When you first meet with your wedding photographer, it’s super important to ask the right questions! This meeting is a chance to get to know your wedding photographers, learn more about their services, and see if they are a right fit for you! Investing in a wedding is a lot of money so it’s important that you are reassured in your decision to book with a specific photographer.

The right questions can be hard to come by, especially when you are under the pressure of wedding planning. Sometimes you can just get to the point where you say to yourself, “I just need to get a photographer booked so I can have peace of mind!” Well we’re going to stop you right there!

If you find yourself in that train of thought or one similar, set aside a few minutes to read these essential questions to ask your wedding photographer before you book with them! You don’t have to show up to your meeting and immediately drill your wedding photographer with these questions as most wedding photographers will already touch on these points in a prepared presentation or guide!

#1.) “How would you describe your photography style?”

It was hard to order these questions because we don’t want to say that some questions are more important to ask than others (they are all important questions) but if you only had to ask one question of your wedding photographer, it would be this one.

There are so many different photography and artistic styles and it really all comes down to personal preference for what you like. The big distinction in photography is between a dark, moody style and a light, airy style. For example, we would be considered more so dark, moody photographers. If you’re interested in reading more about different styles of photography and what they entail, check out this article from Adobe that goes in detail about the different subgenre of photography.

Pay attention to your photographer’s answer to this question to see if it aligns with your artistic taste and vision for your wedding. These photos will be a way for you to remember your wedding day and a peek into your day for those who couldn’t come to see it for themselves. You should choose a photographer whose creative abilities will align with the vision you have of your wedding day.

#2.) “What is it like to get photographed by you?”

This is another big question (even though we could quite literally say that for all of them). When you ask this question, you are asking your photographer to detail a bit more about their approach to photography. Their answer to this question should allow you to create a well-formed mental vision of how you and your partner will interact with your photographer on your wedding day.

Like most of these questions, answers will vary between photographers. Some common answers to this question would detail how involved your wedding photographer is in your wedding day. For example, there are some photographers who like to stick to the sole purpose of documenting your day. They may stage people for a few photos but other than that, they are taking candids for most of the day. We call this fly-on-the-wall photography!

For us, we like to play a bit more of an involved role as your wedding photographers. You can find us making light conversation with your guests, capturing candid moments in action, and making everyone feel as comfortable as possible. We’re not there to solely document your day but participate in the celebration of you and your partner! This style works for us but doesn’t for other people!

#3.) “What are your packages? What do they include?”

This is more of a technical question but important nonetheless. Most wedding photographers sell their services in packages that differ by how many hours they will shoot at your wedding and other services. It’s crucial to know what your photographer offers in their packages so if you decide to book with them, you can choose the best package for you.

Like we mentioned before, the main thing that will differ between packages is how many hours your photographer will be shooting at your wedding for. Additionally, different packages will offer wedding albums and varying quality of image downloads (high res, web size, etc.). Albums are an amazing add-on and can be a really special part of a wedding package.

Your photographer should have a clear and concise display of their wedding packages. This way, you can easily refer back to this after your meeting to help in your decision of which package to purchase.

#4.) “Will I have copy/printing rights for my photos?”

This is an even more so technical question than the one regarding wedding packages. If you have never gotten professional photos done before, oftentimes you will sign a contract that discusses the use of your photos on behalf of the photographer for marketing and display purposes and the right for YOU to share and print your photos.

Every photographer is a little different with their copy rights so make sure that you feel confident in your photographer’s answer. Some photographers are willing to amend their contracts with you to better suit your preferences about the sharing of your photos while others will not.

This is an important question if you intend to print your photos (like most). It’s just nice to hear about how things work on this end for a process that most wedding couples will participate in after their wedding.

#5.) “How will you deliver our wedding photos?”

For some, this question may seem a little overkill. But to us, it’s important for all of our clients to have a clear understanding of what the process looks like start to finish. That includes how you get your photos in the end.

In today’s digital age, most photographers will deliver your photos through a digital platform. This platform can be used to view and download your images. In the past, photographers would upload your photos to a flash drive or CD. These kinds of mediums are not heavily used nowadays but it’s worth it to check what method your photographer will use.

