Questions to ask a wedding photographer before booking

Before booking a wedding photographer, ask about four things: their work across a whole day, exactly what you will receive, what happens if something goes wrong, and what you are allowed to do with the photographs. A portfolio answers the first only partly, and the rest lives in the contract, which is why the questions below matter more than any Instagram feed.

Questions about their style and their work

• Can we see two or three complete galleries from weddings like ours (similar size, venue type, time of day)?
• How would you describe your style: documentary, posed, editorial, or a mix?
• How do you handle low light: a dark church, a candlelit reception, a winter evening?
• Have you worked at our venue, or one like it?
• How much do you direct people, and how much do you stay out of the way?

The complete gallery is the most important request on this list. Highlight reels show the best twenty frames of a hundred weddings. A full gallery shows what you will actually get: the family groups, the speeches under bad lighting, the dance floor at eleven.

Questions about coverage and delivery

• How many hours are included, and when do they start and stop?
• Is a second photographer included, and do we need one for our guest count?
• Roughly how many edited photos will we receive?
• How long until we get the full gallery, and is there a sneak peek sooner?
• How are the photos delivered, and for how long is the online gallery available?
• Are prints or an album included, or priced separately?

Map the hours against your actual day. If you want getting-ready photos at noon and the last dance at eleven, an eight-hour package will run out at eight. Overtime is usually charged by the hour, and it is far cheaper to buy it in advance than on the night.

Questions about what happens if something goes wrong

• What happens if you are ill or cannot attend? Who replaces you, and do we get to see their work?
• Do you shoot on cameras with two memory card slots, and how do you back the files up afterwards?
• Do you carry liability insurance? (Many venues require it.)
• What is your cancellation and postponement policy?

Questions about rights and money

• What exactly does the quoted price include, and what costs extra?
• Are there travel fees, and do you need accommodation if the venue is far?
• What is the deposit, when is the rest due, and is any of it refundable?
• Who owns the copyright, and what are we allowed to print, share and post?
• Do you need a meal and a break during the day? (Plan for it either way.)

Copyright almost always stays with the photographer; what matters is the license they give you. Make sure it covers printing at any size, sharing with family and posting online without a credit on every picture, unless you are happy to add one.

How do you compare quotes that look different?

Put them side by side by what you receive: hours, photographers, edited images, album, delivery time, travel. A package that is cheaper on the headline but has six hours instead of nine, no second shooter and a paid album often ends up costing more once you add what you actually need. A budget that tracks each quote as a line makes this comparison quick.

The portfolio tells you they can take a beautiful picture. The contract tells you whether you will get it.

When should you book?

As soon as the venue and date are confirmed. Popular photographers are often booked a year or more ahead for summer Saturdays, and unlike most other vendors, a photographer can only be in one place on your date.