When planning your wedding day, there are SO many things to think about, one of the most important being who is going to document your day. There are so many moments big and small that happen throughout a wedding day, having a photographer that you can trust to capture them so that you’re able to look back and reminisce is a must. But how do you choose the photographer that’s right for you? We’ll be going through the questions you should ask your wedding photographer before hiring them!

Can You Show Me Some Examples with Different Lighting?

For a full day of wedding coverage, there are going to be a wide variety of lighting scenarios throughout the day. You’ll want to see at the bare minimum photos taken indoors, photos taken outdoors and photos taken with flash at night. If you don’t see these types of photos on their Instagram or on their website, you’ll either want to ask to see some or look for other photographers.

If you like the style of the photographer but they don’t have much variety in lighting displayed you can ask them for some examples in other lighting situations before booking.  One of the easiest ways to see a variety of lighting scenarios is asking to see a full wedding gallery.

To see a gallery with a wide variety of lighting as an example, check out Lauren + Andy’s wedding day at the Indiana Roof Ballroom! Between indoor getting-ready photos, outdoor portraits, and endless late-night photos, you will be able to find plenty of examples.

Can I See a Full Wedding Gallery?

Trust me one of THE most important questions that you should be asking your photographer before hiring them is to see a full wedding gallery of theirs. Though these days photographers do share a lot of their work between their Instagram, website, and portfolio (you can check mine out with those links!) it’s usually their the best of the best photos. Your wedding album is so much more than just a highlight reel though. There are so many emotions and special moments that take place during a wedding day, your full wedding album should capture all of these for you to be able to look back on.

Seeing a full wedding album from your potential photographer will give you a good look into what your wedding album will look like. Make sure that you like the look and feel of their photos all throughout the day. This is both the style of editing as well as how the subjects look in each of their photos. Are the photos more staged or more natural? Is there a mix of the styles you want to be included? Whether you’re leaning more towards posed or candid photos you’ll want to be sure that they’re able to provide you with what you’re looking for.

Can We Hop on a Discovery Call?

You are going to be spending A LOT of time with your photographer on your wedding day as well as leading up to the day itself. As important as the photographs are, you should also enjoy your time spent with your photographer as they’re seriously a huge part of your wedding day experience. That’s why an important question to ask before hiring your wedding photographer is if they can hop on a discovery call with you. You can only get so much of a feel for someone through email or text, talking with them either through Zoom or a phone call gives you such a better picture of what your photographer is like. 

It’s best if both you and your honey are there for the call. You both should be there to talk with your potential photographer, make sure you both vibe with them, and would want them with you throughout your whole wedding day. Ask them about what their wedding experience is like, talk about your vision for the wedding and get their input on it, and make sure you have fun talking with each other! You’ll probably spend more time with your photographer than you will with your family on your wedding day, so it’s important that you are a good fit.

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Can You Tell Us About Your Wedding Day Experience?

This question is a bit of a two-parter. First, off you should know how experienced your photographer is when it comes to weddings. How long have they been in this industry? How many weddings have they photographed? Try to get an idea of their experience level before you make a decision on whether to hire them. While a first-time wedding photographer is not a deal-breaker (we all have to start somewhere!) it is important to know if that is the case going in.

The second part of this question is to ask about what the day of experience is like with your photographer. This is a great talking point for the discovery call as mentioned above. Does your photographer help plan out your wedding day timeline? Do they capture more candid photos or do more posed photography? What do their pre and post-wedding communication look and feel like? All of these questions are very important in finding the right photographer for your wedding.

What do Your Pricing and Packages Look Like?

WOOHOO! You’re obsessed and SO excited, now it’s time to talk and bring up one of the more taboo questions, can I see your pricing? You should be able to get a good idea of this from the photographers website, and usually, they’ll send over more package info once you send over your inquiry. Still, though you should be asking questions about the packages and pricing options as every wedding day is different and so is every photographer! Make sure to look at exactly what is included in each packages and make sure it fits what you’re looking for on your wedding day.

Ask about the different packages they offer and what coverage looks like for each. Which options offer full-day coverage? Do they offer add-ons like albums or additional last-minute hours? Is there an engagement session included in any of their packages? Be sure that whatever coverage you envision for your wedding day the photographer that you go with is able to provide it.

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Hiring a wedding photographer for your wedding is one of the most important parts of the wedding planning process. Be sure to ask all these questions and more when you’re on the hunt for your wedding photographer. Make sure they fit the vision that you and your partner have for your day and that you’ll enjoy having them be a part of your wedding!