Must Ask Questions for Your Photographer!

There’s no shortage of lists detailing must-ask questions for your potential photographer floating around the internet. (Google is your friend!) But here I am, writing yet another one. You see, most of the questions you’ll find online revolve around RAW files, how many photos you’ll get, digital vs film, if they’ve shot at your venue or if they’ll location scout, and something about engagement photos. Sure, these are all things you might want to ask…but I don’t believe they are the things that MATTER.

All those little questions are answered in my Wedding Client Guide the minute you send me an email. My goal is to always answer your questions before you even have them! The next step is to either meet for coffee in person if we’re in the same city or to hop on Facetime for a virtual coffee date! This coffee date shouldn’t ever be full of dull technical or business questions (although it is a good time to get clarification if you need it!), but instead should allow us to get to know each other! I want your photos to show you how you FEEL, so it’s important that I connect with each and every one of my clients before booking. With a business built on relationships, your potential photographer will appreciate you taking the time to ask the deep questions. 🙂

So here we go, the questions you should be asking and how they will help you find the perfect photographer.

What do you do for fun? (If they answer hiking + canoeing then they’ll be comfortable at your cabin wedding. + vice versa!)
How will you prepare yourself for our wedding? Will we be in touch via email? phone? another coffee date closer to? What information can we give you to help you do your best work? (Hint : If they say they’ll just show up and wing it, there might be a red flag!)
How much will we be in touch over the next 6+months / year? (Does their answer make you feel like sending them random emails will be a burden? Cause it shouldn’t!)
What inspires you? (This should be straight forward!)
How do you find yourself fitting in on a wedding day? (Answers can include what they’ll wear, what kind of equipment they use that allows them to get those intimate moments, how they get to know your wedding party / family, etc!)
Can you help us with planning a timeline? (Their answer should be “YES!” and include details about how they approach it!)
Can I see a full wedding gallery? (This should have already been covered. It also helps to discuss how the typical timeline of their weddings will affect your final gallery!)
Why do you photograph weddings? (If their answer doesn’t align with your values + priorities then there’s a problem!)
Can we come to you for help with other aspects of wedding planning when we need a second opinion? (This could include venue or location scouting, recommending vendors that fit your needs, figuring out which traditions are/n’t important, etc!)