25+ IMPORTANT QUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER BEFORE BOOKING THEM

1.) What is your photography experience?

This is a good question to get a solid grasp on how comfortable they are with photography overall. Your photographer could have started their photography business many years before they got into photographing weddings, or they could have started their business a month ago. Learning how much experience they have photographing in general will give you a good idea on their expertise in this field.

2.) How many weddings have you shot?

Similar to the first question, this question is also important because it will give you a good gauge of their wedding expertise. The more weddings they have shot, the longer they have been in the wedding world. Although the length of time that they have been photographing weddings may not be too important for you, it’s still a good thing to know to ensure how smooth your day will go.

3.) How many weddings do you shoot a year?

Depending on how many weddings they shoot a year, they may have more or less time to invest in each wedding they have booked. The more weddings they have, the more galleries they have to edit and the more planning they have to do with each wedding coming up. The fewer weddings they have, there might be a quicker turnaround time for galleries and they can provide more of a personal experience.

4.) What is your editing style?

Again, similar to the question above, if you love warm and glowy photos with some moodiness to them, make sure that’s the way your photographer edits. Editing style is one of the key components to a photographer’s brand and what makes them unique, so 9 times out of 10, a photographer won’t change their editing style for a client. Make sure you love how all of their images look!

5.) Do you do any Photoshop editing?

Photographers may or may not use Photoshop. This ties directly into their photography and editing style. If their values lean towards the authentic side, they may not accommodate using photoshop to retouch or manipulate a photo. Also, depending on a photographer’s expertise, they may go into Photoshop to fine-tune each image to look the best it can be while other photographers just do basic edits to the highlights, shadows, and colors—without using Photoshop at all.

6.) How do you back up and save our gallery?

Knowing how a photographer keeps your images safe after the wedding will give you peace of mind after your special day ends.

7.) How do you deliver your wedding galleries?

Depending on the photographer, the answer will be different. Some include a USB drive with all of your images on it, while others offer a USB as an add-on to their package. Other photographers provide a limited digital gallery with the option to purchase the full gallery at an additional cost, while some deliver the fully edited digital gallery at no extra cost. Learning this and knowing what you would like to receive from your day will help you know what to expect.

8.) Do you limit the number of images you deliver in your wedding galleries?

As explained above, each photographer is different in providing a certain number of images from your wedding. Some limit the number of images per hour whereas other photographers deliver all of the best images of the entire day.

9.) What is your turnaround time to deliver our wedding gallery?

Every photographer’s workflow differs, and this ties back to how many weddings a photographer shoots in a year. Some photographers’ turnaround time is 2-3 weeks while other photographers deliver their galleries in 2-3 months.

10.) Will we have full printing rights?

This is a good question to ask so you know exactly what’s included in the package you purchase and if this comes at an additional cost. Some photographers upsell their print release if their clients decide to print elsewhere rather than go through them. So an extra cost doesn’t come out of the blue, it’s good to ask beforehand.

11.) What is your process for booking weddings?

Learning what is needed in order to fully secure your wedding date ensures there are no surprises that could create a delay in the booking process.

12.) How much do you require for a retainer?

Having a payment schedule set for the amount required to securely book your date will ensure that all of the photographer’s services can be provided in a timely manner.

13.) Do you charge a travel fee & if so, what does the travel fee cover?

Are you having a destination wedding, hiring a photographer out of your state? If so, photographers will probably charge a travel fee. Travel fees cover lodging, flights, and/or mileage.

14.) Do engagement sessions come included in your wedding packages?

Some photographers include engagement sessions in their packages, and some upsell these sessions. Asking this beforehand will allow for no surprises in extra costs.

15.) Do you offer bridal sessions?

You may want to schedule a bridal session at an epic location after your wedding day is over. It’s a great excuse to get all dressed up again and have time dedicated for just you and your partner to get photographed. Learning if your photographer does or doesn’t offer this may be important to you.

16.) Do bridal sessions come included in your wedding packages?

If you do want a bridal session, it’s good to know if this type of session is included in the package you are purchasing or if it comes at an additional cost.

17.) Do you include a second shooter?

Second shooters can be really crucial in covering everything you want to capture during your day in an efficient way. Sometimes not having a second shooter will mean that you will need to book your lead photographer for longer in order to capture everything you want, but also it could lead to you missing out on getting some special moments photographed. Some photographers automatically include second shooters in their packages and others upsell them.

18.) What add-ons are available to the wedding package I choose?

Wedding vendors are the experts as they have attended plenty of weddings and have seen it all. But since you are planning a wedding for the first time, you may not know what options you have available to you. These add-ons give you the option to include these in your coverage whether it be getting your rehearsal dinner photographed, adding an additional photographer, or choosing to do a bridal session after your wedding day is over.

19.) Can we add additional coverage after we book you?

Having the option to add to your package after booking is a great perk to have. If you decide later on you want an extra hour of coverage, having the option to do so is really great.

20.) What is your cancellation/reschedule policy?

What happens if another pandemic happens, or something major happens where you will need to cancel or reschedule your wedding? Will you get your money back if you need to cancel? Is there a rescheduling fee? Understanding the policies that your photographer has set in place will allow for no surprises in cost or any hiccups in the planning process.

21.) What would you do if you cannot make it to our wedding?

Things happen. People get sick and sometimes cars can fail. Knowing your photographer’s emergency plan in order for you to still have your wedding day photographed will give you peace of mind.

22.) Do you book any other events on a wedding day?

You want to make sure that your photographer is invested in you and your day. What if you decide on the day of your wedding that you want your photographer to cover the day longer than you had booked them for & want to extend their coverage an hour or two? You don’t want them to rush through the rest of the day or not be available in case you want to extend.

23.) What would your arrival time be?

You want a photographer that is going to arrive EARLY. If they’re on time, then they’re already late. Wedding days move fast and being there early will ensure that they are prepared.

24.) How do you position yourself to not be a distraction during the ceremony?

You want to know if your photographer is going to be a distraction and take the attention away from the real reason why the guests are there. A wedding photographer should be able to be minimally invasive while still being able to capture “the shot.”

25.) Do you carry backup equipment?

Equipment can fail, cameras break, lenses stop working & sd cards can corrupt. Make sure that your photographer has backup equipment in case any of this happens.

26.) Will you show us a full wedding gallery to showcase your work?

A full gallery will show the whole wedding day from getting ready to speeches and dancing at the end. Seeing a full gallery will show you if your wedding photographer is well-rounded in all of the events that happen during a wedding.

27.) Will you send us sneak peeks of our wedding gallery?

After your special day ends, you’re going to want to see how the images came out—and rightfully so! Most photographers do provide sneak peeks for your approval but some may not; so it’s always good to check.

28.) Why are we a good fit for you?

Yes, you are interviewing your future vendors to make sure they are a good fit for you, but it’s also important to make sure that they feel like you are a good fit for them. Sometimes, people just don’t mesh. Your photographer will be spending the whole day by your side, whether you see them the whole time or not. The way they answer this is really important when it comes to personality and if you fit into their brand. Your photographer will want you to feel super comfortable with them and they want to feel the same way with you!

29.) Can I see your reviews?

Seeing what your photographer’s past clients have said about them will speak volumes and will give you even more peace of mind. You want to make sure that you are investing in someone in whom other people have invested and were pleased with their results!

This is just a small list of questions that you can ask, but the number is endless! Asking your wedding photographer these questions before your wedding will allow you to put your full trust in them and give you one less thing to worry about on your special day—and will ensure that you are booking the right photographer for you.

Bookmark this blog post so you have these questions on standby when meeting with your future photographer!