4 Questions You Probably Forgot To Ask Your Wedding Photographer

Commonly Overlooked Questions You Should Be Asking Your Wedding Photographer

Here on the ISPWP blog, we talk a lot about communication with your photographer before the wedding. The reason for this is that most people haven’t hired a professional photographer many times in their lives, and knowing the right questions to ask is important when it comes to a once-in- a-lifetime event like a wedding. You’re going to be spending a considerable amount of time and money with your photographer, so the more you understand about the process before you hire them means that you will feel much more secure in your choice.

When people start looking for a photographer, the question that they default to the most often is “how much?” The reasoning for this is quite simple; everyone understands money. You may have no idea what it takes to be a professional wedding photographer, what kind of knowledge or experience it takes, but you likely have an idea of a range of how much money you are willing to spend. While budgeting is, of course, an important part of the puzzle, it should not be the deciding factor.

Questions that Many People Never Think to Ask:

1) What is the Backup Plan in Case the Photographer Gets Sick? 
It’s something no one wants to think about but needs to be addressed; what happens if your photographer is physically too ill to photograph your wedding? Don’t feel embarrassed to ask this question. A professional wedding photographer should have a concrete and confident answer for you on exactly what provisions they have made for this scenario, and it should be written in the contract you sign. Professional wedding photographers are keenly aware of the fact that there are no repeats on a wedding day, and it is part of their job to plan for the unexpected.

2) How Do You Protect My Wedding Files? 
While this is a technical question in nature, it’s still an important one. We’ve all heard stories of photographers who lost entire weddings due to some mishap with the digital files. Some photographers have backup systems in their cameras (some cameras have dual digital card slots that write the data to both cards), or they have an assistant at the wedding doing real time backups, or they have cloud-based backup systems in place. While they may not give you the entire technical step-by- step process, it’s important that you feel that your photographer is working to make sure your precious memories are kept as safe as possible.

3) Do You Carry Insurance? 
Professional wedding photographers are not always required to carry insurance as business regulations may vary from country to state to town, but it’s a good idea that they do so anyway. For example, if your grandmother trips over the photographer’s camera bag and breaks her arm at your reception, who is responsible for medical reimbursement? If a photographer carries liability insurance, that cost would be covered by their insurance provider. Some ceremony and reception venues now require any professional that works in their building to carry insurance, and this includes everyone from the cake baker to the DJ. Carrying insurance is a good sign that your photographer takes their business seriously and is prepared for anything.

4) What are the Payment and Delivery Terms in the Contract?
It goes without saying that you should never hire any wedding vendor without a contract. Be sure to have the photographer explain the details in the contract regarding when payment is expected, what additional options are available and for what price, and when can you expect to receive your files/prints/albums, etc. Many disputes arise after the wedding that are usually addressed in the contract, so don’t be afraid to question anything that is unclear. 

ISPWP recommends that you add these questions to your list of questions for any potential wedding photographers you consider. To find an ISPWP certified photographer in your area, check our directory.

Image by Dmytro Sobokar, Nice, France wedding photographer