Hiring a wedding photographer is one of the more important decisions you will make when planning your wedding…and one of the priciest. Your photographer will be entrusted to fully document your special day and for years to come you will view their images. In this day and age, everyone has a digital camera or a photography business. How do you know who is truly qualified? And how do you know who is the best fit for you and your wedding? Below are a few questions to get you started as you interview photographers. We created this essential wedding photographer interview checklist as a PDF in case you want to print it for your next meeting!

Experience and Style:

How long have you been a wedding photographer and how many weddings have you photographed?

Why did you get into wedding photography?

What is your approach to taking photos during the event? How do you get shots during the wedding without obstructing the view for my guests?

What is your photography style? Posed and formal, relaxed, photojournalistic, creative, artistic, candid, or traditional?

Will you accept a list for specific photos to be taken? What kind of input can we have on the direction of the shots?

Have you worked at my event locations before? How did it work out?

Would you be willing to make a site visit with me?

Equipment:

What type of camera will you use? What kind of equipment will you bring with you? How intrusive will lighting, tripods, other equipment or assistants be?

Backup:

Will there be backup equipment available? And what happens if you are ill?

Do you use an assistant? Is there an extra charge for this?

Do you have liability insurance?

What happens on my wedding day?

What's your typical wedding day schedule? When do you arrive to setup, how many hours do you cover?

Will you personally be taking the photos at my wedding?

Can other guests take photos while you are taking photos?

What will you be wearing to my wedding?

How much time do you allot for portraits and family shots during the wedding day?

What to expect after the wedding:

Will you add creative effects to our images? (B/W, Color, Antiques, etc.)?

How long after the event will the photos be ready to review?

Will we have a follow up meeting with you to review our images?

Will you post the pictures online for us to view and share with family and friends?

Will I get the negatives/digital images for free or what is the charge? CD/DVD?

Pricing and Packages:

In addition to the base package fees, will there be any hourly fees or travel costs?

Should my event last longer than scheduled, will you stay? Extra charge?

Do you offer packages that cover parts of the wedding?

Do you offer engagement or bridal portraits as add-ons to my package?

Can we create a custom package?

Do you have a written agreement that describes pricing and terms of service?

Does an album come with my package? If not, what are my options to add one?

Photographer Personality and References:

Do you have any references we may call?

How often do we stay in contact with you leading up to the wedding day? What if I want to make changes to my package?

Do I like this person? Do I get along with them or get a good feeling from them?

Do I like their work as a wedding photographer? Is it well lit, focused, well framed? Looking at their photographs, do I feel like I have a good feeling for the wedding?