Additionally, a question that may come up as you discuss this is how long you will maintain access to your online gallery. This is important to know so you can make sure that you can download your photos to a personal hard drive before your online gallery expires.

#6.) “What’s a general timeline on receiving our wedding photos?”

After your wedding day, we know you are absolutely itching to see your wedding photos. It can be hard to sit there and twiddle your thumbs as you wait for an email to finally pop up with your photos attached. Knowing a general timeline on when you can expect to receive that happy little email with a link to your gallery can make that wait a little less difficult.

Some photographers, like us, like to give you a sneak peek of your wedding gallery shortly after your wedding so you can have some pictures to share on social media and just get that first look into reliving your day. Your full gallery will then follow a few weeks after.

Again, every photographer is different and most are pretty transparent about delivery times on your photos so don’t be afraid to ask this question when you are meeting with your photographer. Additionally, this is where you can also ask what the timeline is for getting a wedding album after you receive your gallery if that is an option.

#7.) “Have you shot at our wedding venue before?”

If you have a venue booked already or are interested in a venue, there’s no harm in asking your photographer if they have shot there before! They may have experience working with a venue and have some helpful tips and tricks for the venue!

If a photographer has worked with your wedding venue in the past, that means they may have some images that they can share with you. This is a great opportunity to see how a photographer’s artistic style will work with a certain venue and get that concrete vision in your head.

If a photographer hasn’t shot at a venue, don’t be wary about booking with them! In this meeting, they should assure you of their ability to shoot your wedding no matter what venue your day has to call home. You can experience the venue together and that is truly a beautiful experience to have with your photographer!

#8.) “Can we see a full wedding gallery?”

If you were to build your website as a wedding photographer and could only add 10 images, would you rather show ten images of your best work from different weddings or ten images from the same wedding? You’re probably going to want to share your best images so you can hook people in with your photos. So if you want to see a full wedding gallery, you’re most likely going to have to ask for it.

And for most photographers, this isn’t an issue! They probably have a few galleries that they can send out in full. With a full gallery, you will be able to see all that your photographer will cover from your day. You can see what your photographer will capture from start to finish and gather a further idea of what you are wanting from your own gallery.

A huge plus of asking this question is that if your photographer has shot at your venue, they may be able to send you a gallery from a wedding they shot at your specific venue. This is super awesome because this can give you that little edge when it comes to envisioning your day through your photographer’s lens!

#9.) “Do you provide corrective services in your editing?”

Many photographers will provide corrective services when they are processing your photos. Corrective services include skin smoothing, red eye correction, and other similar processes. Some photographers will simply deliver your edited gallery, complete with all corrective services. On the other hand, some other photographers will deliver you a gallery of unedited images.

It’s important to ask this question so you know exactly what to expect when you receive your gallery. Most people will want an edited gallery with all of those corrective services because most people aren’t well versed in this kind of technology. This is just something that you will put you at ease when it comes to receiving your gallery.

#10.) “How do you take payments?”

When it comes to paying for your wedding photographer, you want to be completely reassured in the process. Like we’ve mentioned before, paying for wedding photographer is a big investment so you want to be sure what the process looks like for paying your photographer.

Most photographers are happy to work with you on a payment plan to make the payment process reasonable and affordable. If you are unfamiliar with professional photography, you will most likely need to place a percentage down for a deposit to hold your date.

Use this time to get familiar with the payment process so if any other questions come up, you can ask them right away! The payment process can feel like a headache that’s never ending but it truly doesn’t have to be that way. Your wedding photographer should be able to walk you through each of the steps of the payment process.

Meeting with Your Wedding Photographer: Simple and Easy

Meeting with your wedding photographer can be extremely anxiety-inducing but it doesn’t have to be! Go into a call with a wedding photographer with prepared questions so you can walk away feeling confident in your decision to continue with booking with that specific photographer. Let the process flow, ask your questions, and your wedding photography experience will feel simple and easy.

If you’re looking for a wedding photographer who will answer these questions and so much more, reach out today and let’d get this party started! You can reach out HERE! If you’re wedding planning right now and seed some help planning your vows, you can read our resource blog on How to Write Unforgettable Wedding Vows. Looking for some wedding inspiration? Read about this awesome backyard wedding we shot last summer HERE!