10 Questions Your Wedding Photographer Must Be Able to Answer

If you hire a bad wedding caterer, your guests will eventually forget the rubber chicken. Hire a bad wedding DJ and you’ll be dancing to “YMCA” for a miserable three minutes and 45 seconds. But if you hire a bad wedding photographer, you’re stuck with bad wedding pictures for life—so you need to do your research. Here are 10 questions you must ask, courtesy of the Professional Photographers of America.
1. Do you have a gallery of wedding images I can review?
You’ll get an idea of what she’s capable of—both on your big day, and after. (Even if you don’t want a ton of after-the-fact editing, she should be capable of, say, removing blemishes.) If you’re talking to a photographer who doesn’t have a portfolio, run—quickly. And if the photos seem inconsistent, ask for contact info from previous clients; it’s rare, but I’ve heard of wannabe photogs stealing other people’s pics to make phony portfolios. Yikes.
2. What’s your working style?
Will you be asking us to stop and pose? Or can we do our thing while you watch the day unfold from behind the camera? Make sure his style is compatible with the results you want. (If you want a lot of posed pictures, you don’t want a photographer who prefers to act behind the scenes.)
3. Is an engagement session included?
We didn’t do an engagement session, but they truly are a great way to get comfortable with your photographer and how she works. If you’d like one, find out ahead of time if it’ll cost extra.
4. Will you work with us to create a detailed shot list?
Every photographer should have a standard list—bride parents, groom with parents, etc. He should also be willing to have a sit-down email to discuss what else is important to you, whether it’s snaps of your grandparents or boudoir photos.
5. What kind of lighting will be used?
Is your photographer going to bring in professional equipment? How will its setup affect you. If you’re uncomfortable with a constant flash, can she work without one?
6. Do you have have backup equipment?
Think of it as a “rain plan” for your wedding pictures: Your photographer should have backup cameras, lenses, flashes, additional lighting equipment, extra memory cards, and batteries.
7. Do you have have liability insurance?
Your reception venue may ask the photographer to submit a certificate of liability ahead of time.
8. Will there be one photographer or two?
There’s a better chance every moment will be captured if your photographer works with an assistant, which is pretty common, especially during the getting-ready time. If there will be additional people, ask to meet them ahead of time.
9. What will happen to the images after our wedding?
Will your images be backed up to a hard drive or the Cloud once they’re processed? How long will your photographer keep the images afterward? Will they be kept for a couple of years or dumped immediately?
10. When will we get our photos?

Lots of brides are surprised with how long it takes to get wedding photos, but your photographer needs to edit down the selection—she’ll likely shoot thousands—and touch up the photos so they’re picture perfect. If you’d like a few sneak peek photos for social media ahead of time, ask her how quickly she can get you one or two.