One of the most important vendors at your wedding is your photographer. Whoever you hire is in charge of helping you and all your loved ones remember how awesome your wedding is- that’s huge! We want to help you find the right photographer for your wedding, so be sure to ask them these five questions before you sign the on the dotted line.
“Do you like doing weddings?”
More often than not the photographer will say, yes but take note of how they say it. Some photographers just do weddings to make some quick cash, but if their heart isn’t in it you’ll be able to tell. A photographer is an artist, and that is a very emotional thing. Find a photographer who is passionate about weddings, and your photos will be that much more heartfelt and impactful.
“What’s your turnaround time like?”
Turnaround means how quickly after the wedding will they be able to give you your photos. There are some photographers who are able to do a same-day turn around and give you a slideshow or short video from the ceremony to play at the reception. Some photographers will take a few weeks or longer to edit and get your photos back to you. This is incredibly important, and you should be absolutely sure when you’ll get your images. You don’t want to rely on your sister’s cell phone pics to look back on the most important day of your life. If you’re able to, yelp your photographer or reach out to other people who had that photographer photograph their wedding and ask about their turnaround.
“Will you be bringing help?”
Some photographers travel alone, some have an assistant or two to cover extra angles or to assist in general. If you’re getting married in a tight space, this is very important to know! Have a general head count of how many people will be swarming you. Plus, some photographers may charge a little extra for needing an assistant. Know what you’re getting before the big day!
“What do you need on the day of?”
Have a checklist for the photographer so you’re able to assist to keep things going. Some photographers may ask that they are able to eat during the ceremony as well, some may need to know where all the outlets are. You don’t want to send a groomsman out on an outlet hunt half an hour before the reception starts. Get in touch with the venue to assist in any power questions, and if needed set aside some space for the photographer’s bags or extra items. They may need some space to house their camera cases, backpacks, backup drives, or anything else they need.
“What is your deposit policy?”
Some photographers may not put the deposit towards the overall total of services! Be sure to ask if the deposit goes towards the total, or if the total you are given is after the deposit (as in total plus deposit is the actual cost). Sometimes there can be some confusion so be one hundred percent sure you know what the total cost is for all services. That also includes knowing exactly what you’ll be getting, such as one thumb drive full of everything, access to a private website of your photos, physical prints, etc. Know how you want to receive all your media before you start negotiating so you get everything that you want.
Andrea Carter
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