ou’ve followed our guide to choosing a wedding photographer and narrowed down your list of potential matches to 2 or 3 – now what?! With so many other parts of your wedding to plan, the pressure of making a choice is something you can do without! But with your wedding photographer being responsible for capturing memories that you’ll cherish for a lifetime, you need to get it right.

Here are 10 questions to ask your wedding photographer (and to make choosing the best photographer a breeze):

1. Are you available on my date?

It may sound obvious, but in the excitement of shortlisting wedding photographers, many newlyweds forget to find out whether the photographer is actually available. Don’t get caught out, check that your date is free in potential photographers’ calendars.

2. Will you be the one photographing my wedding?

Make sure that the person you speak to is the one who will actually be present at your wedding. There’s nothing worse than finding out too late that it will actually be an assistant or colleague of your photographer attending your special day. It’s important to get to know your photographer before the event and for them to get to know your photography preferences.

3. Do you have experience?

Don’t be fooled by a flashy website. A highlight reel may show 10 out of 1000 images taken, all of which have been edited to make up for poor workmanship. When it comes to your wedding day, make sure you choose a photographer who has at least a few years of experience.

4. Have you shot weddings of a similar size/style to mine before?

There are many experienced photographers who take wonderful photos of intimate outdoor weddings, but are completely out of their depth in a 400+ person indoor event. To avoid unnecessary stress, choose a photographer who has experience shooting weddings similar to yours, whether that be indoor/outdoor, intimate/large-scale, or European/Asian.

5. Can we see photos from your most recent wedding?

A photographer is only as good as their most recent event, yet another reason to take a highlight reel with a pinch of salt. Ask to see photos from an event that were taken within the past month, two at the most.

6. How many hours will you be taking photographs for?

Many wedding photographers have set packages that include a specific amount of hours on-site. It’s important to understand this in advance as it may mean that certain parts of your wedding day won’t be attended by your photographer. Find out up-front what the expectations are in terms of their attendance.

7. How do you tend to work?

Understanding your photographer’s preferences will set your expectations for the day. While some photographers prefer to stay in the background, capturing images unobtrusively, others will insist on being close to the action. There is no right or wrong way to work, but it’s important to decide whether you’re happy to accommodate their style.

8. How many photos will I receive from my wedding?

Again, some wedding photographers have set packages that include a certain number of images. Discuss this with potential photographers in advance so you know what you will be getting for their fee.

9. Do you offer retouching or editing work to images?

While uncommon, there are some photographers who charge a per-image fee to retouch or edit their work. On the face of it, this may seem to save you money, but if the images aren’t up to scratch it could cost you a small fortune in additional charges.

10. How long after the wedding will we receive images?

Playing the waiting game can take the shine off your wedding day. We’ve heard horror stories of newlyweds waiting up to 6 months after the event before they’ve received their photos. Clarify with your photographer up-front how long you can expect to wait.

With these questions in-hand, you’ll have no problem choosing your ideal wedding photographer. Get in touch today and find out how we compare.