As if planning your wedding isn’t complicated enough, photography for your big day can be an absolute minefield. Do you splash the majority of your budget on your dream photographer? Or spend £200 on full-day coverage from a local with a camera? Whatever you’re leaning towards, you should always have a chat with your supplier before throwing a deposit at them. Here are some things you should ask your wedding photographer before booking:
How would you describe your style?
There are several buzzwords around wedding photography that can make it difficult to know the difference between. Adverts may offer “timeless” photography, but what is that really? From my own experience, styles tend to be traditional, editorial, documentary, or moody. There will be elements of more than one mixed in too, as a wedding day has so many different parts. It’s unlikely you would shoot everything traditional style these days, for example, as there is an expectation of finding those “hidden” moments throughout the day. Conversely even a documentary style photographer will do some traditional shots, like couples portraits and groups. They may even lean into editorial or moody just for the couples, too.
The main thing is that your photographer knows what their style is, and they can showcase this throughout their portfolio. Ask to see full galleries of previous weddings – is the style and the vibe consistent across the different weddings?
What’s the turnaround time for our photos?
This is a key question simply to avoid any doubt. Photographers are busier than they seem (there is so much going on behind the scenes!) and, especially during wedding season, might fall behind on communication. Editing after a wedding is a long process and does take a while – that’s why it’s so important to set expectations beforehand. It should be stated before you book anything what the expected turnaround time is. For example, I state (and it’s in the wedding contract too) that my turnaround time is between 3-6 weeks. I also don’t guarantee any “sneak peeks” or previews unless specifically asked for them – but I make sure my clients know this going in.
How many weddings have you shot – and what happens if things go wrong?
These questions are linked because experience is key. Everyone does start somewhere, and there is nothing wrong with taking a chance on a new wedding photographer – but it’s important that they’re upfront about it and everyone is on the same page. For example, I shoot about 5-6 weddings a year and have been shooting them since around 2011…so it adds up! Wedding days are difficult to shoot – there are so many moving parts, and a photographer needs to wear several different hats throughout the day (some at the same time). There is a level of stress built in to a wedding so it’s important that your photographer knows how to deal with it and to keep the show on the road.
That also means knowing how to handle a setback. Does your photographer have sufficient equipment if something breaks down, for example? These days 2 camera bodies is a must, and another spare on top of that isn’t a bad idea. It’s fine to ask your photographer what they shoot with (they’ll likely be happy to bore you with the details).
As above re: style, do ask to see full galleries too – not just the portfolio shots.
Where are your reviews?
Reviews should be readily available – any reputable business should be set up on Google and therefore have Google Reviews loud and proud for you to be able to see. As with seeing full galleries, reviews offer a better idea of the photographer’s work and how they’ve handled the big day, and how they’ve worked with the couple too. (Mine are here! https://g.co/kgs/SdmotQm)
There are even more things you should ask your wedding photographer – you can even ask them what to ask! – but hopefully these will give you some key starting points. If you’d like to ask me these things – get in touch!