policy?
The booking fee paid is not refundable if you choose to cancel. If you were to cancel within 120 days of the wedding 50% of the final balance would be due and if you cancel 30 days prior to the wedding then the full balance would be due to cover loss of earnings from not being able to rebook the date at short notice. If I was unable to attend your wedding and cancelled all monies paid would be refunded.
What packages do you offer?
I offer 3 packages, half day coverage and full day coverage. I also offer an hourly booking rate for bespoke requirements. Full details of my wedding photography packages can be found here.
Do you offer albums / printed products?
Yes! I have just recently altered my packages to incorporate printed products as standard. Going back to my photography roots in getting photographs in printed and on show!
Can we order an album at a later date?
Yes, my full day packages receive a simple coffee table wedding album with the package. You can however choose to upgrade this if you wish to a beautiful handcrafted fine art album. If you prefer you can order this at a later date either direct with me or you can have fun designing it yourself through you gorgeous online gallery.
Do you have any testimonials?
Yes, I am very lucky to have been able to capture some awesome couples over the years who, upon receiving their wedding gallery email me with some super kind words. You can check out some of my wedding photography reviews here.
What are booking terms, what deposit is needed?
In order to book me and secure me for you wedding I require the completion of my online booking form, a signed contract and also a booking fee payment of 25% of you package ordered. For full day photography coverage this would be £400 and for half day £225.
What are your payment terms, when is the final balance due?
Your final balance is due 4 weeks prior to your wedding date. About 6 weeks before I will drop you a message with you final invoice and also a link to my wedding questionnaire which I use to gather all the last minute timings and details for the day.
Can we create a bespoke package?
Yes, definitely. I have an hourly photography rate which you can use if the half day or full day package doesn’t suit your needs. Just let me know what you’re looking for and I can pop you over a quote.
What equipment do you use?
I’m a Canon girl and shoot with 2 canon cameras. The new canon mirrorless and the mk3, I have several lenses too, so plenty of equipment should anything go wrong.
How long until we get our photos?
You will receive a mini highlight gallery of 25 images within a week after your wedding. The full gallery will then follow 4 - 8 weeks after this depending on time of year.
How do we get our photos?
You will receive your photo’s via a gorgeous online private gallery. They will be full high res and available to share and download for you to back-up and keep safe. I stopped supplying a USB this year in favour of just the gallery and instead of the USB a gorgeous selection of prints from your day.
Can we meet you before the wedding?
Yes please. It is super important to meet with any prospective photographers before you decide to book them. Whilst the photographer may have a gorgeous gallery and be super talented if you don’t hit it off in person then they may not be for you. Photographers are one of the only suppliers that will be with you for the entire wedding day, so do make sure you are happy that they will get on with you and also your family and guests.
Do you offer engagement shoot?
If you think you will be nervous in front of the camera (most people are) then finding a photographer that offers engagement shoots can be a great way to settle those nerves. For me engagement shoots are an add on, not everyone wants them but you are more than welcome to add one on with me.
Do we need to feed you on the wedding day?
Many photographers will stipulate in their contract that they require feeding on the wedding day. I personally do not do this, but 90% of time couples do arrange a meal for me. All I ask is that you let me know ahead of the day, either way, so that if you are unable to provide a meal and can arrange to bring something along.
Do you do group shots?
Its always good to ask prospective photographers this question. Whilst nearly all photographers of course will do group shots, some will have a limit on the amount they will do. Group shots are a super important part of your day, sometimes more important for other family members than yourselves so yes of course I do indulge but I do always advise couples in advance of how long group shots can take so they can then decide how long they want to be doing them for. I have created a handy guide to group shots here.
How long do you keep our wedding photographs on file?
You will have access to your online gallery for 1 year, where you will be able to download and share the gallery with your family. It is important that at some point you download all of the images and keep them backed up somewhere safe on a computer or external device, the more places the better. I, myself keep a copy of your photos for 5 years, so if the worst happens in this time you can come back to me if needs be.
Can we have extended hours in to the evening?
Sometimes the 9 hour full coverage isn’t enough, or you may want extra evening dance floor coverage or you may have something special planned for later in the evening that you may want a professional wedding photographer to capture. Some photographers will only offer a basic 8 - 10 hour full day package. I myself have the basic 9 hour full day package and if you would like more hours you can add on using a discounted hourly rate option.
Do you work on your own? can we have 2 photographers?
I personally shoot 90% of weddings I capture as a solo and have done for many years. I personally feel that i am able to capture an amazing range of photographs to tell the story of your day. On occasions and especially with large weddings 100+ guests a second photographer can be a great idea and if you think you may want this then I do have a few awesome photographers that will second shoot for me. This is another reason why asking to view an entire wedding gallery is a great idea so that you can see what kind of images, candids, bride and groom and detail shots your solo or duo photographer can capture.