Photography, specifically wedding photography, has grown in popularity as a profession over the past several years. Being in the industry myself for officially 15 years, sometimes it’s hard to watch the newbies come in fast and some crash so hard, and so often ruin a wedding experience for friends/acquaintances. It’s hard to watch them be consistently discouraged by what they receive from the “aspiring-almost-professional-but-charges-as-a-professional-but-not-quite-ready-to” photographer they chose instead of a professional.
Don’t mess around, friends. When looking around for a wedding photographer, make sure that you connect with them personally. Set up a meeting and spend time getting to know their work and their personality. Don’t just follow them on the socials and pick based on what they post. You don’t have to hire me, BUT hire a professional for your wedding day. It’s a biggie!
Here are some questions to ask when shopping around for the perfect one:
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Availability - Are you available for our date? First one to ask before setting up a meeting. Make sure you’re getting their full day. I recently heard of a photographer giving her bride only 3 hours on the wedding day, because she had “other things to do” - what?
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How long have you been shooting weddings? This is important, friends. Getting into the groove of weddings takes time. If they are new, see if they have at least been trained or have second shot for a wedding photographer for a considerable amount of time. Wedding days are beasts!
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What’s your style? Know that editing styles come and go, but your photographer’s style should stay consistent for your day. There are some photographers out there who throw different styles of filters on the photos from one day…and that’s just confusing - ha! Ask to see a whole wedding day as a sample. Consistency is key.
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Do you hire a second shooter? No one, no matter how much energy, really should shoot weddings on their own. I nearly always have a consistent second shooter on wedding days (unless it’s been discussed beforehand or my second has had Covid - Ugh.) It’s fun, effective and it’s insurance. My seconds are trained well to handle it all, and are so often my entertaining stunt doubles. Seconds are so important!
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What type of equipment/lighting do you use? Make sure your photographer can shoot in both high and low light situations. There’s nothing worse than seeing dark and grainy pics because someone wasn’t properly prepared. The bright and shiny ones many photographers add onto their social media pages are nice, but does the quality of the ones from later in the day match?
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Are you familiar with the venue? It’s important that your photographer knows, and even has a great working relationship with, the venue of your choice. (My faves are always the ones which let me use their golf carts to carry my bridal party around…so there’s that.)
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What should my schedule look like? Photographers should work very closely with the planner/coordinator as well as the videographer months or at least weeks before your wedding to come up with a solid game plan for your day. I have a list of all the main picture groupings for the day and I walk my bride and groom through what time each session should start, based on when the ceremony starts. I also base this on whether or not they want to do a first look. Your wedding day should be so much fun, but also should be scheduled. A ton of things have to happen. Allow your photographer to guide you through it effortlessly.
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How do you collaborate with a videographer? I love working with good videographers, folks! Make sure your photographer and videographer meet on the day of (if they’ve not worked together before) or even talk ahead of time. I so often work with a superb group of videographers in the area, and I enjoy the “dance” we do during the day. I set the pose, shoot what I want, then let the videographer come in and do what they will, tweak it to their liking, and we move on together. Should be seamless and not a choppy and separate set of demands on you all day long.
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Do you charge for extra hours not listed in the package? Most packages are by the hour and product offerings. But what if your day goes longer than expected? Is there an extra charge?
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What’s the turnaround time? This is a biggie, guys. HUGE! I’m not sure what the turnaround time is for everyone (typical for me is about a week or two out from the wedding, the USB is created and mailed). But you need to ask! I’m finding that most brides wait nearly 4-6 months for galleries to even view. Or that some photographers give 100 images at a time for weeks or months. This can be a sign that your photog is either really busy OR they are editing waaaaay too much. But be prepared.
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How do you handle directing the guests for group photos? It’s best to have an idea of who you and your fiance will want in your group/family photos. Do you want to stick with just immediate and grandparents, or would you prefer to put all of your family in, including second cousins, aunts, uncles…? I always recommend piecing families in groups if they are larger families, and I generally ask for a list of names at that point. MY goal is to be time efficient, while getting great photos directly after the wedding ceremony, AND have the bride and groom still happy at the end of it.
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Do you have a preferred vendor list? If a photographer has been in the industry long enough, they will definitely have a preferred list of vendors. We see the good, bad and the ugly of locations, cake, hair and makeup artists, videographers…you name it, we likely know it. I will always give my faves when asked in my bridal consults. It’s a joy to work with wonderful people!
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