A Printable Checklist of Questions To Ask Your Wedding Photographer BEFORE You Hire Them! || Tips For The Modern Bride || Stevie Dee Photography
So, you’re planning a wedding (congrats!) but feel overwhelmed when it comes time to hire a wedding photographer. I was a bride before I was a photographer, and girl, I’ve SO been there!
In a sea of talented photographers, it’s important that you do your research and find the right photographer for YOU! I’m sharing a few questions to ask photographers you’ve considered hiring to help you find “The One”!
Q: What is your style?
Each photographer has their own unique style so it’s important to distinguish which style YOU prefer and then seek photographers that have a similar style. Do you like dark, moody and dramatic images or do you prefer classic light and airy images?
Q: How many weddings have you photographed? Alone and as a second photographer/assistant?
This is a huge one guys! Some photographers have never photographed a wedding, ever! There is absolutely nothing wrong with that, everyone starts somewhere, but you should at least be well aware of the experience the photographer you are looking to hire has. And, their package pricing should reflect their lack of experience as well.
Q: Will you be my photographer or will an associate photographer be present?
Every photography studio is different and many hire associate photographers to help during wedding season. It’s important to know who will be your photographer on your wedding day. If there is an associate photographer being assigned to your wedding, be sure to ask to meet them prior to hiring and ask for galleries from that specific photographer so you know what to expect for your own gallery.
Q: How many images can I expect in my final gallery?
Every photographer is different, ask upfront how many images they deliver on average so you know how many images are likely to be delivered in your gallery.
Q: What kind of editing do you provide?
Some photographers do basic editing on all final images like exposure, white balance and straightening. Some provide extensive editing like editing distractions out of the background, face smoothing, teeth whitening, etc. and some don’t edit at all!
Q: Do you shoot on 2 memory cards during a wedding?
This. Is. Huge. Your wedding day is a once in a lifetime experience, wouldn't it be awful if your wedding images were lost before they were delivered to you? This happens all the time, unfortunately, because most people are unaware of the risks of card corruption or software malfunctions. Cameras, memory cards, hard drives and computers are electronic devices that could malfunction. And while we don’t have control over these things, we do have the ability to do everything possible to backup the images and keep them safe from corruption. Every experienced professional should be photographing on 2 memory cards during the wedding day and storing multiple copies of the wedding on multiple formats JUST IN CASE!
Q: What is your turnaround time?
You should be given a timeframe of when to expect sneak peeks and/or your completed gallery.
Q: Do you have a plan in place in case you have an emergency and can’t make it to the wedding?
This DOES happen guys! Photographers are human too and sometimes sh*t happens that no one has control over. Although unlikely (at least for us!), your photographer should have a plan in place just in case there is a sudden and unexpected emergency, like a list of other local photographers with a similar shooting style to stand in for them on the wedding day.
Q: Can I see some full wedding galleries you’ve delivered to a client?
Most photographers would be happy to share a full gallery with you. Social media and websites are like a highlight reel, they only show their best work! Ask to see full galleries so you can see what kind of work they deliver, not just what’s on their highlight reel.
I hope these questions were helpful and as always, please comment below if I’ve left something out! Feel free to print this list and take it with you to your next photographer interview!