Best Guide to Helpful Questions to Ask a Wedding Photographer
We have seen lots of posts in online wedding blogs and wedding magazines about the questions you should ask your wedding photographer but often these seem a little contrived and don’t contain helpful information for couples, who end up using these tips and not really getting any useful information from the wedding photographers they ask these questions too.
Having read lots of these and been surprised at the lack of actual help provided we have put together our own to help give couples a better understanding of what questions are actually useful.
Enquiries all about contracts, photography equipment, often don’t make sense. Every wedding photographer in Northern Ireland should have sufficient equipment to shoot a wedding. The answer to questions like “have you shot at my venue before?”, should not matter as someone who is an experienced wedding photographer should be able to shoot at any venue.
Questions to ask a wedding photographer
Most couples that are trying to find a wedding photographer, start by looking online and asking friends and family for recommendations. They then usually narrow down a list of wedding photographers whose work they like and then narrow that list down further by discarding those that aren’t within their budget. At this point they then usually reach out to each to check availability. This narrows their choices down a fair bit and they may only have a handful of photographers from their initial research who meet all of their criteria and are available on their date. Then you usually reach out to each photographer with further questions or arrange a call with them to discuss options.
Once you have done all of that you should have received some tips, advice, and ideas that help with your wedding planning along with getting a better understanding of how each wedding photographer does things and if they are someone that you have trust in.
There are really only 3 different types of questions that you need to ask your wedding photographer:
Questions to get to know them and how they do things
What you get and when you get them
Questions about recommendations
Getting to know you questions for your wedding photographer
Pretty much everyone will tell you is that you want to feel comfortable with your photographer and that is great advice! Unlike other vendors that you choose for your wedding, they will be with you from getting ready until the dancing, so it is very important that you like them, trust them, and know that they will work hard for you.
If you trust in them fully then you will know that you can rely on them and they will always do things that are in your best interest. You will also be able to count on them for advice both on the lead up to, and on the big day itself.
Liking and knowing you will be able to get along with your wedding photographer all day is also vital. For some couples their wedding day can feel overwhelming, the last thing you want added to that is a photographer who you can’t gel with.
Here are some questions you should ask to help get to know more about your wedding photographer.
How would you describe your wedding photography style?
This is a question so many couples don’t ask and it’s a big one. Couples often rely on what is written on a photographers website to answer this question. However that doesn’t always tell the full story. Wedding photographers will often have phrases on their website like, “candid wedding photographer”, “documentary style wedding photographer”, “fine art wedding wedding photography”, there is a ton of these phrases that are used. These phrases or keywords are often there because it helps the website be found in Google, rather than being a description of how a photographer works. Couples also sometimes see photos on social media like Instagram and misinterpret the photographers style based on that. Some wedding photographer’s don’t even have a lot of images on their website and they can be made up of faked wedding shoots using models or from shoots they have done while under the supervision of other photographers. For us we have a wide range of images from real weddings in Northern Ireland so that couples can get a real idea of how we work.
You should always ask about wedding photography style! Ask how they shoot and why do they shoot that way? Ask how does it impact your wedding experience and what should you expect from them on your wedding day? An ideal question to ask is, can you talk me through a typical wedding day?
You should also ask about their editing style. Every photographer will have a different way of editing images. For example, with ourselves we have own unique way of editing colours and tones to fit our style. We prefer to keep photos natural and real so we don’t do heavy skin retouching or change people’s body shape etc. It is important to find out what your photographers end goal is in terms of overall look, so you will have a better idea of what your images will look like when you receive them.
How much wedding photography experience, do you have?
You should always ask how long have they been shooting weddings. You could also at this point ask how they started shooting weddings as this will also be part of getting to know your wedding photographer.
It’s also important to ask about the different types of venue they have worked at and to try and relate it to your venue. So for example you could ask if they if they have shot an outdoor ceremony before, if you are having one.
You could also ask about the different types of wedding ceremonies that have shot while again relating it to the plans for your own wedding. If for example you are having a Humanist ceremony, you could ask if they have shot one before?
How many weddings do you shoot per year?
This might seem an odd question to ask but it will give you an idea how your wedding photographer prioritises their clients. If your wedding photographer shoots an insanely large amount of weddings are they going to be able to prioritise you? If they should very few weddings, is that something you should be concerned about?
Most full time professional wedding photographers in Northern Ireland shoot between 40-50 weddings a year. There are those who shoot a lot more than that, however that often means that they may have long timescale for receiving your images. It could also mean that they plan on employing someone else to shoot your wedding on their behalf as an associate, which means you won’t have the photographer you booked and trusted and may not like. In recent times a lot of wedding photographers who shoot 60, 70 and more weddings a year have switched to using A.I software for their editing. A.I software can do a reasonable job, but won’t do as good a job as someone who is investing the time into editing your wedding photographs properly.
If your wedding photographer does not shoot a lot of weddings it can mean a few things. There are lots of part time wedding photographers, they may have another job or have other reasons for not being able to work full time. While there are lots of good part time wedding photographers, some will have other job’s that are their priority and they may not be able to offer the level of service you would hope for. They could have another reason for not being able to work full time which could impact on when you receive your images etc. Their could also be other reasons, have you read their reviews?
Have you worked at my wedding venue before? If not, have you worked at a similar venue before?
An experienced wedding photographer can shoot at any type of venue including one they have never worked at before with ease. Even if they have not worked at your particular venue before it is very likely they will have photographed weddings at similar types of venues.
