And What To Ask Before Booking
More likely than not, a couple has never planned a wedding before. There are so many unknowns. Some wedding vendors have a low barrier to entry for their field. Meaning they don’t need schooling, accreditation, or on the job training under an experienced supervisor in their field. Because of this, there is no standard operating procedure across the board for wedding services. Many of us learn as we go. And while thats not inherently bad, there is a big learning curve.
Photography is one of those fields where a lot of people pick up a camera and call themselves a professional, regardless of their knowledge of the job. Everyone starts somewhere of course. But you want an experienced photographer for your wedding! This is not an area where you want to go for the lowest bid. If there is one single vendor you truly need to allocate a healthy budget for, let it be photo and video.
Most people don’t even remotely know where to start. So i’m here to help. If you follow this process, you have a good chance of getting the wedding photos you want, regardless of your budget.
1. Where to start looking for your wedding photographer
Look for a solo photographer or a photography team
Wedding photography companies hire photographers with varying degrees of experience, reliability and equipment. You never know what you’re going to get, and often won’t know your photographer until the day of your wedding. Many couples have a less than stellar experience.
The big wedding websites are pay to play
The Knot has acquired Wedding Wire and Zola. Like other sites, photographers pay a fee for the level of exposure. they receive. Don’t get me wrong, there are so many incredible photographers there. Just don’t assume the most visible photographers are the best photographers. This also goes for some facebook groups like Let’s Just Elope. Photographers who don’t pay are not allowed to respond to requests for a photographer or say they are a photographer in a promotional way. Rather than focusing on websites like this, look at a photographers history on google and across the web.
Social media
Tiktok, Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook are all good resources. Visit more than one for a well rounded understanding of the photographer you’re vetting. They may not be on all platforms, and thats totally fine. But they should have a social media presence of some kind, going back at least 2 years. Look at their earlier work and see the progression of their style.
Tiktok profiles are typically less portfolio and more silly, informational or behind the scenes videos. You should be able get to know the photographer a bit better. What it looks like to work with them, how much they know about the business they’re in, etc.
Instagram is more portfolio heavy. Often more curated presentations of shoots and events. Informational content and business content as well.
Facebook is a bit more old school and used more as a communication platform to reach potential clients. But wedding photographers don’t tend to post to their own page as often anymore, outside of advertising. Profiles can be less tended to and you can expect them to spend more time responding to inquiries in wedding groups than on their own page.
Pinterest is a great place to source inspo photos. And sometimes a photographer. Just keep in mind these are the best images. Not a well rounded application to be your photographer, and definitely not the full picture. And that goes for all social media platforms.
Referrals
Ask friends and family. Look at their wedding photos. Just be aware a photographer’s style can change over time. Look at recent work. Some will also change their business practices. Look at recent reviews to see if their work is still as reliable as it once was.
2. What to look for in FULL wedding galleries
Consistency
Look for consistency with color (white balance), exposure and style throughout the full galleries. Also look for consistent quality. Are too many sticking out as uniquely poor quality, or wildly different editing styles? Look at both (or more) galleries and see if they are consistent so you know what you can expect from them on your wedding day, regardless of the location.
Skill
This is harder to spot as a couple with no photography background. You should be looking for the photographer’s ability to shoot in every lighting scenario throughout the gallery. Are they really good at outdoor photos but not so great indoors? If you’re having an outdoor wedding, ask to see at least 1 gallery that includes a ceremony with harsh mid-day sun. Make sure you see a full gallery with low-light interior images with flash and without (like a dark church ceremony and dance floor photos).
Vibes
Do their galleries align with what you want from your wedding gallery? If you want a lot of posed editorial photos, make sure thats what they actually do. Is their gallery too posed and you want a more realistic vision of your day? Do they show the storytelling aspect you’re envisioning with interesting detail photos throughout the day? Figure out what you want your gallery to FEEL like and look for that. Not just pretty photos.
3. The most important questions you should be asking wedding photographers before booking
Do you have an active business license and general liability insurance?
No professional wedding photographer will be operating without these. Most reputable wedding venues require all vendors have a minimum of $1,000,000 in General Liability Insurance coverage to work on site, so it is really a non-negotiable.
What is your experience with weddings? How many have you photographed?
If its limited and you don’t have a big budget, that can be ok. Follow up with more questions about their photography experience. Ask if they have been a second shooter. How many times? And ask to see full session galleries. There are really excellent photographers with experience in other areas who are just entering the wedding space. Make sure to see how they shoot in all types of lighting. Indoor and outdoor. And make sure they have examples of using flash. If they have never photographed a wedding, even as a second shooter, I would be leery of booking them.
Do you shoot with at least 2 full frame camera bodies with dual card slots? And do you write to both?
