16 Must-Ask Questions for Wedding Photographers and Videographers
Wedding photography and wedding film are must-haves for most modern soonly weds. Having awesome pictures and videos of your wedding day allows you to relive your nuptials every day of your married life. To ensure that, you have to book the best photographer and videographer for your celebration. We rounded up a list of must-ask questions for your potential photographers and videographers before you sign a contract with them.
What style/s do you specialize in?
Photos and videos are so varied. Everybody has a different approach so answering this question is super critical for you to understand. Getting familiar with the wedding photographer and videographer’s styles ensures that you will get the vibe that you are looking for in your photos and videos. This question also allows you to get a glimpse of what kind of artists they are, whether they are cinematic, monochromatic, vintage, etc.
What is your presence like on the day of? How will you interact with our guests?
Don’t be shy to ask your photographer and videographer about their day-of presence. Have a clear understanding of whether your pros are laid-back photographers, who are just standing at the back and taking their shots from there. Or someone who will go close-up regardless if they are interrupting your guests' view. Knowing this gives you an idea of how your photographer works to capture your special wedding moments like exchanging rings or your first kiss.
Who/What inspires you as a photographer or videographer?
Asking your photo and video experts about their inspirations behind their videography or photography style gives you a deeper understanding of how they work. It is a good talking point to get them to tell you about their technique, shots, and types of shooting they like and drawn to.
Can you shoot both digital and film?
A lot of modern couples are wanting the duality of being able to have filed as well as having their wedding day documented on film. Go ahead and ask your photographers so you would be comfortable in whichever medium they work with and if they can fulfill any of your requests.
What exactly are included in your package?
It is essential to know when it comes to photography and videography because there could be a lot to be included in your package. It may have prints, albums, tapes, raw footage, proofs, and so forth. Asking this will give you a hint on whether they do an engagement shoot or honeymoon shoot. This question lets you know what you will be receiving from your experts and what you are going to get back in terms of memories and takeaways on your special day.
How will our finished wedding video and wedding photos be delivered to us?
Also, ask how your package will be delivered or given to you. Is it on a flash drive or an album? Are you supposed to pick it up at their studio? Are they going to deliver it to you? Or will they send it through the mail? Aside from asking these, get to know how long it will take before they hand you your package.
How many hours of coverage do we get? What is the charge for overtime?
Proceeding to your vendor without asking this would probably make you spend a fair amount of additional cost just because you exceed your allotted coverage time. Knowing how many hours you have your vendors helps you to plan their day and yours as well. It also helps in deciding on your wedding timeline and what part of your wedding day you want to be the utmost priority of the coverage.
Do you have backup photographers? Who will shoot the wedding if you are sick?
This question is super important to know because a lot of photography and videography companies are run by one to two people and not necessarily a team of photographers. So be aware whether your photographer or videographer has someone who will function similar to them in case an unexpected thing happens to your original vendor.
Will there be a second shooter or an assistant? Is there an additional fee for each?
A second shooter is any person in the photo and video team who will walk around and take different angles of shot besides your main photographer. Having an extra shooter allows your photographers to capture almost every side of your celebration. For instance, one is taking your family photos, while the other one is responsible for the cocktail hours with the guests, all that extra stuff.
However, having those extra shooters may come at an additional fee. Although, sometimes, basic photography and videography packages already include second and third shooters. Still, go ahead and ask to see what your options are so you could make the best decisions for your celebration.
How will you coordinate with a videographer? How do you envision working together?
Knowing this tells you how your videographer and photographer would coordinate with each other to capture the most of your special day. Certain moments are just simply going to be more powerful through a video than they are through a photo. Keep in mind that while photos capture moments in time, videos tell a story.
Will you follow a shot list? Or do you prefer to have free reign to capture the festivities of how you see fit?
Every photographer or videographer has a unique approach to this. Some might ask you for a must-have list, while others prefer free reign to shoot candid moments that they see fit. But if you and your partner want to make sure that you have what you want, then choose a wedding photographer who does understand what it is you are looking for and who is willing to take a bit more direction from you.
What kind of equipment do you use? Do you have backups?
Depending on the equipment that your specific photographer or videographer uses will directly result in the quality of your photo and video. So knowing the equipment that they have and that they have backups in case any issues do arise is a mental factor.
How long after the event will the proofs, albums, etc be ready?
It varies from vendor to vendor. Depending on whether or not they do post-production editing, it really can vary the amount of time that it takes for you to get your materials back. Asking this question will give you more than enough of a heads up and takes your worry off of your plate. So go ahead and ask so you could schedule it to your wedding planner’s calendar and you know when to expect those items back.
Can we see the full galleries of a few of your recent weddings?
Unlike an album or highlight reel, having to see their full online galleries allows you to see a complete example and the full scope of what your wedding videographers and photographers edits look like. You would get to see every photo, how they capture all the little details, and see if you can evoke the vibe that comes through from the event in their photos and videos. This is the perfect way to get an accurate representation of what you will be expecting on the day-of.
Who owns the copyright of the final wedding photo/video?
You just got married, and you spent thousands of dollars on your photography and videography. So you most likely would want to reuse that footage as you see fit but depending on who owns the rights to those final videos and wedding pictures, that is not always the case. You could get in trouble in terms of copyright or potentially even fees for reposting your wedding photos. So ask this important question early to make informed decisions.
What agreement do you want from us, and what do you prefer to have the final say on?
A photographer or a videographer is an artist, and they all punctuate a little bit differently. So this helps you have an idea of the feedback that they like and the guidance that they work best with. And lastly, you have to remember that as artists, they put themselves into their work.
So you find someone who truly fits your vision and someone you could trust to capture the moments of your special day. Because in the future, when you want to relive those moments, the videos and photos that would surely help you remember your big day.