Q1 - Do you have my wedding date available?

This one is kind of obvious, but it might be the most important question. Wedding photographers can be booked out 12 months in advance or even longer! As soon as you know when you’re getting married, you should start researching and contacting potential wedding photographers.

Q2 - How would you describe your photography style? (e.g. traditional, photojournalistic, fine-art, moody, etc)

Every photographer has their own style. This is true for both how they shoot and how they edit (final product). Some photographers are strictly photojournalistic while others take charge with posing every shot - the majority fall somewhere in between. Also, how the images are edited should be considered. It’s important to go through the photographer’s portfolio - a pattern or similarity should be present between all of the photos. If not, then they are new and still trying to find their style. Which means, who knows what style you’ll get for your wedding. When someone is consistent, you can be confident that they’ll deliver images that were expected. Choose a photographer who has the style of what you want for your wedding. This is so important.

Q3 - Are you the photographer who will shoot my wedding?

There are many types of wedding photography businesses out there. They can be a large studio or individually owned. When talking with them, you should ask if they’re the one that will be there on your wedding. If talking with a studio, it might be one of many photographers that work for them. Ask if you can speak with the photographer as well as look at their portfolio. A wedding photographer will be with you for the entire day of your wedding - it’s SUPER important that you and the photographer mesh well. I mean, who wants to spend their wedding day with someone they don’t like?

Q4 - Do you provide retouching, color adjustment, or other corrective services?

Will the final images be edited/retouched? Or is that an extra cost? Does the photographer edit his/her own photos or do they source out the editing? You should and need to know these things so there are no surprises when your images are delivered. Personally, I edit ALL final images myself and provide retouching on images that I feel need it. If any images are chosen to be printed, I retouch these 100% of the time. However, every photographer is different and do things their own way.

Q5 - What sets you apart from other wedding photographers?

With so many amazing photographers out there, this single question can be the deciding factor when choosing one for your wedding. It’s what makes them stand out from the crowd. For me, I’ve been told I’m easy to work with since I have a laid back personality, but still know how to stick to a tight schedule. A wedding can be hectic at times and knowing your photographer can handle anything tossed their way and keep their cool (on top of still grabbing the shot) allows you to sleep easy at night. Whatever it may be, make sure it resonates with you.

Good Luck!

I hope this has shined a little light on your wedding photography search. Don’t let it stress you out and instead enjoy the process. Look through photos and TALK with potential photographers - you can only gain so much through email. And if they’re not able to take 15 minutes to talk with you, then they probably won’t be a good fit. Plain and simple.

Have any additional questions that should be asked? Let me know! I’m always happy to help. Now go plan the best damn wedding EVER!