Your wedding photographer might be one of the most important decisions for your wedding day– once the cake is eaten, the dance floor has been cleared, and the flowers have died (get your flowers pressed folks!), all you will have from your special day are the memories and your wedding photos. That’s why choosing your wedding photographer is a big choice. Here are some questions that I (a wedding photographer) recommend asking at your initial meetings with potential photographers. If you have any additional questions for me, a Colorado wedding photographer– don’t hesitate to reach out!
#1 Are you available for my wedding date?
Probably an obvious question, but the one to start with!
I only book a limited number of weddings/elopements each year and I do my best to only book one wedding a weekend. I start booking about a year in advance for full day weddings and/or weekday elopements and 3-5 months in advance for shorter, weekend elopements.
#2 How would you describe your shooting style?
Do you prefer a more candid, photojournalistic approach? Or do you prefer a more posed, choreographed approach? Both working styles are great, and most photographers will use a mixture of both, but will lean heavily on one or the other. When thinking about your wedding, do you want a photographer that doesn’t draw much attention and captures authentic moments as they unveil? Or do you want a take charge photographer that calls the shots and utilizes more posing?
My photography style is 40% posed and 60% candid. During moments (getting ready, ceremony, reception) I am a fly on the wall. During family photos I put on my director hat and run a tight ship. During portraits I give direction and ensure you look your best while still capturing your authentic relationship.
(example of a candid, photojournalistic style)
(example of a more posed style)
#3 Can we see a full gallery?
Such a great must ask question. This ensures that their work is consistent and that they don’t just have a few bangers that they post on instagram. Pay special attention to their reception work and photos in tricky lighting situations!
#4 What is included in your editing/retouching?
Almost all photographers will only deliver photos that have been edited in their style– this includes color adjustments, cropping, vignetting, etc. If you are wanting in depth editing such as body modifications and skin retouching make sure to ask your photographer if this is something that is included or can be added on to your package! Skin retouching alone can add anywhere from 2-60 minutes per photo depending on the complexity, that’s a lot of extra time if applied to every image!
All images delivered are color corrected, cropped, etc. in the style you see on my website. A huge priority is capturing your day the way it actually was, which means I want the colors you select to be represented and I want my edits to look timeless and not trendy.
#5 What is your payment structure? Do you require a retainer? Is it refundable? Do you offer a payment plan?
Every single professional photographer should be requiring a retainer. This ensures that the date is locked in for a client and we turn down every other wedding for that day. Because of this, most photographers’ retainers will be non-refundable. Asking about a payment plan is also a great question! Most photographers prices reflect their costs of doing business and amount they need to maintain a sustainable business and living wage, so prices usually don’t have much flexibility, but payment plans are a great way to budget for the investment!
In order to book me for you wedding date, I do require a $1500 non-refundable retainer. From there your wedding package will be broken into 5 installments with your final payment being 30 days before your event.
#6 What are your packages or à la carte pricing? Is our package customizable?
If your photographer doesn’t list their rates on their website this will be a question that needs to be addressed. Couples always feel awkward asking it, but trust me, it’s not awkward at all and usually the photographer will bring it up first! There are 3 most common types of pricing structures:
- A fixed package model – usually 3-4 fixed packages with little to no customization. These are great for people that don’t know where to begin or are easily overwhelmed with options. Often the packages will have some sort of discount versus paying for each item `a la carte.
- An entirely `a la carte model – pricing will begin hourly, with add-ons such as the engagement session, second photographer etc. These are great for people that want to design a package that’s perfect just for them.
- A hybrid package and a la carte model- exactly what it sounds like! Usually this will begin with a package, but then offers add-ons at an additional price. The package typically won’t allow for removing items since the package will already be at a discounted price.
My packages are completely customizable since I realized pretty early on how different every wedding is! Need 6 hours but no engagement session, no problem! Want 12 hours with a second photographer, let’s do it!
#7 What is your favorite/recommended package?
This is the question I wish all my clients asked me! Wedding photographers have *likely* been to way more weddings than you, we know the general structure of the day, typically how long getting ready will take, how long you should allocate for portraits, etc. When couples ask this question I am not looking to up-sell them on my 12 hour package (because let me tell ya, nothing is worse that a couple booking a 12 hour package and only needing 6 hours of coverage and not knowing what to do for the remaining 6 hours). I am truly doing a deep dive into their needs, their expectations, and their rough timeline to see what is the best fit for all of us.
Every wedding is so different, so my recommendation will vary based on your needs, however 90% of my couples book 8 hours with a second photographer for 4 hours and an engagement session. That’s usually enough coverage for some getting ready and about 45 minutes of open dancing.
#8 Do you offer a second photographer? Do you recommend one?