Often the advice given by wedding magazines and online wedding blogs is that you should always choose a photographer that has shot at your venue before. This is very bad advice! It could mean that you are missing out on an amazing photographer and choosing someone else for only this reason.
Most people think that choosing a wedding photographer that has worked at a venue before will provide some sort of advantage because they know the location well. What they often don’t consider though is at a new to them venue, a photographer will be looking at the venue with a new set of fresh eyes which can often lead to different and more creative photography. When we go to shoot at a new venue, we usually arrive a little earlier so we can find locations to use so there is no real disadvantage.
The only time you should be wary about this is if your photographer has both never shot at your venue before and has never shot at a similar venue before.
What do I get and when do I get them?
We try to make the answers to these types of questions as easy as possible for couples to find. The frequently asked questions section of our website will cover most of these. Some wedding photographers prefer to hide pricing and will ask you to get in touch for a quotation, we prefer to have ours readily available on our website.
However not all wedding photographers make the answers to these types of questions easy to find so here are some questions to ask your about what you actually get from your wedding photographer and the timescales involved.
What is included in your wedding photography packages?
We make it easy for couples to find out this information. Some wedding photographers will only price around your individual requirements and will provide a quotation based on that. Others will have set packages for you to choose from. If they offer set packages it is important that they provide you with a detailed list of what is included and if they are any hidden extra’s so that you can be happy that they will be within your budget.
What about engagement photography sessions?
Engagement sessions can be a great way to get to know your wedding photographer better before your wedding day and to help build trust with them. The photos from the session can be used for many different things as well as being a great memory of that exciting time of your engagement and your wedding planning journey.
If engagement sessions are something that you are interested in ask about them early on as many photographers including ourselves offer reduced rates for engagement photography if you have already booked them for your wedding.
If the wedding photography package includes a second photographer, how experienced are they?
Always an easy one for us to answer as we are a husband and wife team and work together.
However many wedding photographers offer the option of a second shooter on the day, and they have different ways of doing this. Some will have a small group of people who they are friends with and always tend to use. Others will use the various photographer networking groups to pick someone, often at short notice. Their can be obvious disadvantages to this, as neither the main photographer or you will know who they will be working with on the day until much nearer the time. Sometimes the main shooter will choose someone at the last minute based only on how cheap they are, and that can sometimes mean a poor experience for the client.
How man hours of coverage do we get?
We don’t work to set hours for wedding photography. Couple shave the option of choosing to have us with them from morning to dinner or from morning until the dancing. Some wedding photographers offer package options based on a certain amount of hours.
If you want a photographer to capture the whole day it’s important to ask questions around this. otherwise you run the risk for example of getting to the dancing and your photographer has already left for the day.
When will I receive my photos and when will I receive them?
We always provide our couples their wedding photographs within 6-8 weeks via a password protected online gallery.
We have however heard nightmare stories from couples who have waited as long as a year before they got their wedding photos. It is very important to confirm these timescales!
What about wedding albums or wall art?
If you are interested in a wedding album, it is important to find out if they are included in any packages like with ourselves or if they are an additional add on and what the cost of them is. This is also a good opportunity to ask if prints are also available to be purchased.
Are their any mileage costs?
We include mileage within our wedding packages for all Northern Ireland venues. Some photographers do not. To ensure they are no hidden surprises later on always ask about travel costs and how they are structured so that you can include them within your budget.
Can you recommend, can I ask
your advice about this?
Once you have found a wedding photographer you can trust, they become a part of your wedding day team! You should make use of their experience!
An experienced wedding photographer will know most of the best local wedding vendors having worked with them before. Say you want an amazing D.J that keeps the crowd hyped and on the dancefloor, an amazing florist or celebrant, your wedding photographer should be able to help with recommendations for all of them and more.
Asking your photographer advice will help build trust between you. It will also ensure that you get the best photos possible. You could ask advice on things like having a first look, unplugged weddings or about how much time to allow in your timeline for the various parts of the day.
Things you don’t need to ask an
experienced wedding photographer
There are lots of stuff included in most guides to questions that you must ask your wedding photographer that will just waste your time and should never need to be asked if you are dealing with an experienced wedding photographer. These often include questions like:
What happens if it rains or their is extreme weather?
It is Northern Ireland, it rains more often than it doesn’t. Every experienced wedding photographer will have shot weddings were there has been rain. All are used to working outdoors in light rain or moving indoors in heavy rain.
Do you have insurance?
Yes, they all will. If you are an experience wedding photographer, insurance is just a standard cost of doing business that everyone of them will have in place.
What happens if your camera breaks?
Every experienced wedding photographer is prepared for equipment failure. There is always the chance that equipment will fail. That is why we bring 6 camera’s, a ton of lenses along with back ups for everything needed to every wedding. This is why we only use camera’s that have 2 card slots so that every photo is backed up as it is taken.
Do you need a shot list?
No experienced wedding photographer will ask you to provide a list of photos that need to be taken on your wedding day.
There is a ton of other stuff we could include here but you get the idea.
Encourage your photographer
to ask you questions
It is really important that you should also answer questions. Telling your photographer about you and your partner and your priorities for your wedding day.
Your wedding photographer will ask you questions as well, so that they can get an overall feel for the vibe for your wedding day and what your priorities are for the day, so that they can deliver the best possible experience to you.
Hopefully this guide will prove useful to both couples getting in touch with us or for those reaching out to other wedding photographers. We are always happy to take on any feedback so if you think there is anything we should add here, just let us know.
If you are in the middle of planning your wedding you might also find these articles helpful.
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