The three key questions to ask your wedding photographer before you hire

We are lucky to refer our clients to some absolutely amazing photographers and work with fabulous photographers all the time. Over the years we've learned so much through the good (and the not-so-good) and wanted to share this advice with you. Here are our Top 3 questions to ask a potential photographer:

1. Who will be shooting our wedding? Most photographers you meet with will indeed be the ones shooting your wedding however, many have assistants or freelance photographers who might work with them. Be sure you are clear as to who will be there and if it's another photographer, meet with them ahead of time and look at their portfolios.

2. How many hours of photography are included in our package? This question might seem like a no-brainer and most photographers will stay on hand for the duration of the day, but many do not. This is incredibly important if you don't have a coordination team. We once had a photographer we weren't familiar with telling us he was leaving before the grand fireworks display - the final wow of the night. We had to convince him to stay and start the show twenty minutes earlier, despite him knowing the timeline.

Most good photographers won't leave (despite their package maybe saying the time is up) before key moments like the bouquet toss or first dance, even if the timeline falls a little out of place. After all, this wouldn't complete their story of your big day! Look for photographers who offer generous timing packages or those who will be there for the day.

3. What happens post-wedding? Let the photographer explain this process; most photographers have a pretty quick turnaround time (depending on the season) for at least getting you some sneak peek photos up on their blog. On the other hand, we've heard some horror stories about couples (not any of ours!) not getting to see their images for 6-8 months after the wedding! Talk about a letdown! Also ask whether you'll get an album or a DVD of images down the road so that you can print photos later; many photographers will also give you a print credit if you'd like them to print photos for you.
Happy Planning!
Aleah + Nick