Yay, you’re engaged! Congratulations! This is such an exciting time in your life! Over the next few months, you have some big, exciting decisions to make. One of those decisions is choosing your wedding photographer. After you wedding day has come and gone, there are few tangible things you’ll keep to remember the day by. Your photos may well be the most vivid and significant. With this in mind, and as a photographer who has photographed nearly 300 weddings, I wanted to share with you 3 things that couples should ask their photographer before hiring them.
1. Can we see multiple, complete wedding galleries from the last year?
Just like any other business, photographers like to show their best work online. You want to make sure you have proper expectations for what you’re going to receive and what a fully-delivered gallery looks like, not just the highlights. This will help you better understand how the photographer captures all the different parts of the day, not just the hero shots.
Experience is key when it comes to weddings. You want to choose a photographer who has been around the block a few times and has seen a thing or two. According to SLR Lounge, the average photographer’s career lasts only 4.5 years. Because of the low barrier of entry, this industry has massive turnaround. If you choose a photographer who has been around for 5+ years, it’s a safe bet that they’ve gained the experience necessary to handle unique situations as they arise.
2. How many weddings have you photographed?
Experience is key when it comes to weddings. You want to choose a photographer who has been around the block a few times and has seen a thing or two. According to SLR Lounge, the average photographer’s career lasts only 4.5 years. Because of the low barrier of entry, this industry has massive turnaround. If you choose a photographer who has been around for 5+ years, it’s a safe bet that they’ve gained the experience necessary to handle unique situations as they arise.
3. What is your contingency plan if you can’t make it to the wedding?
We never expect an accident or emergency, but the truth of the matter is that these things happen, and often at the most unexpected times. With the recent Covid-19 pandemic, this concern is particularly fresh on our minds. Being as prepared as possible for the unexpected is a big part of what separates the pros from the hobbyists. An appropriate backup plan is to have multiple, equally-qualified photographers ready to go on will call. An established photography studio will have these resources ready to go.
This article was written by Jared Gant of JMGant Photography. Jared is a highly-accomplished, multiple-platform, award-winning photographer based out of northern Colorado. His wedding photos have been featured around the world. Additionally, Jared is an educator for SLR Lounge and is a brand ambassador for MagMod, CG Pro Prints, Holdfast Gear, and Táve.f
