3 Questions I'd Ask My Wedding Photographer Today

I've been hitched for over 5 years now but I still reflect on our wedding experience (elopement) and our wedding photography often because I'm always trying to put myself in my client's shoes. Honestly, it's hard! Social media + culture + technology + wedding options have changed quite a bit in the last 5 years so decisions my couples are facing today can be both wildly different and surprisingly similar to what we navigated. 

Considering the questions that I get asked as a wedding photographer, my own perspective and modern times, I've gathered 3 questions I'd ask if meeting with my potential wedding photographer today.

1. Consider what is VERY important to you when it comes to your wedding photography and chat with your photographer about those things. Don't dismiss this because it seems obvious, check out the examples below to explore what you relate to before that consultation!

Appearance? And be honest with yourself, none of us want to be vain but in today's society, most care about how we look in photos. Maybe you want to invest in a photographer who will use every trick in the book, including Photoshop, to make you look A+. Maybe you're getting hair and makeup done so you want some glamour shots of how hawt you are on the big day. There are so many types of photographers these days and some offer 0 Photoshopping and don't care about flattering angles, they care about candid laughter even if that includes a double chin. There's no right or wrong, it's just a topic to bring up to understand their approach.

Emotion? Speaking of belly laughs that can lead to double chins, maybe those moments are what's precious to you. You're not in it for a glamour shoot, you want to enjoy the day and have memories to look back on that make you cry and laugh all over again. Most photographers are looking for great emotion too so you're likely guaranteed that. But you could be investing in a pricey photog who captures emotion AND spends a lot of TIME on the wedding day posing you juuuust right so the angle is flattering and who charges you more because of the amount of editing they do - if spending more time on posing and paying for the photog's time to edit out double chins doesn't sound good to you then maybe it's not a match!

Timeline? Speaking of spending time posing for the "perfect" angle, many couples have a strong opinion on the timeline of the wedding day. Do you want to build in an hour to get epic photos of you 2 on a mountain alone or would you rather spend the majority of time with your guests? Do you want to spend an hour on family formals bc that's what everyone loves to print or do you prefer more time devoted to candids? Again, no right or wrong but definitely something to chat about with your photog. 

There are many other examples, start jotting down a list of what's (specifically) important to you, and bring it up in the consultation to learn their approach! You do you.
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2. What you love most about the photographer's work. This isn't a suggestion to be complimentary (although, how nice!), it's about hearing the photographer describe their work in real life scenarios.

Maybe you love how colorful and cheerful their work is, they may tell you some of the best venues for that style or how they'll need space for flash in order to create that vibe in a dark cabin.

Maybe you love their dreamy couple portraits, they may tell you that to catch that kind of lighting, you need to schedule in 1 hour at sunset for couple photos or you won't get the same result. 

Maybe you love how they setup family formals bc they never look stuffy, they may tell you that they'll need to scout the location the day before and to have access to furniture for those photos.

Speak up about what you love in their work so you can all make it happen logistically. Happy accidents are few and far between, most photographers know what preparation goes into getting the shot. 
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3. And lastly, how does the photographer communicate on the wedding day? Mother-in-laws, family formals, divorced parents, timeline delays, rain preventing any outdoor photos... you want to know how your photog will handle the slight chaos of a wedding day while getting every shot you hired them for. 

I always tell my clients that I like to be a fly on the wall most of the day but I'm comfortable directing family formals to get them done efficiently. I can handle mother-in-laws of all types and I'm ready for all the personalities - it doesn't bother me or stress me out because I used to work in hospitality and as a wedding coordinator. I can offer direction as needed throughout the day or I can let your wedding planner take the lead. I'm flexible yet prepared.

That's my approach and my guess is every photographer has their own. Chat about it!