How To Pick Your Wedding Photographer

Event Planning and Design: Fuse Weddings and Events + Photos by Tracy Hill Photography

When planning your wedding, there are a lot of details to handle. While finding a planner, gown and venue certainly top the list, a photographer is the one who will capture it all. 

Your wedding photographer’s number one priority is creating tangible memories that will last a lifetime. And while asking a friend or family member to grab some photos may seem like a good idea at the time, you’re better off hiring a professional. 

The first thing to consider is what style you’re looking for for your wedding photos. Do you prefer posed, journalistic, or emotional? Additionally, consider the lighting at your wedding venue. Some photographers specialize in indoor or outdoor photography. Others can be more artistic or journalistic in style.

Next, look at social media, websites and reviews to determine which photographers you’d like to have a meeting with to discuss your vision. 

Key questions to ask at your initial meeting:

1. Do you have a preferred style? Most photographers can blend styles, but they also have a style in which they specialize – portraiture, natural, journalistic, etc.
2. How long have you been working as a wedding photographer?
3. Will I be able to see untouched/unedited proofs before I place my order?
4. What is your experience in black and white wedding photography?
5. What do your packages include?
6. What length of time will you spend photographing an event and if my event goes longer than we agreed upon, do you have an overtime option? If so, what is the cost associated with that?
7. Do you have a backup photographer and an assistant? What happens in the event that an emergency happens making you unavailable on my wedding day? (Make sure this is specified in your contract.)
8. What do you wear? A professional photographer will blend in at your wedding.
9. Can we meet in person? Never hire a photographer you can’t meet prior to the wedding.
10. Do you have insurance? Insurance protects the photographer, not you. However, having insurance is indicative of professionalism. 

Make sure you read your entire contract. Here’s what it should include:

1. Who owns the rights to the photographs? 
2. Any potential extras. i.e. parking, travel, damages to or loss of equipment, etc.
3. Pricing.