I love second photographers because they tell a full wedding day story. One of the most important shots is the walking down the aisle shot, with a second photographer it guarantees that ever nanosecond of this emotional moment will be covered. Second photographers are also amazing if the schedule is a little tight in the morning, we can divide and conquer. But it’s always great to ask about the seconds credentials, especially if they will be capturing part of the day solo!
All my second photographers have their own photography businesses which ensures that they know their stuff! I work with 5 different second photographers on a consistent basis and I trust them wholeheartedly!
#9 How many photos do you deliver?
This will vary from photographer to photographer, but the most common range I see is from 60-100 per hour. Keep in mind this number will fluctuate largely from event to event. If you allocate more time for portraits or have lots of dancing at your reception, for example, the number might be a lot higher! I know it’s cliche, but keep in mind it’s always quality over quantity. Yes, you want to make sure you receive enough images to fully tell your wedding day story, but you also don’t want to be overwhelmed by a gallery of 3,000 images. The mark of a good, seasoned photographer is the ability to edit down and only deliver the best to their clients, the couple should never be the ones culling their photos– that’s our job! (*culling means going through and selecting the best images to deliver to clients)
I tell couples that they can expect around 60-100 hour, but as mentioned above it definitely fluxuates on event to event!
#10 How will our photos be delivered?
There are lots of options here! High resolution galleries, USB drives, cloud services, photo albums and print packages.
I personally love high resolution galleries because they are so incredibly user friendly while also being very professional. These galleries allow you to download full resolution files without any image compressing. You can also send the link to all your family and friends so they can see the images and even purchase prints directly.
#11 What is the turnaround time for our photos? Do we receive any sneak peeks before final delivery?
Again, this will vary from photographer to photographer. In my experience, industry standard appears to be 4-12 weeks.
My turnaround time is 6-8 weeks, which I found is the perfect amount of time to ensure every photo is edited up to my standards. I always deliver a few sneak peeks a few days after the wedding and a highlight gallery of 60-100 images in two weeks– I am usually just as excited to share your images as you are to see them!
#12 Do you offer a print release or can we just get prints with you?
This question is really 50/50. Some photographers will grant you printing rights so you can get prints and products wherever you choose. Others will only allow printing to be done by them. Both valid. But keep in mind the only way a photographer can guarantee prints and products is to print with their professional lab. Whatever you do, please print your photos, don’t just store them on your phone/computer/USB!
I do offer a print release for all couples’ photos. I don’t want to inhibit you from using your own wedding photos however you’d like. However, I do offer prints directly from your wedding gallery, which most couples love since you don’t have to worry about resizing, taking them to print, etc.
#13 What rights do we have with our photos?
Photographers automatically own the copyright to all their images. Some photographers will transfer the copyright, but expect to pay a large fee. Make sure to ask about rights for sharing, printing, and social media. Some will require image credit, some might even still have watermarks on your images (yikes). It’s always best to ask upfront (and double check in their contract).
My couples are all granted a non-exclusive, perpetual, worldwide license to display and distribute their for personal use, including through electronic means (e.g., displaying on social media, printing, etc). I want you (and your family and friends) to be able to print, share, etc. without restrictions!
#14 What happens if you get sick?
The absolute worst case scenario! But it’s super important to ask.
Knock on wood. But in the event of a major illness or emergency (and I’m talking major, it would take a lot for me to not attend a wedding) I would have my contractually obligated Second Photographer to step in as lead (another great reason to have a second photographer). In the event that you don’t have a second photographer I would reach out to my extensive network of photographers and find someone to fill in. I would still handle all the editing, delivery, etc. of your images.
#15 What’s your favorite tv show?
Joking, kinda. I hear a lot about wedding consultations being very one dimensional. Your wedding photographer is likely going to be the person you see the most on your wedding (even more than your fiancé!) Not to mention the months of communication leading up to your wedding. You want to make sure you get along and your personalities match. Ask what their hobbies are, what drew them to photography, their favorite wedding, etc. Having your photographer feel more like a friend and support system on your wedding day makes the process (and wedding day!) so much more fun, trust me!
(Oh and my favorite show is a tie between Broad City, Game of Thrones (last season not included) and any and every cooking show (but especially Parts Unknown and the Barefoot Contessa))
So those are my 15 questions to ask a potential wedding photographer before booking them! If you have additional questions, I always encourage my potential clients to write them down before we meet– it’s so easy to forget things once you start chatting! And remember, your wedding photographer has likely heard it all, don’t worry about asking too many questions or saying the wrong thing, we want to get to know you just as much as you want to know us! It’s important that we’re a perfect fit, so ask away!
I hope you enjoyed my list of questions to ask your wedding photographer! Leah Goetzel Photography is a Denver based wedding photographer capturing fun, authentic and bold weddings and elopements! If you are interested in booking her in the Colorado or Texas area we’d love to hear from you! Send us a message here!
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