Things to Ask Before Committing to a Wedding Photographer
Posing for a camera for hours is already challenging enough. Finding a quality photographer that fits your budget is another hurdle. If you are afraid of not liking what you see after spending so much on your wedding photography, here is one truth you should remember:
Your wedding photos will turn out better than expected if you are comfortable with the wedding photographer you hire. The secret to ensuring that you and your photographer have good dynamics is that you understand how they work and have no doubts about their service.
This scenario may seem too good to be true, but it happens pretty much every weekend as there are some amazing wedding suppliers out there! To find the right photography provider for you, the first thing you need to do is ask the right questions to get the answers that will calm your nerves.
Here are some things to ask your wedding photographers so you will have nothing to worry about later.
6 Things to Ask Before Committing to a Wedding Photographer
#1: Ask What Is Included in Their Service
All weddings have a budget, so it is essential to know where your money is going. Before settling with a wedding photography service provider, they should have presented you with a breakdown of things you will get from their service. For example, knowing if you will get a printed photo, album or just digital copies is a crucial detail to know. From there, you can determine if you need to allocate more of your budget for printing your wedding album.
#2: Ask for Client References
Every photographer should have a list of clients who can say good things about their service. Once your photographer shares this list of references, you get in touch with these people and ask for their opinion about them or verify what the photographer has said using a reputable source of reviews, such as ABIA. Reviews on Google and Facebook are also helpful as you need to be identity verified in order to post a review and is more difficult to fake. The best way to assess a team’s performance is by learning about other clients’ testimonials about their work.
#3: Check Their Lead Time for Post-Editing
Every couple is excited to see the photos of their memorable day. Before getting too giddy about it (and for less disappointment as well), make sure to ask your photographers when you can expect your final photos. Photographers do not have the time to do a quality check for every click they make during a wedding. Editing ensures that the pictures you get are of the best quality.
Couples can expect to wait up to 3-6 months for the busiest photographers, while that turn around time can be much shorter in the off peak periods of the year.
On a side note plety of photographers also opt to outsource their editing workload and can therefore have their photo collections done quicker. I prefer to have full control over all the creative processes so I personally tend to be a little slower, however still fairly quick usually taking no more than 2 months. COVID however has caused quite a bit of backlog so recently I’ve spread out to 3 months, but thats still a fairly decent timeframe!
#4: Find Out Their Turnover Details
Aside from the timing, check the details for the turnover of the photos. Will they give you a flash drive, or will they require a hard drive from you? Will they send over a download link, provide you with access to their web gallery, or will they only hand over printed copies? All these details should be clear before you sign your contract.
#5: Ask If They Accept Special Photo Requests
Every experienced wedding photographer already has a mental list of photos to take on a wedding day, but if you think you need a particular shot that they do not usually offer, make sure to request it. To make sure that the photographers will not forget, list it down and keep a copy for yourself. This is particularly important for group photos as chances are if you do not have a list of photos you’d like taken – they simply wont be taken!
A photographer does not know your family dynamics, nor who are the important people in attendance – they rely on you to sort out your group photos and a list is the best way to not miss any.
#6: Check the Payment Terms
Before deciding to work with a photographer, do not forget to ask for their payment terms. Photography services usually require a deposit, or retainer fee before the actual event. Make sure you know how much you need to pay and how youre able to pay so you will not be surprised later.
When your prospective wedding photographer asks if you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask and get the answers you need. A photographer that welcomes your questions and answers them to the best of their abilities can tell you how well they value their clients and the work they provide. If they know how to make you feel comfortable at this stage, that says a lot about their capabilities. Do your research until you are satisfied with the information you find. Hopefully this list of things to ask before committing to a wedding photographer will help!
What I personally like to do when meeting with a prospective new engaged couple is that I like to walk them through an entire wedding – hopefully similar to what they have in mind and hopefully while walking through what that other couple did would give this new couple ideas on how I work, what they can do and most importatly, what they would look like in their own photos!
Are you looking for wedding photographers? Let SvenStudios capture your wedding memories in photographs that you will cherish forever. We are your professional wedding photography solution in Adelaide, and we cater to wedding services no matter the location. Contact us today to inquire about our services.
