“What Questions Should I Ask a Wedding Photographer Before Booking?”

Wedding photographers, videographers, florists, designers, venues, suits and dresses, the list goes on, right? Don’t worry, you’re not alone! All my clients feel the exact same way, hell, I felt the same way 12 months ago! So, with all that in mind, where do you start? Well, let’s assume that you have already selected a date and a venue (this must be your first step), now it’s time to move on to booking a wedding photographer.

“What questions should I ask a wedding photographer?”

I hear you loud and clear, so let’s not waste any more time, and get stuck right into my top 4 questions I recommend asking any wedding photographer before potentially booking them in for your big day!

“Are you available on my wedding day?”

Seems obvious, right? Well you would be surprised how many people forget to ask this one. I often get brides and grooms so excited, that they jump right into the wedding day details. I have to stop them, and ask their date and venue, which on a few occasions, has already been booked. Don’t make the mistake of forgetting to ask this, you may invariably end up wasting both yours and the wedding photographers time if they are unavailable.

“What is your shooting style? How would you define it?”

This one gets remembered a lot more, but I don’t think people understand it’s importance. This is probably the biggest question to ask. If this one is all wrong, get out! The answer to this question will tell you whether or not you are likely to be a good match with this photographer or not. For example, let’s say you are laid back, chilled out, and after a more documentary styled approach. You want a less invasive photographer, and don’t want to be posed and look rigid. You ask this question and the photographer describes their process of posing and how they will direct you to look like a model (Yes, I am kind of exaggerating to make my point here)…get out!

Without a doubt, you should know that this photographer is not the right person for you. If you were to go with them, it would ultimately end up resulting in a very awkward, uncomfortable day for all involved, and this almost always leads, to very disappointing images.

“Is there a way we can trial you before the big day, just to be sure?”

I’m so glad you asked! Click here to find out how valuable doing a pre-wedding shoot can be to finding the right wedding photographer! I don’t want to speak for other photographers, and what they do in their business is totally up to them, but in my opinion, yes, you should have the opportunity to work with a wedding photographer before booking them.

Now, some photographers will charge you for an engagement shoot, others, like myself, may have this built into their wedding packages. What this effectively means, is that when you book me in you will have an opportunity to do a shoot with me. If for some reason, you hate me and no longer want to work with me (yet to happen thankfully), I will gladly refund your deposit and let you select another wedding photographer, no hard feelings (why would you hate me though?).

“What value am I getting for the money I am paying?”

Let me share with you a short story. There are 2 photographers, and you like both of them! Photographer 1 costs $3,000 for a full day, Photographer 2 costs $3,500 for a full day. So many people, would opt for photographer 1, as less money is often seen as better. But, you are smarter than that, yes? I thought so, after all, you are reading my blog!

There is more for you to see here. What are both photographers offering? What we want to do, is work out which package has more value for us! So let’s assume, photographer 1 offers 10 hours service and that is all. Pretty basic. But photographer 2, the more expensive one, offers a free engagement shoot, plus a 10 spread wedding album. Which do you think gives you ‘more bang for your buck’, or so to say? Photographer 2! Duhh! It is crucial you ask this, and don’t focus solely on the dollar figure.

So there you go! Now you know exactly where to start when it comes to booking a wedding photographer. Make sure, and I mean it, that you get the right photographer. I don’t care if it is me, or the next person, so long as they are a good fit for you as a couple! Nothing can ruin a wedding day more than booking the wrong photographer. For more information on how to choose the perfect wedding photographer for you, check out this extended list of 10 things to tick off when picking that perfect photographer. For more info, you can always get in touch with me for an obligation free chat about your wedding photography services.

For a video recap for those of you who can’t be bothered to re-read this, I got you covered!