Guest Post: 5 Questions To Ask Your Wedding Photographer
When you’re wedding planning and you’re trying to decide on the best cake for your day or stressing out about where Uncle John is going to sit at your wedding breakfast, it can get overwhelming and choosing the right…everything is so important. When it comes to your photographer you want it to be an easy relationship, resulting in the perfect images to capture your wedding memories forever.
Your photographer should make you feel at ease and address any worries you have about your day as well as addressing all the basics such as type of photography they offer, their packages and how your images will be delivered to you. You should feel listened to and like you can ask them anything without issue.
So now you’ve got your consultation booking with one of hundreds of photographers you liked and you meet them and they’re lovely, and then they ask, ‘Do you have any questions?’ PANIC! PANIC PANIC! Why can’t I think of anything!
Not to worry, here are 5 questions to ensure you get the best out of that all important consultation…
5 QUESTIONS
1. WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU’RE ILL OR THERE IS AN EMERGENCY?
What’s the back up plan? There should be a plan and most photographers should have one. If for whatever reason they are unable to make it your big day. They will have a small list of other photographers they trust and/or have worked with, knowing they will carry out the job as if they were there. If a wedding photographer doesn’t mention the back up plan, press them for it. Don’t leave the one chance to capture your big day to someone without a back up plan.
2. CAN I ASK FOR SPECIFIC IMAGES TO BE TAKEN?
Of course! You should be able to ask your photographer for anything photography related. Just make sure they know what you would like in advance. If there are specific shots you would like of family groups or people get there names and their relation to you written down. So because your photographer doesn’t know what Aunty Sharron on the grooms side looks like, make sure they are pointed out or introduced on the day by someone in the bridal party who knows. This person may also help the photographer round people up for group shots. Most photographers will send out a form with space for you to write preferred shots and groups on before the wedding.
Don’t worry about the big stuff though, your photographer should know which shots are most important on someones wedding day, and will have talked to you enough about it to know what is important to you.
3. WHAT IF ONE OR BOTH OF US DON’T LIKE HAVING OUR PICTURE TAKEN?
It may be that you or your partner may be a little shy of the camera for whatever reason. I’ll let you into a little secret, a lot of photographers feel the same way. So they know that awkward feeling when someone has a camera in your face. To deal with it on your big day it’s recommended to get to know your photographer as well as you can.
Often photographers will offer a pre-wedding shoot and you might be thinking ‘not more photos?!’ but actually this is the best way for a couple to get to know their photographer better and get used to their style of shooting; how close they might be and what their direction of you is like. It may be a stroll through your favourite walking spot, in a studio or a chilled out shoot in your own home. Alternatively, if schedules don’t allow for an extra shoot, there is equipment which can give the effects of being close to the couple without having to be. Whatever or wherever it is, the aim is to make you and your partner feel more comfortable with a stranger being with you for most your wedding day. Simply ask your photograph what they can do to make you feel more comfortable.
4. DO YOU HAVE INSURANCE?
All wedding photographers should have insurance. Ensure that when you’re booking a photographer they have insurance, it covers them for accidents such as bumping into people with lenses and for equipment breakages. You may be thinking, ‘this doesn’t really effect me’, but if a Photographer’s camera or equipment breaks or is damaged, and they have insurance, they can replace it and snap away at your wedding to their hearts content.
If they don’t have insurance and they can’t afford to replace their equipment they won’t have anything to use for your wedding and therefore, may have to cancel your booking, leaving you without a photographer. Usually wedding venues require photographers to provide proof of insurance before working there too.
5. WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT WEDDINGS AND WHAT DO YOU DO?
This is where you get to know them. Photographers are people too and will usually have lots of other things they’re working on or doing in their day to day life, this doesn’t mean your wedding is not important to them. Make sure you ask them why shooting weddings is important to them and what they love about it. They should be excited to shoot your special day, up for you knowing exactly the kind of creative person they are, and interested in your lives in return.
At the end of your consultation it’s then important to ask yourself some questions:
- Do I feel at ease with this person, and confident in them and their work?
- Have they listened to me and addressed all of my concerns?
- Do I trust them to capture the biggest day of my life?
Haarlam Mill would like to thank Tess Viera for her incredible insight into what questions you should be asking your wedding photographer! If you’d like to check out her work then make sure you head over to her wedding photography website now!