Most people don’t know to ask this. Or even what it means. A professional photographer will be able to answer. And if the answer is no, move on immediately. A photographer should NEVER be shooting a wedding without at least 2 professional camera bodies with dual card slots. This is to protect your images. Memory cards corrupt and all the photos can be gone in an instant. Writing to 2 cards simultaneously is the only way to ensure your photos will be safe. Follow up with additional questions about equipment. A wedding photographer should have backups for everything. Camera, flash, batteries, and cards. Technology fails. Things break. You don’t want coverage to end early because something isn’t working and there isn’t a backup option.
How do you safeguard photos AFTER the wedding?
Their answer should include a process with backup copies. You don’t need to know all the jargon. Just ensure they say they back up to multiple sources immediately after the wedding. Confirm their delivery timeline and what happens if they don’t deliver photos in that timeframe.
Can I view 2-3 FULL galleries in different lighting situations?
This is a nonstarter. Photographers post their favorite photos. The attention grabbing photos. You MUST view at least 2 full galleries to see how a photographer shoots and edits a full wedding day from start to finish. Look for style consistency so you know what you can anticipate what your own wedding photos could look like. Pay attention to how they shoot each portion of the day. Are they good at some things and not others? If they can send galleries at a similar venue or style of wedding, even better.
Are you a fly on the wall documentary photographer? Are you heavy with posing guidance and editorial vibes? Do you have a more guided interaction approach? A combination?
This is SO important to getting the style you need. Don’t assume a documentary style is your best option because you’ve heard the term and seen photos you loved. Documentary and journalistic photographers offer no posing guidance. They try to interact minimally, like a fly on the wall. If you’re awkward, not really expressive or touchy-feely with each other, or comfortable in front of the camera, this can be a bad option. Resting B*** Face? Not what you want captured on your wedding day. A lot of people really need active posing guidance to get photos they love.
You really want a mix of some of these traits. As an example, I do an editorial approach to posing with formal couple portraits. As well as some editorial, in the moment shots, with and without flash. I pepper in documentary and journalistic approaches during moments of real life. Getting ready, walking around the venue, unposed and unrefined, but beautiful and real. Telling the story of the day. Little moments captured from 2 rooms away through the sliver in a door or between the banister rails where groups around the space can be seen doing different activities, prepping for reception. I try to do a little bit of everything so your day doesn’t feel stiff. Im constantly on the lookout for creative angles, interesting moments and finding posing inspiration throughout the entire day. A healthy balance of real moments and directed moments is the special sauce for a beautiful final gallery, in my humble opinion.
Will YOU be the lead photographer at my wedding? Or is there a possibility you will be sending an Associate?
Sending an Associate photographer is commonplace in wedding photography. More-so than I think people realize. But this should either be super clearly expressed before booking, OR an emergency scenario where the photographer is unable to be there. And in the case of emergency, it should still be disclosed, and the Lead should be sharing all the contact information identifying the Associate so you aren’t meeting someone brand new on your wedding day. This is the issue with companies that hire out as well. It’s really a gamble if your photographer just randomly hires strangers for bookings without telling their couples. When you do book someone, read the contract language regarding this, even if they say they guarantee they will be there in person.
4. FAQ’s for the inquiry process
Why are the contact forms so long?
Any reputable photographer will have a website with a contact form. Typically it includes at least a few questions that might make you feel weird. Budget being one of them. This question is not to upsell you. It’s there simply to understand if they could be an option for you. And to understand what services they can offer that will fit your budget.
They may also ask for a social media handle. Contrary to popular belief, this has nothing to do with seeing what you look like or Facebook stalking you. Photographers get A LOT of scam inquiries. Sometimes multiple per day. It’s getting harder to weed out the scammers from the real couples. And some of the tactics are getting really, really scary. This question is simply to see if there is a real person with a real looking social media presence tied to their name. It’s not foolproof of course. But it’s an extra step to verifying you’re a person who could actually be looking for a photographer.
What is a Discovery Call?
A professional will follow up to schedule a discovery phone or video call. This might seem like a hassle, but it allows you to talk to the person you could potentially be spending your entire wedding day (or days) with. This is someone who is interacting with you more than anyone else on your wedding day. You need to know who they are, how they interact and if you can vibe with them. It’s an important step in the wedding photography booking process.
What happens when i’m ready to book?
When you decide to book a wedding photographer, they will send you a detailed contract and a non-rufundable retainer to complete the booking.
5. WANT TO RESEARCH ME AS A WASHINGTON STATE WEDDING AND ELOPEMENT PHOTOGRAPHER?
Check out my social media platforms.
Read reviews.
Inquire here for more info and i’ll be happy to send a few full wedding galleries so you can see how I shoot and edit a full wedding day.
