Wedding photographers are, in my opinion, one of the most important vendors to hire. They are the person who documents the big day and whose images you will look at for the rest of your life. Photographers are also one of the most expensive vendors that you may hire. So, it is important that you 1. connect with them on a more personal level and 2. life the work that they can provide. Below are five important wedding photographer questions to ask before hiring your photographer.
These important questions to ask potential wedding photographers will help indicate you are getting the most out of your money! These are questions to ask after your initial connection and once you begin considering hiring them. Asking these questions will help you know exactly what to expect, how to stay on budget and feel confident in the wedding photographer you hire.
5 Wedding Photographer Questions
1. How many images do they provide per hour
This is one of the most important wedding photographer questions that you can ask. Many photographers have an hourly package that you can choose from. The answer to this question can help determine how many images you can expect based on the number of hours you hire them for. This will also help you realize if someone is charging much more than they should. Or if you will get the number of pictures that you are hoping for!
I hired my photographer for a 7 hour, one photographer package. When I asked her this question, she promised 40-70 final, edited high-resolution images per hour she spent shooting. This was a very fair amount and we had over 1,000 images sent to us! She explained it this way: more hours = more photos, second photographer = more photos.
2. Do they provide detailed photographs or mostly candid shots?
This can be an easy question but I think it is important to understand if your photographer prefers to shoot one thing over the other. Again, this will help you to have a better understanding of what to expect from each photographer you talk to.
I wanted a variety of images from my wedding day so I wanted to be sure that I liked how she edited her detailed shots and images of the reception. When I asked her about what photographs I wanted, she said that reception images begin to look the same after a while. It can be more beneficial to have them arrive earlier for more detailed images that capture the small pieces throughout the day.
3. How will you receive all the photos?
One of the other important wedding photographer questions to ask is how will you receive the images? Will you be able to download all of them without any issues? Some photographers will send you a viewing gallery and others will send you a link to dropbox. It is important to understand if you will be able to share them with others such as family members and close friends. This is a good question because you will know what to expect when it comes time to receive your wedding pictures.
4. Will their images have a watermark or logo on them?
This is another important question. Some photographers will have their logo on all of the images. I for one do not like this. I understand why they do it but I didn’t want my wedding pictures to be an advertisement for someone else whenever I was looking at them with my kids 30 years from now. If you don’t mind, then this isn’t an important question but it is something to consider when choosing a photographer.
5. What is their average turnaround time?
This is not necessarily an important question to ask to determine whether or not a photographer is good for you or not. This question is merely to help you set an expectation for yourself for after the wedding. It is hard waiting for wedding pictures to come in, especially when you are still on the wedding high. However, it is important to recognize that editing pictures takes time.
This answer to the question could vary baed on when you are getting married. Depending on if you get married during peak wedding season or not, it may take longer to receive your images. This will be one of the final aspects of your wedding so it can really help you have an understanding of what to expect.
In closing
I hope that you found this helpful! Wedding planning can be daunting but my hope is that you can enjoy the process and find the perfect vendors for your special day! Don’t let a few bad prospects keep you from finding the perfect person to capture your day! For more guides, you can check out my wedding budget guide!