Questions to ask your Wedding Photographer & self
Your Engaged to be married, congratulations, and now the fun part starts, planning the Wedding. Some couples are thrilled to be planning such an amazing event in their lives and others would rather have it over right now. For those planners out there check out a few suggestions that I have regarding your Wedding Photography. For the non-planners, find a reputable Wedding Planner.:-)
Questions to ask yourself about your Wedding Photography
1) What am I looking for in an end product? Do you want lots of images, albums, prints, canvases, and everything under the sun? Or are you thinking about doing some of the design work yourself? I have had many clients who thought that they wanted to do the design work only to call a year or more down the road and want an album designed. Let me tell you that it is much easier for your Photographer to design an album while it is fresh in their minds, and most of the time cheaper too.
2) Are you looking for something trendy right now or images that will be in style for the remainder of your lifetime? There are so many trendy techniques out there right now. Know that a lot of these technique you can get from your very own point and shoot camera and computer software. If your images are delivered using these technique then you are stuck with them for life! There is a fine line between artistic timeless capture and trendy capture. Look at the images and try to picture yourself in the images you see. Also keep in mind that a Photographer will typically only show the most fit brides and grooms and the absolute best images. A lot of these images WERE NOT captured on the Wedding day but were fashion shoots, fash the dress, engagements, portraits and more. You want to see what the Photographer can produce on the Wedding Day. Make sure to ask that question.
3) How important is Photography to you? If you put this high on your list then you should contact someone who has been in business for years and has completed hundreds, if not thousands, of Weddings. You want your Photographer in business when life happens and you lose your images or you have questions. Reputation and track record are key. Keep in mind that word of mouth is good but not always the best way to find Wedding Photographers because your idea of what you want might be different and your budget could be different too. The bottom line is to put a value on your Wedding Photography and look for a Photographer that will live up to your expectations in value, service, and products.
4) How much time do you want to spend taking images on your day as opposed to being with your family and friends? This is key to a lot of people. Some Wedding Photographer may eat up all of your time during the day and not give you time to be with family and friends. Make sure you are OK with whatever your Photographer decides. Know that some Photographers require a lot of time to get a few images.
5) Do I want a bunch of people capturing my Wedding day or not? Do more people photographing cause chaos and not allow guests and family to relax and get natural images?
Questions to ask your potential Wedding Photographer
1) Ask for a list of references and use it. A Professional should be able to offer 100s of references. Ask the tough questions of the clients and make sure that the pros outweigh the cons; i.e. Would you go with this Photographer again? Who else did you consider? Why did you go with this Photographer? Did the products exceed your expectations? Were you completely satisfied? Was the Photographer ahead of time and Professional? How long did your Photographer take to get the images? Were you happy with the amount of time you had with family and friends as opposed to with the Photographer?
2) Why should I hire You?
3) How quickly will I be able to see the images and album?
4) Do you offer any guarantees? If so, what.
5) Have you ever had any problems with your products coming apart, fading, etc?
6) How many years do you see yourself doing this?
7) Are you just a Wedding Photographer or do you have other jobs?
8) What image best defines your Wedding style?
The bottom line is to get the right match for You. You may think that your friends Photographer was great but the final images might not be your cup of tea. Make sure you are comfortable with everything that the Wedding Photographer is going to offer you before, on, and after the Wedding Day. Make sure you know what you get and don’t get too. Ask lots of questions, most Wedding Photographers don’t mind answering questions.
Please see my Wedding Photography at Paul Retherford Wedding Photography. Have the best Wedding Day ever!
