If you’re newly engaged and starting the grueling process of building your wedding day dream-team of vendors, you’ve already determined that the wedding planning process is, to say the least, a lot. Whether you’ve had your dream team picked out for years, or you’re just starting to gather information, it’s important to do your due diligence in finding your vendors to make sure they truly are the best fit for you on such an important day! While I may be biased, I am of the belief that your photographer has an incredibly significant role on your wedding day. They are integral to your timeline management, they leave you with the only product remaining after your day has ended, and they spend more time with you throughout your day than any other vendor. They are by your side in your most intimate moments, the ones where you’re overtaken by emotion, or your nerves are most heightened – the moments even your guests don’t get to see. It is so deeply important that you trust your photographer and feel completely comfortable with them, both as an artist and as a person.
(No pressure!)
So, how do you make sure you’re hiring the right person to photograph your wedding day?
Whether you’re jumping on a phone or video call, or meeting up for your beverage of choice, here are some great questions to ask any photographer you’re interested in hiring:
What is their back up process?
Professional wedding photographers photograph in a RAW file format, and ideally back your images up to several locations immediately after your wedding day. Most professional cameras also write each image onto two memory cards, which are never formatted until after your wedding gallery is delivered. This means that even if equipment fails, there should always be several copies of your RAW images.
What is their gallery delivery time frame?
All photographers have a different workflow and different circumstances that go into their anticipated delivery time frame. I typically deliver between 6-8 weeks, though my contract accounts for 10 in case of any personal circumstances or technological issues. It is extremely common for wedding galleries to take 10-12 weeks for delivery as well (keep in mind that film can sometimes take even longer). Each photographer has their own individual workflow, but it’s important to know so that you can frame your own expectations accordingly.
Do they carry business insurance?
Whether it’s a single-day event insurance policy purchased for each wedding or a full blown business insurance policy, it’s always good to make sure your vendors are insured going into your wedding day! I wouldn’t hire a vendor without it. The consequences if anything goes wrong and just too steep.
Ask to see a full wedding gallery (… or two, or three)
Ideally, this would be from a venue or vision reminiscent of your own wedding day. I always send prospective clients 3-4 wedding galleries to go through, in the hope that at least one resonates with the style of their own day. Full galleries look very different than what is posted on Instagram and contain a variety of different lighting situations, posing styles, etc., which helps to prepare you for how your own day will look!
What is their approach to your wedding day?
This is completely dependent on the style of images you want and how you want your wedding day to feel, but it’s so important to be aligned and communicating with your photographer about this!
Are you looking for posted, Vogue-esque images? You’re probably looking for a very hands-on, editorial style photographer who will curate and pose your entire wedding day.
Are you looking for more candid, down-to-earth images? You’re probably looking for a more documentary style photographer, who will sit back and watch as your day naturally unfolds.
(Pro tip: a lot of wedding photographers are a hybrid of both?)
What would happen in an emergency if they can’t be there?
Whether it’s a car accident on the way to your wedding, illness, or some other act of God, sometimes emergencies happen – unfortunately wedding vendors are not immune to these situations or how they can impact their work. It’s extremely helpful and important to know that your photographer has plans in place in case the worst happens. This can include a network of trusted photographers to ask, an associate photographer list, and more. It’s also why I always have a second photographer scheduled with me for wedding days, so that there is always someone coming for the most important parts of your day even in the worst case scenario.
Read their reviews!
Whether they’re on the Knot, Google, or Facebook, reviews are extremely telling about any vendor you’re hiring – read them, and trust them!
Do they offer an engagement session?
Do they do engagement sessions? Are they included in the wedding package? Does it need to be scheduled at a specific date or time? Do they help you with planning or location scouting?
How long have they been photographing weddings?
I am firmly in the camp that age and newness to the industry should not necessarily disqualify any photographers from your short list. There are incredible wedding photographers who have only been in the industry for a short period of time – and for some, that fresh perspective is a stroke of genius. That said, there is reliability in experience, and it’s helpful to know where your photographer stands in their career.
There are many, many more questions you can certainly pose to your wedding photographer, but I hope that this list gives you a great place to start! If nothing else, this should give you a great feel for how you will work together with any photographer you’re looking into, and help to narrow down what matters most.
No matter what, the most important thing in your planning process is to trust your gut – that applies to your vendors, as well.
