Friday, March 18, 2022 | By: irene jones
This post is a list of questions to ask a wedding photographer before you book. If you are planning a wedding you know how important photography is! Chances are that you are worried about finding the perfect fit. Or maybe you have heard a horror story about a wedding photographer and want to avoid the same fate. Each section below has all of the questions you should use during your initial consultation, (which is basically a fancy way to say "job interview"). I've broken the list down into key categories so you can quickly skim the list and find the best questions to ask. The questions to ask a wedding photographer included:
Additionally, the video below highlights the best questions in each category that you must ask to narrow down your options. Of course, you can always ask more personalized questions if you feel the need, but armed with this list you are sure to find exactly what you are looking for!
Get the best questions you must ask during a consultation before booking your photographer. These key questions will help you to interview and find the wedding photographer you will love!
This is a pre-qualifying question. You should be asking about your wedding photographer's availability in your initial contact. If you don't have a wedding date yet it's best to just research who you want to contact and then inquire once your date is official. For more information about when to book your photographer, Zola has a great article you must read titled "How Early Do you Need to Book your Wedding Photographer."
Your wedding day is only part of the package price. Please remember that on average 40+ hours of work is going to go into editing your images, creating custom products for you, and marketing so you can find them. While it might feel like a wedding photographer "costs an arm and a leg" you are paying for their time, talent, and experience.
You can also visit NerdWallet's Wedding Budget Calculator for some insider info on how much weddings cost on average and tips for what to spend where.
Prior to meeting with any photographer, you should review their portfolio. Make sure you are looking at a good variety of photographers and identifying what you like/dislike. If you need help understanding the terminology surrounding wedding photography styles check out this post from the Knot on "The 6 Wedding Photography Styles you Need to Know."
Check out this guide "What is RAW in Photography" to help you understand what your photographer is doing with your images and why you shouldn't worry about RAW files and instead let your photographer edit your images for you.
While you are thinking about all that could possibly go wrong with your big day, don't forget to consider purchasing wedding insurance. This post gives you the inside scoop on "The 5 Best Wedding Insurance Companies" so you will know where to start.
Now that you know what to ask, get out there and start searching for your photographer. Please take a look at my portfolio while you are here, maybe you just found your perfect photographer!