After you have a short list of prospective wedding photographers, the next step is to setup a meeting with each one. An initial consultation session usually takes about 30 minutes. The objective is for both parties to figure out if they are the right fit for each other. In order to make the best use of time, consider coming up with a wedding photography questionnaire. These questions are meant to take a deeper dive on the photographer’s style as well as how he or she runs the business. They also help separate those are amazing and passionate about their work, from those who are excellent in marketing.

What you should not ask

Before going into what are the key things to ask a wedding photographer, let’s think about what you should not ask. In short, you shouldn’t ask questions that are already answered on the photographer’s website. By reviewing the photographer’s online portfolio, you should have a general sense of the his or her artistic style and an approximate price range. If you can not even find such basic information from the website, you might want to consider looking elsewhere.

Top questions to ask potential wedding photographers

What are the important questions to ask a wedding photographer before booking? The 6 key questions listed below and they meant to gain a deeper understating of the photographer’s artistic capability and business process. The beauty about these questions is that one leads to the next.

Can we see more photos that reflect your photography style?

Essentially, what you are asking here is, show me a full wedding gallery that is similar to your wedding. You want to hire someone who has captured a wedding that is close to what you envision your big day to be. You want to see a full gallery in order to feel comfortable that, this photographer can repeat what he did. The photographer should walk you thru the thought process behind how he or she captured the wedding. A professional photographer knows where to stand and when to click the shutter button in order to get the best shot. For example, if you see a wedding gallery full of repetitive photos, it might imply the person is either inexperienced or lazy. In addition to composition, pay attention to the brightness and color consistency between photos in the same gallery. Remember you are paying for not one or two photos, but a series of photos. They should look coherent and easy to follow.

Can we request for specific shots?

You might have a Pinterest board of wedding photos that you love. It is best to communicate your ideas with your photographer to make sure it is feasible to replicate. For example, if you have an amazing sunset photo on your board in front of the Eiffel tower, but your wedding is in Toronto, the best you will get is a photo in front of the CN tower. In addition, some photographer have a very specific style of work and they might be adamant on copying another wedding photographer’s work.

Will you be the one shooting my wedding?

This is an important question to ask and make sure it is written in the contract. Photographers often hire associates to cover weddings that they are unavailable for. Remember full wedding galleries you saw earlier? They are not likely done by an associate. To remedy this situation, you may request to see a full gallery shot by the associate. Ideally you should hire a wedding photographer whose work you have seen.

How do you deal with unexpected situations?

On a wedding day, not everything go as expected. Part of the reason of hiring an experienced and professional photographer is to help reduce your stress level on your big day. Typical things that might not go well include running behind schedule, bad weather, and equipment failure. There are various way to deal with unexpected situations. For example, having backup gears minimize the consequence of equipment failures. A seasoned photographer may make timeline change suggestions to help you catch up to your wedding schedule. There are many little things that an experienced vendor can help to make your day go smoother.

What do your wedding packages include?

In addition to knowing what is included in a wedding photography package, it is also important to recognize what is not included and if there are any fees to be aware of. Normally when you hire a photographer, you would expect to receive prints or digital images. But this is not always the case. Some charge a shooting fee, an editing fee, and a delivery fee. The price you see may only include some of the above but not all. It is beneficial to understand what you are getting as well as not getting.

Due to government imposed restriction, a lot of couples were forced to change their wedding date. What they also find out, is that some of their vendors charge a fee for switching dates. Ensure all fees are identified to rule out uneasy circumstances later on down the road.

When will we receive our wedding photos?

On average, the wedding photo delivery timeline is between six to eight weeks. Ideally, this timeline should be stated in your wedding photography contract. It helps manage expectation for both parties. If it is not part of the contract, consider asking to have it added. After paying everything in full, you don’t want to be waiting six months or longer to receive your wedding photos.

After the consultation

After meeting with the shortlist of photographers, review answers to the wedding questionnaires. Discuss with your fiancé and pick the favorite.

Once you have selected a photographer, you will likely receive a contract to sign. At the very least, the contract should include name of the couple, wedding date and location(s), services to be provided, product(s) to be deliver, timeline and payment terms. It is typical to pay a deposit or retainer to secure the service of the photographer. The rest of the payment could be due one week before the wedding date, or when you receive the deliverables. It is a red flag if you are asked to make a deposit before reviewing a contract.

Summary

When you are looking for a wedding photographer, especially a wedding photographer in Toronto, there are many things to consider. Use this guide to prepare a list of questions to ask during a wedding photography consultation. These questions will help you differentiate between different photographers and make a better decision.