Finding A Wedding Photographer: Where to Start, Inquiry Template, Tips, and Questions to Ask

Where to Start:

Find your style

• Most photographers have a "style" of sorts. This can be seen in their editing (warm, bright, minimal, etc.); approach (posed, artistic, editorial, documentary/candid); and equipment and format (digital, film, both).

• This is where a Pinterest board comes in handy! Collect some of your favorite photos and try to figure out what draws you to it. Imagine yourself in that pose/photo you like! I suggest making a list from that research and reference this when you are looking through different photographers and their work.

Nail down a budget

• This one is pretty self-explanatory, but I would have an idea of your budget before you start shopping around so that you don't end up attached to a photographer that's way out of your budget! If this does happen, photographers often have second shooters/other photographer friends that might have similar styles and be a little cheaper. It never hurts to ask for a recommendation if they aren't the right fit!

Ask recently married friends/family

• If anyone you know has gotten married within the past year or two, ask them about their wedding budget and if they would recommend the photographer they booked. If you like their work, I would ask if you can access their wedding gallery for a closer look before reaching out!

Search photos under your venue’s location on Instagram/Facebook

• This is a great way to find a wedding photographer and a huge plus is that you know they are familiar with your venue and shooting there!

• Normally, photographers or couples will add the venue location to the photos they upload to social media. Just search your venue under locations and click "Recent" to view them in chronological order.

Inquiry Email Template:

• Hi! My name is _____ and my partner’s name is _______. We are getting married on __/__/___ at Venue in City, State. We have looked through your photos and are very interested in possibly having you shoot our wedding! Are you available on our wedding date? If so, would you mind sending over your pricing and packages? Also, could you send over a full gallery from a recent wedding you shot? We would love to get an idea of all of the shots you capture throughout the day. Looking forward to hearing from you!

Follow Up Questions:

When can we expect our gallery to be delivered after the wedding? Will you send us sneak peeks before then?

• This is good to know ahead of time. You will be itching to get photos back and knowing when they're coming is (kind of) helpful! It's also common to receive 3-5 edited photos the week after the wedding.

Have you shot a wedding at our venue before?

• Obviously it's a plus if they have, but not a dealbreaker if they haven't! I would make sure they can commit to at least one walk-through with you at the venue ahead of your wedding day. This will help ensure that you are all on the same page about where certain photos will be taken if you have a preference and prevent any miscommunication on the day-of.

Will we have rights to the images to print and share?

• Super important! Some photographers will give you full rights to the images with your package so that you can share/print wherever you please. If not, I suggest asking about rights pricing, pricing for prints, order minimums, and where they get them printed. This can be a deal breaker for some couples. If it is for you, I suggest asking very early on.

Do you shoot engagement photos? How much would it be to add that on to a wedding package?

• If you plan to get engagement photos taken, this is a great time to get comfy with your photographer and in front of the camera with your partner!

Tips for Booking:

Ask for proof of liability insurance.

• Imagine this: your photographer is driving home after your wedding and gets in an accident on the way. All of their camera gear is ruined and you have no way to recover the photos that were on the SD cards. Although this is VERY worst case scenario - it could happen and you want to make sure you will be monetarily reimbursed for the images lost.

Meet your photographer.

• This is a hot take, and one that I don’t see recommended enough! Your wedding photographer will barely leave your side on your big day. You want to make sure you can see yourself being comfortable taking direction and collaborating with them on your big day. If they are local, I recommend a coffee date. If not, a FaceTime date. This is a great time to ask your follow up questions and to get a little more comfortable with them before their camera is in your face all day (not literally - but you know what I mean!).

• I recommend doing this once you’ve narrowed down your choices. If you are between 2-3 photographers, this is a great way to help you decide. If you’re set on one this gives you the opportunity to start building a relationship with them!

Go over a backup plan.

• Back to the worst case scenario here… let’s say the car accident theory happens, or their house catches on fire the next day. What is their process for backing up the images? Are they uploading all the images to a hard drive that night? Are they uploading all the images to a cloud based service before leaving the venue? What happens if there’s an emergency and they can’t make it to the wedding? Do you have backup gear?

• These questions are scary to ask, but your photographer should feel confident in their process and be able to give you peace of mind with their plans of action in case something crazy does happen. Some instances are unavoidable, but it’s best to take every step possible to make sure everyone and every photo is covered!

Communicate your expectations.

• Who will the photographer communicate with during the wedding day if needed? This is where a day-of coordinator or planner is helpful. Your plate will be more than full and they should have someone else to call if they can’t find the venue, need to find an outlet, make sure they get fed, etc. They also don’t need to be running around wrangling the wedding party for photos and miss a special moment between the couple.

• Scheduling is very important. Your photographer should be scheduling time with you to go over a shooting schedule for the day-of including first look, family, wedding party, etc.

• Make sure you all agree on a shot list. Whether this is specific poses or inspiration you have for photos you want, or the family photo shot list - all of these expectations should be communicated and planned for ahead of time so that no one is scrambling on the day of the wedding. If you have a coordinator/planner, this is also where they come in and are a big help!

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