5 Questions You Need To Ask Your Wedding Photographer

There’s a moment — usually just after the ceremony or before the first dance — where I catch a glimpse of my couple caught up in each others' eyes and swaying together. Just for themselves. No spectators. No plans. Just two people entangled in wild, sacred love.

That’s what I chase. The unplanned memories you happen across on your wedding day. It’s part of the reason why choosing a photographer for your wedding day matters more than most realize.

A good photograph goes deeper than a picture. It’s a witness. A timestamp for the way your dad’s voice cracked during his toast, the way your best friend threw her head back laughing at something no one will remember tomorrow. The right photographer senses those moments before they happen.

As you start meeting with photographers, here are five questions I think you should ask — to find not just a vendor, but a compassionate storyteller.

1. How Do You Approach a Wedding Day?

There are photographers who orchestrate, and there are those who observe. Neither is wrong, but you should know which one you’re getting. Ask them how they move through a wedding day. Do they lean toward posed portraits, or do they chase the in-between? Do they fade into the room, or direct the scene like a film set?

If you were to ask me, I'd tell my couples I'm an observer at heart and a director by necessity. I’ll gently guide when it matters (no one wants to guess where to put their hands for photos), primarily in bridal and family portraits to save time and to help you feel most yourself. But for the most part, I watch. I look for crooked grins, the hand squeezes on the table. Art lives there.

2. Can We See a Full Wedding Gallery?

Instagram is a lovely and helpful highlight reel. It’s the best golden hours, veil tosses, fireworks. But a full gallery tells the real story. It shows how a photographer handles a rainy afternoon, a dimly lit barn, a chaotic dance floor.

Ask to see one. Better yet, ask to see one from a wedding similar to yours — in season, location, or vibe. It’s the truest way to know what you’ll receive.

I, for example, am still building up my equipment and don't have off-camera flash equipment. That means I use on camera flash currently, which produces a specific kind of look that not all couples like - things like that are SO HELPFUL to see before you commit to a photographer.

3. What’s Your Backup Plan?

No one likes to talk about it, but equipment fails. Weather shifts. Life happens. And you deserve someone who’s thought ahead.

Find out if they have backup cameras, extra memory cards, a contingency for a second shooter if someone falls ill. Ask how your images are stored and backed up after the wedding. It’s not romantic, but neither is losing your photos.

4. How Do You Help Couples Feel Comfortable in Front of the Camera?

Unless you’re a professional model, chances are you’re a little nervous about being photographed. Ask how your photographer helps with that!

For me, it’s about dissolving the idea of posing and turning it into being. We’ll take walks, we’ll tell stories, maybe you’ll dance a little. You won’t be asked to “smile for the camera” much — but you will be asked to hold each other close, to whisper something ridiculous, to move so that images feel like YOU and not so forced.

5. Who is Your Dream Wedding Client?

This one matters more than it seems. Beyond pricing, beyond packages, find out what makes them show up. Who does your photographer strive to serve and WHY?

For me, I'm here for the couples who want to celebrate the in-between moments, the people they love, and their new life together.

You should choose someone who is a natural extension of the direction your wedding is going in — because that love for you and the feel of your wedding day will show up in every image you hold decades from now.

Bonus Questions!

I find these questions are helpful to ask, but not always necessary depening on what you know about the photographer.

• During the time of year my wedding is in, what’s your average turnaround time for delivering a wedding gallery?  

• Share your primary colors in your wedding scheme, ask if your photographer feels comfortable editing them. (Some photographers have a specific editing style that leaves certain colors feeling a bit funky. For me, I dislike turquoise with my color edits, but I can adjust tones as needed.)

• What's your philosophy when it comes to the grooms' portraits? (Personally, I feel many wedding photographers unintentionally let grooms portraits become boring, some photographers go out of their way to prevent that!)

At the end of the day, pick the person you feel most at ease around, the one who makes you forget the camera’s there and helps you focus on the people in front of you. Because after the cake is eaten and your lovely flowers wilt, photographs will carry the weight of your memory.

If this sounds like the wedding gallery you want, I’d love to hear your story!