There are endless questions to ask wedding photographers. The first being of course to know if the photographer will be available on the date of your wedding 🙂
In this blog post we are going to give you the most important ones, the ones that will give you a better idea of whether you can consider working together.
Ready? Let’s go !
Are we going to sign a contract?
The number of wedding photographers has grown considerably since the advent of digital photography and all the simplicity it provides compared to film photography (you know? With film to be developed like when we were little). Among all these newcomers, many offer services for a few hundred euros and are not declared as company. So pay attention to this and demand to sign a contract, this will among other things oblige your photographer to come on D-day and will make things easier in case of problems.
Does he work alone? Is he the one who will be present on the big day?
The question may sound strange, but it is quite possible that the photographer you contact is working as a team or for a studio.
Indeed, some photographers offer the possibility of including a second photographer for the service. One of the advantages of having two photographers is that they can be in different places at the same time and therefore not miss a thing! In this case, ask if there is an additional cost for the second photographer or if it is already included in the package he will offer you.
If this is a studio, chances are the photographer you talk to won’t be the one at your wedding. So ask for details before making your choice!
How does he prepare before a wedding?
Will he send you a questionnaire regarding your expectations for D-Day? Will he ask you for a list of relatives you absolutely want pictures of? Some photos that you absolutely want? Does he plan to do scouting before the wedding?
Thanks to the answers to these questions you will be able to know if the photographer with whom you speak is serious or not 🙂
What gear does he use?
So yes, you may not be very photo savvy but still ask the question even if it means going to Google afterwards with the references of the equipment used by the photographer. You will already be able to see if whether these are professional or recreational equipment. Plus, if the photographer is nice he can even explain the differences between the different lenses he uses.
[SPOILER ALERT] It’s not the size that matters 🙂
What happens in the event of the unexpected?
Very important ! Make sure you know what will happen if something happens to the photographer and he can’t make it to your wedding. Does he work with another photographer? Can he suggest someone else?
Likewise, ask him if he has back-up gear in the event of a breakdown (a second camera, several memory cards and hard drives, etc.). This must be the norm for a photographer worthy of the name.
There you have it, these are the questions to ask wedding photographers that we think are essential at the start of your discussions. There are of course plenty of them (What are its formulas, do we have to pay a deposit, how soon after the wedding will we receive the photos, will they be retouched and in what format? Etc…).
Anyway, the most important after this first contact is the feeling you will have had with this photographer. He is one of the few people who will be spending all day with you at your wedding, so make sure you appreciate his work as much as his personality. Your photos will only be more beautiful 🙂
